| In 1998, 25-year old John Stewart was found
redundant. He was left with a compensation{{U}} (19) {{/U}}of ￡5,000 and
a determination to be his own{{U}} (20) {{/U}}As a supporter of his
local football club, he had often helped them by maintaining and repairing their
seating. He now{{U}} (21) {{/U}}to set up his own company and make a{{U}}
(22) {{/U}}out of his hobby. His first{{U}} (23) {{/U}}was to get 1,000 brochures printed,{{U}} (24) {{/U}}the two main services which he could{{U}} (25) {{/U}}repair and maintenance. He sent these brochures to amateur and professional football clubs, and other similar{{U}} (26) {{/U}}such as hockey clubs. The week after completing the mailing was the worst of his life. He had no responses at all. Then a letter arrived from Scotland inviting him to give a{{U}} (27) {{/U}}for a pre-season check of a football club's seating. He arrived in Scotland in three hours; by the end of the afternoon he had signed the{{U}} (28) {{/U}}to do the work. For￡500 the club had its seating made good, and on arriving home three days later, John worked{{U}} (29) {{/U}}that he had made a ￡250{{U}} (30) {{/U}} The next four weeks were extremely busy, as club after club{{U}} (31) {{/U}}John to work for them. He priced each job in the same way as the first, working out all the direct{{U}} (32) {{/U}}then adding 100%. Money started to flow in and John bought a van and rented a factory unit on an industrial estate near his house. Then in late August the phones stopped{{U}} (33) {{/U}}as the pre-season work dried up. John realised that he needed longer-term work and decided to move into the manufacture of seating for new sports stadiums and the replacement market. |