Snooker company pots match ball thanks to funding.

21/03/17

Swansea-based snooker table servicing and maintenance firm Absolute Snooker has hit the jackpot after receiving £31,000 in funding to help get started.

It is run by Gareth Hayden and Tom Davies who bought the original business in August 2014 after working for the previous owner for a number of years. The pair contacted Business in Focus – an official delivery partner for the Start Up Loans Company – and received support with a successful application for a start up loan of £25,000 to help fund the initial purchase. The Start Up Loans scheme offers low interest personal loans to help start new businesses, or for businesses under one year old which need funding. They also secured a bursary of £6,000 via the Welsh Government business support service, Business Wales.

Gareth Hayden said, “We have a great working relationship with Mike Llewelyn, the previous owner, so when Mike offered us the chance to take over the business, we jumped at it. Mike has stayed on as a consultant and looks after our main sales accounts.

“None of this would have been possible without the support from Business in Focus and the funding they helped us to access. Our adviser has been brilliant; she helped with the business plan and the loan application. It’s been a superb service which has really helped the business to grow.”

Absolute Snooker specialises in the servicing, maintenance, and supply of snooker and pool tables. Its main area of expertise is the re-clothing of tables carried out by its two highly skilled engineers who co-owner Gareth describes as ‘the best in the business.’ It now has over 3000 customers which includes clubs, and the very top Welsh players on the professional circuit including Matthew Stevens and Mark Williams.

“The business is now growing nicely and we’ve increased turnover by 12% this year. Our new website – www.absolutesnooker.com – will be launched soon which will help to increase our profile further, and we’re looking to expand and take on an apprentice engineer in the next 6-12 months. Our customers are extremely important to us and however much we grow, we will always ensure that we look after their needs and maintain that personal touch,” said Gareth.