The Business Village People S2 E6. "You're a cross between Gary Barlow & Jason Manford!"

The Business Village People

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This is the Business Village People Podcast.

Hello, I'm David Markwell. Welcome to the Business Village People Podcast.

This is episode six of series two.

In this podcast, we showcase stories from the companies, service providers and staff at the Business Village in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

Well, if you're ready, let's go!

In this episode of Business Village People

Two people who started working for themselves totally by accident.

We meet a young chap who was set up as an estate agent, but not any old agent.

Barnsley's first.

Disclaimer.

We think, but we could be wrong, there may be others.

Your house is at risk if you keep the back door open.

Disclaimer.

Barnsley's first, possibly, personal estate agent.

He reckons it's the future. I'll be asking him why.

Also, we meet the motivational educationalist, teacher, author and humourist, who at times looks and sounds like a cross between Gary Barlow and

and Jason Manford. His business, Create, Learn and Inspire, is based here at the Business Village.

Time to meet our first guest.

Owen Beasley has recently begun working for himself as a personal estate agent.

Here's his story.

You've got a lot of people out there, a lot of estate agents out there, that are more corporate and work on volume if I'm honest.

And I think it's time now when the market is changing for estate agents, where there is that personal touch, that personal branding,

where they're not working on volume and the work on your property and get it sold, because each property is different.

Some will sell quickly, just because of what everything is and the price tag.

Some will sell slowly if they're more expensive.

And he needs a personal touch to make sure it all gets sold, because nearly 50% of properties that go on the market don't sell.

And I want to put the time in to each property and get them all sold, rather than it being a flipper coin kind of thing.

And that's what I bring to suppose the Barnes and Mac is.

So what do you mean by personal estate agent, say how are you different?

I'll take them from A to Z, so value the house, get it sold, go for all the legal process.

Anyone rings me up, they've got my mobile number from 9am, 8pm, up until 9pm at night, they don't have to ring an office and be passed around the office as such,

which you get a lot in the corporate side.

And that's the personal touch I'll do with everything, basically, and that's that.

So how did you get into estate agents, you can say?

By accident, to be fair, I wanted to get into property and I was more interested in building a portfolio for the back of it for retirement.

And I joined B-craft estates in One Will, and it's spelled from there, I covered the media side of it, enjoyed it.

I always knew I wanted to score myself.

So what you said you wanted to get into property, did you mean owning the property rather than just getting into estate agents, say, straight away?

Yeah, I wanted to get into flipping properties and...

What's that mean?

So buy one, renovate it and sell it on for a profit, essentially.

I just loved it, I saw the people doing it, I wanted to get into it, and I started off getting into estate agents, getting into an estate agent role, and I enjoyed it.

And I felt, you know, there's potential for me to do this as well.

Yeah.

So yeah, that's how I kind of go into it, I kind of fell into it accidentally, I suppose.

So what's the market like at the moment in Barnsley and South Yorkshire?

There's a lot on the market, a lot more than other years, to be fair, there's a lot of choice, and I think that's two things.

Buyers have too much choice, so sometimes property can sell slowly, but also on the other end, you've got interest rates that are not the lowest.

I mean, theoretically, historically, it's not actually the eye.

But at the same time, it stops people buying, but that's why a lot of people are selling, so you've got a lot of sellers, not as many buyers, but stuff is still moving, and, you know, the base rates dropped.

That's brought more buyers to the market, and it'll continue to drop up by the end of this year.

It's at roughly 4%.

But it is moving, and there's a lot on the market, to be fair.

And although, if you look at the property prices and you look at statistics and whatnot, across barns, stuff is still rising.

People say, you know, prices aren't at the 2022 eye, but actually, it's not the prices, it's the timing.

In 2022, you could sell an house in a day, in an hour, whereas it takes a little bit longer now, but you'll still get more than you would in 2022, because it's jumped about 4.5 cents instead.

So it's still growing, and barns is actually one of the strongest markets across the country.

Some people, some areas have dropped 8%, some have gone up 8%, in oil, and in the last 12 months, it's gone up 8%.

It's crazy.

I think that is.

I think there's a lot going on in barns, so it's had a £200m investment into the town centre.

In Hoiland, they've got the every, that's opened up, that's had a lot of jobs, I think that's supported the property market there as well.

It's normally the east side of barns, and the south side of barns, that's been the strongest so far.

When you look at it over the last 12 months, it's the more stronger market.

That's probably gone up 5%, 8%, roughly in the area in the north of barns.

You're looking at 3%, 4%, but I think the every, especially for Hoiland, has brought a lot of jobs to it, and it's bang on the motorway,

and it's actually affordable in Ireland.

Parts of S75, Tankers, Gorb and that side of town are quite expensive, so pushing the ceiling prices there is the hitting them.

Whereas Hoiland is the next place I think it's going to kind of blow up.

Okay, so how do you value a house?

There's a number of things, so you look at comparable evidence, depending on the property, there can be a lot of comparable, so if next saw is the exact same size, the exact same amount of bedrooms, and it sold last week, then you know exactly what that property is going to be worth.

Sometimes it's different, and you've got to dive into it and see what sold, even within half a mile, if it's a beautiful 5-bed detached, what a 5-bed detached going for in the market.

And also, that street might have gone up a couple of percents since that last property sold.

If it sold two years ago, it's comparable.

You've got to factor in, well, properties have gone up 5%, 6%.

You've also got to factor in how much is the renovation cost going to be if you are to, if it needs the renovation.

Cost chances are, you're even going to get people who want to do the work, and there's not many of them, or you're going to get someone who's wanting to buy the house and do the renovation, so you've got to price it right, that there's actually money in it for them sometimes.

But also, builders are going to be cheaper, so you always try to price it right, so everyone wins, but also you've got to bear in mind, you're going to price it as much as possible for the vendor, so they walk away with the money.

Don't you ever really? So, yeah, that's the idea to value an house really in the short term, I suppose.

So, what about you? Where are you from? How are you at Barnsley? Bread and butted?

Yeah, at Barnsley, born and bread.

From Adsley, actually.

Obviously, I've only been doing personal estate agency for a couple of months now, and Adsley and, I suppose, S71, you know, Montbroughton, etc.

That is my key area, I know it like the back of my hand, so I'm wanting to build a really good reputation up, because I feel like I can add a lot to the market there.

There's no personal estate agent in Barnsley. There is some here and there, but not in that area, if I'm honest, and, you know, when someone's selling an house in that area, especially in Adsley, if someone comes to view it, I can tell them what's actually, you know, where the dog walks, I always say to clients,

I'm trying to sell your house, I need to know everything. If I get someone who wants to view your house, I want to know why they want to view it.

If they've got dogs, then they want to know about the dog walks, so that's like another thing I had that personal touch. I know the area, like the back of my hand, all the, you know, the dog walk area is basically.

So, what three tips that really do work would you advise somebody that's about to put the house on the market to do to the house, or when someone is coming to view it, what three tips go on?

Three tips. Invest in your estate agent. It might seem funny because I'm an estate agent, I want more money, but it's the truth.

If you go with the likes of, well, what names names, your national estate agents where they'll say, you take the pictures, we'll put it online, etc.

You're not going to get the best return, although they are cheaper. All it takes is, let's say, for example, an estate agent says, I'll pre-prope on the market for £1,000. I'll do it for £2,000.

Some people look at that and think, he's double the price, but some people say, well, it's only an extra grant, and I've got faith in knowing, he knows the market, he knows it very well.

You're sure that you might be able to get me £10,000 more than that online estate agent, so yeah, it might be double in this example, but if you get an extra nine grand, pay for itself.

That's tip one. Tip two is, you want to present it well. Ideally, you want to be putting it on with nice photos. In summer, well, you know, trees, blossoms, etc. It looks a lot better than winter.

So that's another thing. But also, what I like to do is prepare, if I'm not doing the viewings and let's say the vendors at home, I want to prepare them for those actually coming to view the house.

So I go back to that dog analogy, you know, I've spoken with the person who's coming to view your house. What is it they want? Well, they've got free dogs.

I'll tell that vendor, right? They've got free dogs. Make sure you tell them all these dog walk areas or whatever.

Or maybe they've got a kid, start talking about how good the schools have been, because you've been to them schools, because you've been at the area that long, or you've got a kid that's in them schools, etc.

So I always say, let's be prepared. And whoever comes through the door, you can upsell the house to him. So does that.

But yeah, the third one, going back to it, is make it presentable because the more presentable it is, the more people you get through the door, essentially.

And then you've got a bit of competition between the buyers. That pumps price up and you get the best price.

So that's the three things I'd say. Okay, what about the future? The future of me? Yeah, the future of your business as this personal estate agent.

Grow it, but I don't want to grow it so it's overwhelming, because it's a personal touch.

I always say, if I can get as many sold subjects contract at one time, but also only I have 10 on the market at one time, then I've got 10 people to focus on.

10 people at my time, not 100 people at my time, stretch myself to a fence.

So I want to grow it, grow it to around that many, 10. So when one comes off and that's sold, another one comes on, that's supposed to short term, but also it's been nice to have a business where you run the business.

You run the, I suppose, you're a hub for self-import estate agents. So how come people get in contact with you if they're thinking to sell it up?

It can give me a call. I've got my personal numbers, 07, 5, 2, 6, 0, 3, 5, 3, 2, 8. You can find me on Facebook. You can find me on Instagram, some Instagrams, or on Jack Beasley, my Facebooks, or on Beasley Brands as a personal estate agent.

And you can contact me on WhatsApp, give me a call, whatever it may be. You know, you're something like talking to your mate, I'm not an office, give me a call, and I might be talking to a chap with you no matter what time.

As long as it's up to at night, but I mean, from 7, 8, 8, 9 at night, I'm available for any questions, anything you want. If we're going through a sale, you can give me a call. If you're worried about something, give me a call, drop me a message.

And that's the flexibility you get with a personal estate agent.

Good morning, the Business Village. Holly, speaking. How can I help?

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And start your success story at the Business Village.

Howl Roberts set out in life to become an actor. He attended Bretton Hall College to study drama and loved the place so much that he stayed in extra a year to train as a teacher.

These days, Howl travels the world, motivating teachers and businesses. He's even been described as a world leader in enthusiasm.

He is Howl explaining more about his mission to create, learn and inspire.

That's what I try and do. And 15 years ago, when I set up the company, I was really involved with creativity and creative practice in schools.

How do we get children to learn when they're reluctant? And so on.

I wanted to inspire adults working with children, but I also wanted to inspire the kids.

Learning is at the centre of everything. That's really what the company does.

I rely a lot on just word of mouth and reputation. I've got a good reputation nationally and internationally.

I'm very busy just delivering conferences, but also working in classrooms and showing adults my ideas and so on with their kids.

It's kind of high risk professional development work.

I was based in Banzai. I was a teacher a long time. I'm actually from over the border in Lancashire.

I came to train to teach at a place called Breton Hall. Just a wonderful place.

It was a brilliant place. I was there in the very late eighties doing a degree.

Then I just stayed on to do teacher training because I didn't want to go back to Manchester and be a burden on my parents.

Young people today don't have that choice, they don't think.

I settled and I got a teaching job in Wakefield and then eventually in Banzai,

a place called Kingston School. I was very happy there. It was a wonderful school.

I taught English and drama and so on.

Things were changing. The schools amalgamate with another school. The council were coming in.

There was going to be a new build and everything, which has all gone great, but I thought I needed to do something else.

I didn't want to go start again at another school, so I thought I'll just try a year

of doing this teacher training stuff because I'd already started doing a bit as part of my job in the school.

I just accidentally set up a company, honestly. I was so naive because as teachers,

I assume doctors and nurses, if you're a public servant, you're looked after in a way.

You're punching, get started. All nationally, so I just had to start a business from scratch really.

I had a lot of guidance from the time, from the centre, because my brother-in-law also operates a business running out of the business centre.

I had a bit of help at the beginning, but then really it was get on Twitter, get on LinkedIn and get cracking really.

Where did the passion, the desire to teach drama come from?

Well, I really wanted to be an actor, I think, but my parents wouldn't have that.

They were wonderful people, but they weren't having me at larking about.

I did the next best thing really, which to me was English. I was always an avid reader.

As it happened, I was an English teacher, really, but when I was at Kingston,

they were setting up a drama department, or they wanted to set up a drama department.

But they didn't have anyone to do it, so that was my job.

I got the job on the strength of a desire to try and get a drama curriculum going.

They already had a really good music curriculum, so it was meant to complement that.

I think it was great times.

It was quite a while ago now, as I say, but it was at a time when creativity and curriculum

and school was seen as arts were as important as the sciences.

That's fallen away over the last 10, 12 years or so.

But it seems to have a resurgence now because I'm really busy.

That's great. I'll tell you what you're reminding me of.

You're reminding me of two people.

One who I think you've probably met, Mel Dike, who sadly passed away recently.

And also, Sir Ken Robinson.

Well, Sir Ken Robinson was my alma mater.

He was...

Wasn't she on coronation street?

Well, I legend.

Just met him a couple of times, and he was a real inspiration.

I don't know how close you are to all of this, but he did a lot of conversations starting,

if you like, through his TED Talks and stuff.

He did a few things around Lee.

I remember him coming to Lee probably about 10 years ago.

He'd written a book called The Element, and it really spoke to me.

He was fantastic.

I discovered Saken through the TED Talks that he gave.

As I mentioned to you earlier, I went to Darn High School in the late 70s, early 80s.

I was taught by some progressive teachers, but not enough.

The majority of them were old school.

They were probably four in the Second World War.

Very kind of arrogant, really.

And belittling and knocking you down.

If you didn't stand up when they had teacher walked in, you'd get right, rollicking.

I did say it, rollicking there.

And I have real difficulty.

I've had real difficulty throughout my life writing and reading and all that kind of stuff.

In fact, a couple of years ago, I paid for a test.

It came back that I'm raving dyslexic.

It just winds me up that I've gone through all the system.

I'm 59 now.

I've gone through all the educational system, and nobody spotted it.

I even went to my doctor's and said, I think I'm dyslexic.

And he said, well, you've left this a bit late, haven't you?

But it happens all the time now.

I don't know if listeners would know.

The people in their own families would be, you know,

there's people you just, you can sort of explain it now.

You can explain behaviours that have affected your whole life by just getting some sort of diagnosis.

And I think, you know, it was a grim time, the time you were describing in school.

I think it was grim because we still had like corporal punishment.

I mean, you just have to read Kestrel for a nave and, oh, Kett, you know, watch the film, Kett.

And you get, I think that was pretty close to many people's experience of perhaps being working class.

And with decided futures, no ambition really, or, well, you know, just really challenging.

And actually what happened now, I was a progressive teacher, I still am.

And that's been drummed out of the system.

But funnily enough now, as I speak to you today, people are needing that now because they've realised they've got room full,

rooms full of children and young people who are great, who are wonderful, who are concerned about the world and so on.

But they don't feel they have a voice.

So, and suddenly, I don't know if you've been familiar with this, but RSC, speaking, listening, suddenly top of the agenda,

as is professional imagination.

And those people who were hitting kids, shouting at kids, they had trauma, perhaps, if they were, you know, those second World War people

you've described, they had that and, you know, that doesn't happen now.

But what we've got is teachers perhaps who are less, what's the word, they've got gaps in their skills because of what's been seen as more important over the last 10 to 12 years.

Happily, I think I'm really optimistic actually.

I think things are going to get better with this, with the emphasis on RSC, speaking, listening and actually being future business people,

being entrepreneurs, being people who are going to contribute ethically, you know, to the communities and so on.

I think that's where my work rests and it's chime in with people, you know.

So what was your experience of going to school?

I write about my school in quite a lot. I was perhaps a bit after you. I went to high school in 1982.

I'm just turned 54 and my high school experience was, I was very happy with my friends.

I had a good friendship circle.

I also learned how to duck and dive. I was a bit of a, I could make people laugh and I was alright.

I think I ended, I think like many of us, we were the victims of poor quality teaching.

I think we had high quality teaching in pockets, but I think, you know, it was basically sit down and shut up, copy that.

So there's no learning to be had there.

So what's good about education is that we've really made big, we've gone forward in leaps and bounds around educational research and cognitive science

so that we know a lot about, a lot more about learning.

And I've just had a book published last year called botheredness.

How do you get botheredness and people bothered about things?

And it's really landed well because actually we've got all the research.

We've got a lot of science of learning stuff. What we've actually stopped curating well enough, I think.

And that's what this is what me books about is the craft of teaching and the art of teaching.

And seeing it as a human relational kind of exchange rather than something that you have to go through.

What needs to improve in the educational system?

I think we need to, well, like anyone would say about any sort of, if you like, how can I put it?

Any sort of public service really, it needs to be invested in and it needs to be invested in and it needs to be invested in.

It's all right, having a beautiful building.

But if the people aren't up to scratch, then a building's just a building.

So that's one thing, I think investment.

But I think everyone would say that.

And I think an emphasis on creative practice and making sure we've got children, young people leaving us who are ready to walk in any room and they can feel at home.

Kids walking into a hospital and seeing it as their entire woman and people walking into a police station and thinking, yeah, this is where I get help.

I mean, something I've been doing just recently, working with some colleagues locally is a bit of a result of watching the riots in the summer.

And thinking, how do we get kids to want to contribute ethically and positively to the communities rather than smashing them up?

And how do we do that?

We can't fix things but overnight, but what we can do is invest, keep investing.

And that's not just money. That's not just money. It's investing, you know, hard, soul, intelligence, all those things.

So what have you got lined up for the future?

Well, I've got, I'm very busy. I've just, I've got a day today, just getting work in the diary. Like I say, I work for myself.

I employ a couple of people now, which has been a build. I've got a website that's going to go live in a couple of months.

And that's going to be a teacher resource site.

And I'm just, I've got, I've spent a lot of time on that.

And there's a lot of interest and excitement about that, not least from me.

Where I'm hoping I can do a bit of content creation and not have to be on the road so much because I'm on the road a lot.

But yeah, so that's a big thing actually, the website.

And you also have a corporate work?

Yeah, I did. The word botheredness has landed really interestingly because I've done some corporate work around, kind of, kind of just like everyone went to school, you know, so the kind of, I do a lot of storytelling and basically, it almost borders on stand up.

You might not believe it.

No, I do believe it. I've seen some videos and I think, I think you're great. You remind me of a cross between Jason Mumford and Gary Ball.

I love that. I love some of that, mate.

But yeah, so I do a lot of that. I've sort of got me on Little Neesh in that.

And so, yeah, that's the kind of work where I'm at now.

So that's coming up and I'm doing conferences and all sorts of stuff.

And I'm also helping out. I did a conference for GPs, you know, but I'm surprised you managed to get an appointment with them all at the same time.

Practically wrote my first joke there.

Yeah.

And I've done quite a lot. I've done some work with some, yeah, big, big companies.

But almost to me, something I'd like to go into a little bit more.

And I think the word botheredness really lands well.

So the initial website I've got going is for education sector.

But the sort of, the way I'd like to go is to sort of be more broad with that.

How come people are getting contact with you? How?

I'm dead easy to find. I'm creating learn is by limited.

It's the business center. But I'm also, if they're just Google, my name, which sounds a bit grand.

But I've got an unusual name. It's Howell, H-Y-W-E-L, Roberts.

I'm also on all the socials. And again, I'm very easy to find.

And also my new website is botheredness.co.uk.

And yeah, so that's, and it's the books are on Amazon.

So thanks very much for that opportunity, David.

No problem at all. And thank you for your time today.

How?

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I'd like to thank my guests, Owen Beasley and Howell Roberts.

I'm David Markwell.

And this is a Pod1 Creative Audio production.