Home from home – international real estate business on solid foun
While working in financial services in Gibraltar in 2002 Nigel Murton had no idea that his work abroad would one day help lead to running his own business covering Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, and the Caribbean.
Living in Spain and working in Gibraltar helped shape the blueprint for a successful agency focussing solely on the overseas market for Nigel.
Back in the UK Nigel began researching his idea and started up the agency in 2003. Interlink Sun Homes became a limited company in 2004 and later the same year Nigel and business partner George Sorial contacted Sheffield Enterprise Agency (SENTA) for support and advice to ensure they continued on the right path.
Now Nigel and George are the men behind a leading business offering overseas property for holiday, investment and retirement homes.
Explained Nigel: “My main job in Gibraltar was linking up with real estate agents on the Costa Del Sol which turned out to be the groundwork that gave me the motivation to start out on my own.”
Sheffield Enterprise Agency (SENTA) is part of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and provides fully integrated support to new business start-ups and businesses up to two years old. Its start-up programme is funded by Yorkshire Forward under contract with Business Link South Yorkshire.
Nigel and George were able to turn to the agency for support on issues ranging from a bigger and better website in their early days to help with marketing and courses at a later stage.
Said Nigel: “They have been very good to us, right from the start. They helped us with the website re-design, offered advice on branding and book-keeping and more recently helped out with our marketing queries. The package of on-going support we have received from them has been excellent.”
SENTA Enterprise Director Sandra Edwards said: “Sun Homes are a great example of a new, growing business - not only have they flourished since the agency started but they demonstrate exactly how beneficial our post start-up two year support package can be.
“A common misconception about start-up businesses is that if they are still trading successfully after a few months then they are up and running and require no further help. But when businesses are expanding and growing things can crop up that they need help with - good as well as bad. They may be offered a great opportunity but as it is something they have never experienced before, they need advice on how best to handle it.
“SENTA can also assist by accompanying our clients as their preferred business advisor when they are exploring other new avenues, for example going to banks for financial support or visiting new properties. Our advisors can become an integral part of any new business’ support network and it is very reassuring for them to know we are just a phone call away.”
Interlink now has an office in the Bulgarian ski resort of Bansko as well as the Sunny Beach resort.
“We have English and Bulgarian staff in our offices which means language problems aren’t an issue,” said Nigel. “Our Bulgarian offices are doing very well and we also do business with a lot of UK sub-agents.
“Our goal for next year is to expand once again and open a new office in a new country and we are considering Egypt, Slovenia or Turkey for our fourth office.
“We pride ourselves on our customer service and we’re very pleased that we can offer clients the full range of help all along the way. Our complete service includes initial consultation, inspection visit, assistance with purchase, furnishing the property, legalities of purchase, management of the property and even selling up.”
Two years on, Sun Homes has completed the SENTA post start-up support package that helped them on their way - and ultimately assisted them in helping their own customers, too.
Sandra Edwards added: “The first two years of a new business are the most critical as this can be when many businesses hit stumbling blocks and failures occur. That’s why SENTA don’t cut off their advice, guidance, training and support the minute a new start-up has started up! That advice continues over the next two years as businesses grow and develop as we believe this can help strengthen the foundations needed to establish and build a successful business.
“It has been a pleasure to watch Interlink Sun Homes expand and evolve over the last two years and we wish them the very best of luck in the future.”