Member Article

Local business driving to success

An entrepreneur who set up his own company as a driving instructor has turned his business into a leading independent driving school in the North East. TyneWear Partnership and not-for-profit organisation, Street North East were instrumental in helping Johnny Sage get 1st Express Motoring School.

44-year-old Johnny was working as a coach driver when he made the decision to start his own business as a driving instructor, despite concerns about his age and funding. Johnny approached Street North East, an organisation that helps support small businesses throughout the North East through the Included Communities Fund grant it receives from TyneWear Partnership via One NorthEast.

Johnny was offered advice and support from Street North East as well as a loan to pay for a learner vehicle and help with his marketing budget. 1st Express Motoring School has now grown with a number of instructors working throughout Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.

Johnny said: “Getting support from Street North East has turned my life around and helped build the business into a successful enterprise. I have gone from being the only instructor to now having 16 fully qualified drivers working for me with 12 learner vehicles.”

Michael Burns, Street North East’s client relationship manager, said: “Small companies often find it hard to get off the ground when they first start up and they rely on organisations like Street North East for help and advice. As a not-for-profit company, we in turn rely on the support of organisations like TyneWear Partnership to enable us to help businesses like Johnny’s who have been trading for at least six months and can come to us with ideas and a business plan.”

For information on the Included Communities Fund contact the Community Foundation on 0191 222 0945.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .