Niche Focus From a football coach juggling dual roles to leading a specialist investigations firm, Mark Hodgson reveals how adaptability, unconventional staffing, and sharp market insight fuelled Tremark's rise.

Starting a business is rarely straightforward, especially when you're balancing the demands of multiple careers and a growing family. For Mark Hodgson, founding Tremark at just 25 meant navigating the complexities of building a company while coaching football at Leeds United and Barnsley. But it was the moment of adopting his daughter that redefined his priorities and sharpened his focus on the business.

Rather than chasing rapid expansion through traditional means, Hodgson embraced flexibility - hiring part-time staff such as mothers and retirees, and carving out a unique niche in investigative services tailored for legal clients. As Tremark expands beyond the UK, Hodgson's experience offers a powerful lesson in how resilience, community, and strategic clarity can transform a start-up from a side project into an industry leader.

What were the biggest challenges you faced when starting your business, and how did you overcome them?
Starting Tremark at the age of 25 presented numerous challenges, particularly in the realm of staffing and balancing my dual roles as a business owner and a football coach. Initially, I found it difficult to grow the business while managing my commitments to coaching football at Leeds United and Barnsley. However, the adoption of my daughter prompted me to reassess my work-life balance, so I shifted my focus entirely to Tremark.

To address staffing challenges, I opted to hire part-time employees - I sought out individuals with lifestyle commitments, such as mothers and retirees, who were actively seeking flexible work. This strategy not only filled our staffing needs but also created a supportive work environment that allowed us to grow gradually, and it had the benefit of giving me multiple perspectives, too. As the business matured, I began scaling more rapidly, zooming in on our unique niche in investigation and process serving work for legal clients.

In a service business, the primary cost is employees, eliminating concerns about stock. A significant challenge is finding your niche. Initially, you may need to offer a broad range of services to attract clients but can specialise over time. Building a network of specialists is essential to accommodate our diverse range of client needs; for instance, surveillance operatives possess varying skill sets - urban surveillance is very different than rural - and so leveraging professionals from different backgrounds, such as former military personnel for rural surveillance or computer forensics experts for search and seizure, has been vital.

How did you identify and seize opportunities in the early stages of your start-up?
The path to identifying opportunities often came from the necessity to adapt to market conditions. Initially set up as a debt recovery business, I noticed a saturation in the debt collection market, which led me to pivot towards investigation services. This transition was somewhat accidental; as I built up a client base, I realised there was a growing demand for specialised investigative services, prompting us to further develop our capabilities in this area. In our ongoing expansion efforts, we are broadening our horizons beyond Europe to meet the growing global needs of our clients. It's essential that we engage in-country experts who can cater to our vast and varied requirements.

An early opportunity arose from a misinterpretation regarding the services we offered. Many solicitors mistakenly believed that our process serving was synonymous with the role of process agents. This confusion led us to establish a separate business, Tremark Process Agents, to meet that demand - and it flourished! This pivot illustrates how recognising and addressing market misunderstandings can open up new opportunities for growth.

Additionally, I capitalised on opportunities by networking and engaging with potential clients and contractors. In the early days, my clients primarily came through contacts built during my debt collection work, relying heavily on word-of-mouth referrals. I made it a point to attend local gatherings, such as pubs where relevant professionals congregated, which significantly boosted our visibility: regular attendance at one pub popular with legal professionals tripled our turnover within a year!

What do you wish you had known about the UK start-up ecosystem before you began?
Reflecting on my early experiences, I wish I had been aware of the extensive support available for new businesses within the UK start-up ecosystem. When I started, I operated out of a room above my father's pub and struggled - I had no understanding of the potential resources at my disposal, such as grants and mentoring opportunities. Had I known about these avenues, I could probably have accelerated our growth and secured more capital and support from the outset.

Football coaching equipped me with confidence in public speaking, which I have definitely utilised in my business life. However, I believe if I had been more informed about the support structure, I could have used those skills better and enhanced my ability to attract investment and mentorship.

Looking back, what's the one piece of advice you'd give to founders just starting out in the UK's start-up scene?
To founders embarking on their journey in the UK start-up scene, my key piece of advice is to value your services appropriately. In the early stages, I was often told that I was undercharging for the skills and outcomes we provided. It's essential to recognise that clients are outsourcing their problems to you, and ultimately, they seek assurance in your compliance and accuracy. If you deliver a high-quality service and preserve the client's peace of mind, you can build trust and, in turn, command higher fees for your offerings.

Additionally, I advise anyone starting a business to actively network, both online and offline. The landscape has shifted to digital, and while my early strategies heavily involved in-person connections, contemporary networking also requires a strong digital presence. We invest in building trust through qualifications, certifications and client reviews to navigate our unregulated industry effectively.

When it comes to seeking advice, one obvious but invaluable suggestion is to connect with friends you trust, particularly those who are also business owners. Their experiences can provide great insights, as they have likely faced similar challenges and concerns even if they operate in very different sectors. Learning from their journeys can be incredibly beneficial, and they can also introduce you to valuable contacts.

Another important piece of advice is to make decisions promptly. Strive to achieve a situation where over 50% of your ideas come to fruition. This proactive approach not only fosters a sense of urgency but also helps to maintain momentum in your projects. If you can make quick decisions, you can adapt to changing circumstances and seize opportunities as they arise.

Moreover, it's essential to embrace a mindset of experimentation; not every idea will succeed, but each attempt provides valuable lessons that can inform future efforts. Surrounding yourself with a supportive network can also facilitate this process, as they can offer diverse perspectives and insights that enrich your decision-making. Ultimately, the quicker you act, the more you can learn, grow, and drive progress in your endeavours. Embracing adaptability and being open to learning from experience is what's going to enhance your prospects as a founder in the UK's ever-changing start-up landscape.