GPS Training Podcast – number 99 – 1

How is Shepherd's Walks made up? x 4 aspects of the business in 2024 – multi-million-pound turnover Shepherds Walks – Events, courses, retailer and guided walks Shepherds Walks Holidays – Guided and self-guided walking holidays Capricorn Mohair Socks – 60 + trade accounts and retail GPS Training/ Outdoor GPS Shop – largest retailer of Outdoor GPS units in the UK, I know what our competitors sell, not very professional to say what they sell 1999 – Shepherds Walks – Northumbrian Shepherds Walks - But, let’s go a back a little further than that I’m Jon Monks – School – not academic, school just did not work for me - Dyslexic But excelled and Cubs, Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh Hiking competitions Maps made more sense to me than text in a book Career choice - work outdoors – farmer? Career officer – School Career office – St Helens James Hayes Lancashire College of Agriculture – Careers office YTS x 2 years – Arable framing College x 3 years – Dairy and finally sheep   Post college – Australia, Lord Carnarvon (Highclere Estate) and Northumberland x 2 jobs 1999 – Shepherds Walks – Wrote walking guides (from a Shepherds perspective) The web was made for walking – marketing Telegraph, Guardian, Radio 4 (Ramblings x 2), Countryfile, Country Walking Magazine Country Shows, Farmers Markets – really learning how to sell – hard work 2005 – Went full-time – Health Walks Barclays Bank, Local District Council (now dispended) – Small business adviser and Business Link   Hard to make money, as did not really have a viable business - Had a small shop/ unit on a converted farm with coffee shop and 8 other small ‘more crafty’ businesses. Guided walks, self-led walking guides, maps, local history books, postcards etc 2006 – Bought Capricorn Mohair Socks Needing 36k to buy business 15k bank, 15k our own money but 6k VAT Became VAT registered after this – 75k ish turnover 2006/ 2007 – Selling GPS units – Contacting Peter Judd and Sheep Trails Started selling GPS units/ training courses 2008 – Shepherds Walks Holidays – part of Saddle Skedaddle   2014 – Bought GPS Training – doubled my turnover – not scared of talking figures (125k x 2 – ¼ million turnover) – But more about that in next weeks podcast   And what a story that is – GPS Training Covid – First lockdown - March 2020 Started to understand that often less is more – My shepherding background was the more I went around the sheep at lambing time the more sheep I would have, but this was not the case with GPST We had a great stable base to build the business on – 50k Bounce back loan New website – GPST Jan 2021 – Built in Christmas/ January lockdown SWH – 2022 – invest or die after Covid SW – Jan 2022 Moved to our current premises – April 2023 (got keys on 1st February) If you have not seen the video of us building the new offices please do, I will leave a link in the show notes -