Ross Marshall and Andrew Harding have received new recognition for their roles in launching two of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses after being named among the country’s top young entrepreneurs.
The innovative duo, co-founders of Your Golf Travel and Spabreaks.com, have been included in Growing Business magazine’s influential 2013 ‘Young Guns’ list of the UK’s hottest businessmen and women.
Now in its 11th successful year, the list recognises the leading entrepreneurs aged 35 or under behind 30 of the UK’s brightest companies, and this year’s ‘Young Guns’ join an illustrious alumni featuring the founders of some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurial businesses, including the founders of Innocent Drinks, Hawk-Eye Innovations, Maximuscle and Nails Inc.
Marshall, 32, and Harding, 33, were awarded the honour in the Digital Consumer Services category when the 2013 Young Guns winners were unveiled at an awards ceremony at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens, with more than 60 of Britain’s top young business owners in attendance.
The pair made history this year by becoming the first business founders to have two companies appear in the Sunday Times’ prestigious Fast Track 100 guide in one year, with the world’s largest golf travel retailer – Your Golf Travel – ranked 59th in the standings and sister company Spabreaks.com achieving a phenomenal second-place ranking.
Founded seven years ago, Your Golf Travel featured for the fourth consecutive year after achieving 68 per cent annual sales growth over a three-year period – with sales soaring from £7.4m to a staggering £35m. Sales rose again steeply to £54m in their last financial year.
Spabreaks.com was set-up by Marshall, Harding with co-founder Abi Wright in 2008, with the company offering relaxing retreats for customers at 550 UK hotels and a further 100 in mainland Europe. It achieved 198 per cent growth over a three-year period with sales increasing from £256,000 to an impressive £6.8m, with revenues of £14m projected for 2013.
Combined sales for the two businesses are anticipated to grow to almost £70m in 2013, with the brands providing breaks to more than 400,000 travelers and 22 countries worldwide.
Marshall, who received the award on behalf of the two companies, said: “We’re thrilled to have received such an accolade. This award is recognition for all the hard work that has gone in over the last eight years from our team to make the two brands such a success. Both companies, as well as our new start-ups, continue to flourish and to be acknowledged in such a competitive field will only help increase our profile and accelerate our future growth.”
The latest accolade caps a fantastic 12 months for Marshall and Harding after they were also named Entrepreneurs of The Year 2012 at the Spear’s Wealth Management Awards – the Oscars for London’s top business movers and shakers as well as being nominated for the Ernst and Young Global Entrepreneur of the year award.
Your Golf Travel www.yourgolftravel.com