We’re back with another exciting episode featuring 2 entrepreneurs who started The Middle East's Leading International Fitness & Bodybuilding Exhibition. While in Dubai, Nick & Craig started The Dubai Muscle Show. This sell out event has been running from 2016, and has gone onto win awards, grow in capacity, and inspire the big health & fitness and bodybuilding community within Dubai and beyond.  Seb met them in Dubai and now we find out about their journey on the 3.5X Podcast. From start, to growth to selling, this is a great story of entrepreneurship between 2 friends and an exciting journey. Listen to the business success, challenges and everything in between.  Find out more at their website: https://www.dubaimuscleshow.com/ https://dubaimuscleclassic.com/ Thanks again to Nick and Craig for coming on, and we hope you enjoy this latest 3.5X episode.  You're 3.5 times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.  Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro  2.:01 - The event  3:20 - Idea generation  5:52 - Idea validation & research 8:27 - Growth  10:50 - Business in the UAE 13:29 - Culture  19:55 - Brand trust & Credibility  25:05 - Influencers 29:15 - Challenges  32:20 - Investors & Exit strategy   35:01 - Future plans & Covid 38:01 - Final words Keep up to date with Dubai Muscle Show at the following handles: https://www.instagram.com/dubaimuscleshow/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjT_Lh74Snz7QMu1kK7_ubA https://www.facebook.com/dubaimuscleshow/ We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.  — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

We’re back with another exciting episode featuring 3 entrepreneurs who managed to build the biggest and best gym in the United Arab Emirates in under 3 years! GymNation founders Loren Holland, Frank Afeaki and Ant Martland have disrupted the health and fitness industry in the UAE with affordable, high quality, 24/7 facilities across the country. Many multinational franchise chains have been overcharging UAE consumers for the last decade and GymNation spotted the gap in the market and have now changed the game in their favour by offering a great product at a great price.  We were lucky enough to sit down with the three owners to discuss how they got here, what’s worked and what’s in store for the future. With over 1 million members passing through their doors they are proving this is just what the UAE consumer wanted. Starting off with 1 gym in Dubai, they have now built GymNation up to 8 locations across the UAE, across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Raz Al Kaimah. They have been voted the best gym in the UAE by Virgin Radio’s host Kris Fade. Loren, Frank and Ant have an extensive background within the health and fitness space and these entrepreneurs share with you their story and hope to inspire you.  Find out more at their website: https://gymnation.com Thanks again to Loren, Frank and Ant for coming on and we hope you enjoy this latest 3.5X episode.  You're 3.5 times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.  Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & Promo  1:18 - GymNation Intro 8.29 - Team dynamics & roles 12.25 - Vision, validation & raising investment  14.00 - Targeting investors 16.15 - Pre sales & marketing 18.44 - Brand building 20.50 - Payment models 24.13 - Customer retention  28.00 - Covid 32.04 - Emerging markets 32.27 - Number 1 Gym in UAE in under 3 years 33.00 - Disrupting the market & positioning  33.36 - Social Media, Marketing, PR & Brand Building 36.37 - Proudest moments  Keep up to date with GymNation at the following handles: https://www.instagram.com/gymnation_uae/ https://www.facebook.com/gymnationuae/ https://twitter.com/gymnation_uae https://www.linkedin.com/company/gymnation-uae/about/ We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.  — — — —   Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily!   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

We're back! In this exciting new episode we talk to Reece Land. He is a successful entrepreneur/football agent based in the North of the UK and is the Founder and Managing Director of Next Gen Sport Solutions. Having represented over 100 athletes and being a former professional footballer himself, Reece shares his story on how he got started and what sparked him to start the business.  Next Gen are one of the leading sports management companies in Europe and are one of the only management companies, Worldwide, that specialise in women's football. Although known predominantly for elite professional women footballers, Next Gen also represent a number of athletes across multiple disciplines and sports such as Rugby, and Boxing.  "We pride ourselves on the trusting and holistic environment that we have created at Next Gen Sport Solutions. We have made sure that our infrastructure is at the highest possible standard for our clients. We truly believe that our infrastructure sees us as the industry leader within our sector. The sports industry can be an extremely lonely & ruthless environment at times so our aim is to ensure that we have everything in-house that our clients need. Our backroom team are at the highest possible level right from our Management Team to our internal Media Department." Find out more at their website: https://nextgensport.co.uk Thanks again to Reece for coming on and we hope you enjoy this latest 3.5X episode.  You're 3.5 times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.  Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:10 - What is a football agent? 3:12 - The idea for women's football 4:10 - Business plan and focus  5:56 - Idea validation 7:10 - 22 year old managing director / football agent  9:24  - Brand relationships  10:20  - Business model and journey  16:08  - Women's sport & equality  22:20  - Sport and Business similarities and competitiveness  23:50 - Future plans Keep up to date with Reece and his company at the following handles: https://www.instagram.com/_reeceland https://twitter.com/ReeceLand https://www.linkedin.com/in/reece-land https://www.instagram.com/nxtgen_sport/   We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.  — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this episode of the podcast we look back at some of the new guest's that we've had on the show and play some of the highlights. This will be out last podcast before the Christmas break, so please enjoy and get ready for 2021 with a huge lineup of amazing entrepreneurs and brands from across the globe.   It's been a really interesting year with lots of change. All episodes are now in video and we'll be stepping it up in 2021 with great guests, different types of interviews and resources to help you on your journey of entrepreneurship.    You're 3.5 times more likely to succeed when you work with a mentor on your business idea. We want to be an extension of this and assist you in building and scaling better businesses through the guests that we're speaking to and giving you insight into some of the most successful brands and entrepreneurs in the world.    Thanks again and we hope you enjoy.    Timestamps:   0:00 - Intro   2:33 - #064 Alan & Juliet Barratt: CEO & Founders of Grenade®: https://youtu.be/55FIrY11ZKc   7:19 #065 Piers Linney - Dragons Den: https://youtu.be/XfFlrr7PfjU   9:45 #068 Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones THE BLACK FARMER: https://youtu.be/eunhx69Awqw   15:40 #070 Sam Dey: https://youtu.be/lqoCBhsjU7Y   24:14  #067Jared Brown, Co Founder - Sipsmith London Gin: https://youtu.be/k4GLIpVZL_M   27:03 #069 Matthew Benjamin & Seb Francis: Kapes CEO & Co-Founders: https://youtu.be/SfCS2NNZTfQ   We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.    — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this interesting episode we speak to a key figure within the UK Automotive Industry, Chris Hakwen. This Auto Industry leader has managed to turn Skoda from ridicule to cool within the UK market through bold advertising and creative. Chris has held senior positions in a wide array of international automotive Brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Subaru, Isuzu, Vauxhall, Hyundai and now consults on various projects consisting of electric, autonomous vehicles amongst others. Seb talks with this "intrepreneur" all about marketing, the fundamentals, the frustrations and his story throughout business. It gives us a behind-the-scenes view of the Automotive marketing industry in the UK & Europe. This episode also covers the current pandemic business climate and thoughts for the future of the industry and the economy. Chris also shares tips, tricks and advice for any budding marketers. Reach out to Chris via his LinkedIn Page if you enjoyed the episode. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hawken-1508011/ In this episode we cover: Chris's journey in Automotive Brand Marketing Product Marketing The 4 P's Creative Media Buying Agency & In-house Trends Future economy Brand and much more   We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily!   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this episode we are changing things up a little and answering your questions. Seb breaks down his journey and shares some tips and tricks to get yourself started in business. The 10 questions from the audience focussed on Seb starting his edTech business; Titus Learning. Seb as always gives an honest account of what he's experienced in the hopes that you can all learn and take inspiration from it. We'll be releasing more content like this as well as our usual interview podcasts. Questions asked by the audience: 1. How did you come up with the idea for your business? 2. How long have you and your business partner worked together? 3. Did you need lots of money to start the business? 4. Did you write a business plan and do your market research. 5. What is the best way to do a business plan? 6. How do Virgin Startup loans work? 7. What did you spend your startup capital on and how long was it before your team grew? 8. Did you start the business without an office? 9. Do you hire Freelancers in your business? 10. Has your growth been steady? . Titus website: https://www.tituslearning.com In this episode we cover: Idea generation Business loans Business plans and much more We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.   — — — —   Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily!   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this episode we are joined by a fellow Yorkshire Man; Harjit Moore. Harjit is the CEO & Founder of Freeze Debt which is an app that aims to take people in the UK out of debt. He knows that many people at the moment are struggling with debt and going through a tough time and he's created the app to help people get out of bad situations and regain some control over their lives. Harjit is super straight talking and super frank, so luckily for us we get an unfiltered view of his entrepreneurial life and story. It was hard to fit it all in this episode so we'll be sure to do another episode with Harjit and find out more about his as an individual with his interesting past. This episode covers a topic that people often shy away from talking about and this app seems to be trying to break the stigma and norms surrounding debt. We hope you enjoy the episode and be sure to let us know in the comments what you thought about the episode. Taken from the Freeze Debt website: Freeze Debt: The FREE Debt Advice & Solution App Find a solution to any debt problem, from the ease of your own mobile phone Chat through the in-app messaging or WhatsApp No embarrassing phone calls No awkward face to face meetings Just quick and easy service at your fingertips! We know that talking about your debt problems to strangers is not the nicest thing to do. This can lead to unwanted embarrassment, stress and anxiety and ultimately put people off wanting to find what they can do to solve their issues. An app gives you privacy and makes it easier - you can go through the process in your own time. Freeze Debt website: https://www.freezedebt.co.uk/ In this episode we cover: The need for the app The debt problem in the UK and worldwide The concept and history of the company Harjits previous business ventures COVID debt Recruitment Teams User acquisition strategy for app and much more We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

#71 "In business, you've got to catch the energy!"Diana Geldenhuys -CEO gulfHR & OPS  In this weeks amazing episode, we do another in-person recording with Dubai-based HR & Payroll entrepreneur; Diana Geldenhuys: The CEO & Founder of OPS (Outsourced Payroll Solutions) & gulfHR.ae Diana is from South Africa originally and came to the UAE in 1998. Since then, she has been the Emirates Women Winner 2016 in overall business category & a successful leader who owns and manages two companies: OPS and gulfHR. This episode covers Diana's journey of entrepreneurship and the various business adventures she has been on. They talk about the various stages of risk taking in business and also the importance of building relationships around you to help yourself. Diana talks about her new eco-tourism business: Lands Edge and her and Seb discuss commercial enterprises and social enterprises and how they are not mutually exclusive. I'm sure everyone will learn something from the podcast and inspired to just get started! Diana has been so generous in offering one of our listeners some of her time to discuss an early business venture idea. Follow our social channels to have a chance of winning this. OPS is the payroll specialist in The Middle East Regions. They understand all the complexities within the regions and cover: Ethnically and culturally diverse business environments, compensation and benefits management for both expatriates and nationals, statutory compliance regulations and the increasing complexities of bank regulations in an emerging market. To name just a few. Visit the website here: https://ops.ae/ gulfHR is a powerful and robust HRMS (Human Resource Management System) built exclusively for The Middle East. At its core, gulfHR is a powerful and intuitive cloud-based HR platform that can be used across mobile or web interfaces. With an intuitive on-the-go functionality for employees, it supports flexible and customizable paths to suit your organization's structure no matter how complex. Visit the website here: https://gulfhr.ae/ This episode covers: Moving to UAE HR Professionals HR Mentorship Gaps In HR Tech Business Relationships Brand Cultures Software Building Legacy Eco Tourism Commercial & Social Enterprises and much more We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday.   — — — —   Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this week's amazing episode we speak with Sam Dey from deytips.com. Sam is a London based Marketing Consultant, Content Creator and is the Founder of deytips.com. Sam has a very successful YouTube channel that guides people through marketing, website development and is also part of the YouTube community. He is also an Author and Instructor for LinkedIn Education and he talks about the story of how he got there in this episode. Seb and Sam go through his journey of entrepreneurship, talking about his early days and how he first entered the world of Marketing, eCommerce, and content creation. Sam works with the likes of small businesses as well as global brands such as Wix and Hostinger and also has a range of courses available on sites such as Udemy.  His website is: https://www.deytips.com/ and his His YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/c/SamDeyTips/featured DeyTips was founded by Sam Dey. An online marketing consultant, YouTuber, LinkedIn Learning Author and best selling online course creator on Udemy. DeyTips is an educational resources website for entrepreneurs and business owners who aspire to develop online marketing strategies to improve traffic, leads and sales to their business. This episode covers: Sam's first step into entrepreneurship Creating Content  Building award winning udemy courses Getting Scouted by LinkedIn and Wix Self Employment eCommerce Marketing and Personal Brand Social Media Growth Success and Personal Growth Impact Customers Problem Solving Dropshipping Time Management and Organisation and much more We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/

In this special episode we talk to CEO & Founder of Kapes: Matthew Benjamin alongside our very own Seb Francis who is also a Co Founder of Kapes. See the Episode on youtube here: https://youtu.be/SfCS2NNZTfQ "If you want a business that's going to be thriving in 20 ,30, 40, 50 years from now, then you got too, from a logical point of view, get sustainability in there from the start"! As you can see this episode is slightly different for two reasons. One, it's our first face to face interview as both founders are now based in Dubai. Two, Seb has invested in this company and is also the Co Founder working alongside the other Co Founders Matthew Benjamin and Michael Bennett. We learn in this episode all about Kapes and it's CEO Matthew and we see why Seb was attracted to the investment opportunity. Kapes is the world's most sustainable school uniform company. This is their WHY: "Kapes was born from wanting to find a way to fight the climate crisis and revolutionise the school uniform market at the same time. We place sustainability at the heart of everything we do, to help give a brighter future to as many children as possible. That’s also why for every uniform sold, we give a free one to a child in need. This helps children stay in school, giving them a better chance to rise out of poverty. And by teaching Kapes kids about how their clothes are made and how the people who make them are treated, we hope to influence a new generation of conscious consumers. But perhaps best of all, they can see how the simple act of wearing their Kapes uniform is already helping the planet and other kids all around the world." Matt is the CEO and founder of Kapes. He has been working in the clothing and textiles industry since 2010, starting out with Tom James (the world's largest custom clothing company) before launching sustainable menswear tailor Benjamin Siggers in 2017. In founding Kapes, Matt has combined his expertise for finding sustainable textile solutions with his natural passion for helping the next generation. He strongly believes in educating children to be more connected to the clothes they wear, the people who make them and the places they are made. Originally from London, he has resided in the UAE since 2012. Matt is an avid sports lover and a big fan of the West Indies cricket team. Kapes also gives back! They are passionate about helping all children fulfil their potential, so they can grow up to become the future change makers the world really needs. That's why Kapes gives away a free school uniform for every one they sell. See the website here: https://kapes.co/ In this episode we cover: Sustainability Business Growth Entrepreneurship Matt's journey Internationalisation Exporting Black Lives Matter Black History Month And much more... We hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe to our podcast. New episode every Wednesday. — — — — Remember to follow us on our social channels below where we deliver you valuable tips, tricks and content daily! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threepointfiveX/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threepointfivex/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threepointfivex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threepointfivex/