Stockport man revs up his business idea in the tourism sector
Stockport man revs up his business idea in the tourism sector
A Stockport man is on the road to success after launching a North West tourbus service.
Joe Corrigan, 57, set up Reliable Travel after being self employed for more than 30 years. The luxury minibus service offers corporate, tourism and leisure transportation services to clients in Stockport and the North West.
Mr Corrigan had previously worked in the construction industry and also held sales roles. He had some experience of chauffeuring which led him to the idea behind Reliable Travel.
“I wanted to start a business which I was in full control of,” he said. “All the work I was doing finished last year and I wanted to progress my idea of a chauffeuring business, so I went to the Job Centre for help. After explaining my idea the Job Centre pointed me in the direction of Blue Orchid. Last year I began planning for the business; I obtained my private hire licence and bought a new vehicle. Blue Orchid advised me to attend a business planning session in Stockport and this was a real help in structuring what I wanted to achieve.”
Mr Corrigan’s support was delivered though the ISUS programme, in which Blue Orchid is the contracted provider for Stockport. It is provided by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). ISUS is part of Solutions for Business, the Government's package of publicly funded business support designed to help companies start and grow. The programme is funded by the NWDA, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Stockport Council.
Blue Orchid was able to offer one to one support to Mr Corrigan through the ISUS programme. After completing the business planning session he met with advisor Kate Beever who was able to develop the business further.
“Kate was a great help and it is important to have someone to talk ideas through with,” he said. “We went through how I was going to promote the business to potential customers and the best form of marketing for my service. She also helped me think about how diverse my business could be. With such varied landscapes and places of cultural importance a short drive from Stockport, I wanted to operate a North West tour service. Kate really encouraged me to explore this idea and after having a strong start since March with the corporate and leisure markets, I am now launching the North West tourbus service.”
Managing director of Blue Orchid, Heather Hayes, said: “We want to encourage people from Stockport who have may have been made redundant or lost their jobs, to contact us if they are thinking of setting up a business. We organise a range of workshops throughout the year in Stockport, covering areas such as becoming self employed and business planning. We can help turn your idea into a reality. Joe has benefited from the ISUS programme through attending workshops and meeting with his advisor on a regular basis. His business is now going from strength to strength and he has shown determination throughout.”
For more information about Reliable Travel visit: www.reliable-travel.com or call 07989 540 245. If you would like to find out about the services Blue Orchid offers email startup@theblueorchid.co.uk or call 0161 485 4949.
