Andy is a First Aid Trainer, Assessor, Internal Quality Assurer and Business owner. He has worked for himself since 1997 and helps other Trainers go from being a Freelancer to owning their own Businesses and developing a sustainable and profitable Business model.
Qualifications
- First Aid Trainer and Assessor, qualified to teach and assess Workplace, Paediatric, Outdoor and Forest School First Aid qualifications amongst others.
- FREC 3 First Aider, FREC 4 in pipeline…
- Level 3 Award in Education and Training
- Level 4 Internal Quality Assurer
- ITEC qualification in Anatomy, Physiology and Massage (Merit).
Business Ownership
- Pulse Corporation Ltd (formed 1997) 100%
- 4 Minutes Training Ltd (formed 2016) 100% since 2020
- Ladybird First Aid Ltd (formed 2019) 100%
- Cascade First Aid Ltd (formed 2020) 25%
Other
- Federation of Smaller Businesses member
CV – potted history
1982 – 1985. Reading University. Graduated in Physics and Electronics with Honours. Started working as an Engineer for an IT Business within the Travel Sector.
1987. Joined the Red Cross as a trainee volunteer First Aider. Went on to qualify in First Aid, Ambulance Aid Levels I and II, Nursing, Demonstrator and Instructor, eventually running his local First Aid Group. Workwise, moved jobs to a Business that went bust 6 months later. Was one of the few employees rehired by the Business that took over the assets of the previous Business. Helped turn the Business around and make a substantial profit.
1997. Undertook a Management Buyout of his part of the revived Business, setting up his first Limited Company and started working for himself. Supported all the Household name Travel Businesses with their Travel Booking Systems.
1999/2000. Business peaked during the Millennium / Y2K as Client Businesses raced to ensure their computers were not going to fall over 1st January 2000.
1st January 2000. Nothing fell over.
2000 – 2016. Various hustles, even becoming one of the earliest commercial drone pilots. Best year 2012, with the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee creating photographic memories.
2005. Co-founded Maidenhead’s Community Responder Scheme. Volunteers that attend 999 calls ahead of the ambulance crew.
2017. Teamed up to buy the National School of First Aid Training in order to launch a First Aid Training Company – 4 Minutes Training Ltd.
2019. Took over Ladybird First Aid in December. Really going well, then …..
2020. …. COVID. Fellow Director of 4 Minutes stood down for personal reasons.
Despite not running any courses for 6 months, Andy had set up a lean Business and minimised outgoings to the bone. It was back up and Running in the Autumn when everything opened up for the first time, 4 Minutes still made a net profit in 2020 despite everything going on thanks to strong cash control and Business diligence.
2020 part II. As well as managing 4 Minutes, Andy helped set up Cascade First Aid Ltd with one of his Freelance Trainers who wanted to move into running her own Business and not just Freelancing for the rest of her life. This was the first of the mentoring packages put together where Andy provided the Business expertise and SEO functions in return for a stake in the Business. Cascade has been profitable every year to date.
2021. Best year ever for 4 Minutes and Cascade.
2022. Best year ever for 4 Minutes, exceeding 2021 for Revenue and Profit. Cascade growing nicely (different Year End, so figures not yet in).
2023. Good start to the year. Andy formalises mentoring package.
Awards
2008 – Maidenhead CFRs win Maidenhead and Windsor’s Community & Business Excellence Award for Contribution to the Community.
2016 – Maidenhead CFRs win the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
2019 – 4 Minutes Wins Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday Award.
2021 – Cascade First Aid Wins Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday Award.
