Fledgling business founded at Pendle's Northlight Mill set to turnover £1M in its first year

Upholstery2u Ltd was founded by Daniel Boyle who saw a business opportunity thanks to his passion for the gym. He said: “As a gym fanatic I realised how frustrating it was for the business and the customer when equipment was out of service for weeks on end, waiting to be taken away for repairs.

"I started travelling to gyms around the country repairing equipment, but I realised that there were other industries that would benefit from on-site repairs. While it might be annoying to have a gym bench out of action, for items like hospital beds the need for quick repairs is vital. “

Having items repaired on-site also helps to cut down on unnecessary waste, something many companies will be keen to do as they try to be more environmentally and financially sustainable.

Daniel and his team have got their business model down to such a fine art that they can often have an item back in use within 30 minutes.

Daniel said: "Our vans are fully-fitted workshops and the staff we hire are trained in all aspects of repairs from the mechanical side of taking apart equipment to the upholstery and refitting. This means that items can be repaired on site with very little disruption to the business,” Daniel explained.

For those not needing repairs done as urgently the team can complete the repairs back at their base at Northlight Mill, Pendle.

With the company’s client base growing fast, and an impressive monthly turnover of £120,000 and counting, Daniel brought his brother Michael on board to add his sales experience to the mix.

Michael said “I had a good job in sales but I could see Daniel’s passion was paying off, so when we sat down to look at the figures and business model, we knew that our complementing skills could take the company far. We work well together and as a result, the business is growing quickly.”

And the brothers are passionate about investing in their workforce too as Michael explained: "“One member of staff was struggling to fund his driving lessons, so we paid for him to undertake an intensive course to help him get out on the road as quickly as possible.

"We are also looking into ways we can support those struggling to find work back into employment. For us our team is so important, everyone brings their own skills and personalities to the business, and we appreciate everyone that we work with.”

The company now has clients such as Crow Wood, JD Gyms, Holiday Inn and is also have NHS preferred supplier approval.