A policeman turned entrepreneur has switched careers after his side-hustle printing business took off.
Alex Liggett, who lives in Stafford, set up The Vinyl Guys after eight years working out of his spare bedroom.
The race car enthusiast started making stickers for his own cars in 2013 and over the years his one-man operation grew, selling products on eBay and directly to customers.
After a successful 18-year career in the force, the 39-year-old decided to leave his job in July 2019 and in September 2020 moved the business to brand new premises in Stafford.
Now – with support from Virgin Money – his business is in a strong position to expand as the country prepares to fully reopen after lockdown.
Alex said: “My daughter is 11 and working for myself means more family time. We lost my dad in January 2017 then my father-in-law six weeks later and it made me realise that life is too short.
“The Vinyl Guys has been the best decision – business has boomed, which has given me so much confidence in what we are building.
“The start of the pandemic was terrifying, but a number of our customers are trades people who were busy, so it was a strong period of growth for us.”
As part of his growth plans, Alex has taken on a full-time member of staff – Chris Butler – who has been appointed as production manager.
He has also been running mentoring workshops, inviting people into his business to learn about the industry.
He added: “The training days have been really popular, and we’ve had people travel from all over the UK and Europe to take part.
“Nobody else in the industry is doing this, but I think it’s really important to give people the opportunity to learn how run a business – it can only strengthen the sector and make it better.”
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After investing in two new printing machines, Alex turned to Virgin Money for financial support to make sure he could maintain cash flow and invest in new machinery in the future.
Craig Walker, a small business relationship manager at Virgin Money, said: “The Vinyl Guys is a great example of an entrepreneur exploring his passion and turning it into a viable career.
“Alex has a refreshing approach to business and the relationships he’s established are helping his growth strategy.
“Taking a business from a hobby to that next level is not an easy task and there are a lot of different areas Alex needs to consider on a daily basis, so I’m pleased we have been able to support Alex on the financial side and explore the different options that are available to him as he continues to expand.”
