Get to know the team behind Schoolhire Solutions Ltd.
Here at Schoolhire Solutions Ltd., we’re proud to have created a truly exceptional team of dedicated, approachable, and knowledgeable professionals, committed to providing both hirers and schools with a positive, fulfilling and worthwhile experience when hiring or letting the fantastic facilities schools have to offer.
Our strengths, therefore, really do come from our people and what each of our team members bring to our business.
As such, we’re delighted to introduce you to Stan, our Venue Manager, who manages a selection of our venues, including Coloma Convent Girls’ School and Notre Dame RC Secondary Girls’ School.
Meet Stan, Venue Manager
“In my free time, I’m in the process of becoming a golf instructor.
I’m also a music producer and performer – previously active in rock/metal bands as a guitarist and vocalist, music composer, song writer, producer and sound engineer.
In the winter (outside of golf season) I love skiing and during holidays I help my family’s sports camps business and golf academy in my hometown Kielce, Poland.”
Professional background:
“I have been working in the business of school lettings since 2013; initially as the Site Assistant in a highly developed and very busy school lettings business at Pimlico Academy, where I was quickly promoted to Team Leader, managing the operation on site.
Following this, between 2014 and 2019 I was a Venue Manager and worked with 10 different venues where I was responsible for the operations, sales and marketing of my sites.
Most notable achievements between 2014 and 2019:
“I successfully built the business at Harris Academy Purley from scratch (£0) to £200k per year within the first 3 years, using innovative sales and marketing techniques; utilising direct marketing strategies and social media.
I established the business at School21 from scratch and generated approximately £100k in the first year of operation (Sep15-Aug16).
At the same time, I also built the business at The Archer Academy in East Finchley from scratch (£0) to approximately £80k per year in the first year of operation.
What’s more, between September 2016 and August 2017 I increased the income at Kensington Aldridge Academy from approximately £150k/year to approximately £200k/year during my year of operation through innovative sales and marketing techniques, negotiation skills and creativity.
I turned St Cecilia Church of England School from not-profitable to profitable during my year of operation (Aug17-Aug18) by optimising the operation and training new staff on site, as well as turning Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney from not-profitable to profitable during my time of operation (Nov17-Jun18).
Most recent achievements in school lettings:
“From 2020 to 2023 I was a Sales Manager in a school lettings business, responsible solely for the negotiation of contracts, renewals, customer accounts management for over 25 venues across the UK.
Later, I progressed to Senior Sales Manager, supporting and training the team of Sales Executives responsible for the topline of 100 schools in the UK.
As part of this role, in 2021 I brought back the sales figures of the schools within my remit to the pre-pandemic level.
What’s more, I achieved all sales targets in the first quarter of 2023 across the cluster of schools I managed sales for.
In fact, on average, I added £200k of school facilities letting sales per month in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, managing £2.4m in sales of my customer accounts per year whilst creating new opportunities for clients by signing partnership deals with nationwide companies.”
Joining Schoolhire Solutions Ltd.:
“In 2023 I joined Schoolhire Solutions Ltd. – the company that allows me to focus on my local community in South London and help schools achieve operational excellence and maximise the income generated by the school facilities lettings.
Thanks to being focused on the schools local to my area, I’ve been able to stay local to home, to my wife and our recently born daughter.”
Roles and responsibilities:
“I take care of the operations of each of the venues within my remit as well as compliance to health and safety, the safeguarding of children and lettings terms & conditions.
Alongside this, I’m responsible for the recruitment and training of new staff and ongoing support of the existing team, staff rotas across all venues, account management of current customers; sales of the school facilities to new customers, negotiation of new contracts and renewals.
A typical day at Schoolhire Solutions Ltd.:
“Each day can be drastically different depending on the issues I’m dealing with on the priorities and seasonal changes & demands of the business, customers or individual schools and staff members.
Problem-solving, maintenance and growth is something I’m facing each day.
Every day there will be tasks from the list below, engaging with different aspects of the business:
Account management of existing customers – responding to pending emails, and incoming messages via the booking system and social media channels, amendments, cancellations, new enquiries. Negotiation of renewals.
New customer communication – email outreach, and dealing with inbound enquiries, arranging school visits, creating quotes for one off events and regular bookings, negotiation of new contracts, setting up new complex bookings on the system.
Client management – communication with school’s business managers and facilities managers regarding day to day operation on site, approvals, financial reports etc.
Marketing activity – creation of new videos, posts or images for the social media sites and promotion of the venues; posting, scheduling, communication.
Management of the team – staff rota updates, checking timesheets, arranging cover in case of staff emergencies, training, communication regarding day to day operation.
Customer meetings / staff training or shifts on site at my schools – training Shifts – accompanying the new staff members on site during the shift to perform training on operation of the alarm panels, fire panels, use of keys, intercoms, customer service with the customers and keeping the sites and attendees safe and secure during our opening times.”
Here to praise team members:
“I’m most proud of overcoming challenges and solving problems either for the school, customers or staff members – this is most of my day to day work – and equally satisfying when done, although the process can be a lot less “visible” and not so easy to present.
I’m here to praise the members of my team!”
The most rewarding part:
“Signing new contracts – bringing in new customers and new business – is definitely my favourite and the most satisfying part of my job.”
An invaluable member of the team, we’d like to thank Stan for his outstanding commitment to the role. We are delighted to have Stan onboard!
To browse our venues, please click here, contact us or sign up to our monthly newsletter for regular updates.
