Join us as we look back at one of the most incredible careers in the UK’s children’s entertainment industry…
15 year-old James Sinclair created the character of Jimbo the Partyman,
at 21, he opened his first soft play site in Basildon,
10 years later, he has 300 employees through the Partyman Group,
he owns 6 Twizzle Tops day nurseries,
Fort Fun Children’s Amusement Park,
5 soft play centres,
Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park,
3 Laser Kombat Arenas,
and Johnson Reed have recently assisted him with 2 incredible new sites in Eastleigh and Cambridge…
James Sinclair’s dreams were kindled when he was just 15, after observing a less-than-inspiring children’s entertainer at his younger sister’s birthday party, and knowing that he, the ‘kid who liked to show off’, could easily better the performance. His desire to perform was ignited, and Jimbo the Partyman was born.
His adventures so far have resulted in a multi-million-pound turnover and over a million happy guests at his various sites each year – a figure that is constantly growing. Alongside the aforementioned achievements, he is a highly-coveted speaker, author of life story, ‘The Millionaire Clown’ and founder of Partyman’s Little Stars; a charity that dedicates 100% of its funds to creating magical memories for children that have had a really tough time.
His newest venture The Entrepreneur’s Network was something that came along as a result of all his success. “I had a business blog through which I regularly shared information and then people began to ask me to speak at events,” James told us, “I wrote my book and people began to want my help more. I work with entrepreneurs from all different kinds of industries, from dentists to accountants to hotel owners. It’s a real privilege to work with people across so many different industries and be a source of expertise for them.”
James’ adventures are indeed endless, and he has just recruited two brand new sites to his ever-increasing empire. Johnson Reed helped him purchase existing soft play centres in Cambridge and Eastleigh through sale and leaseback facilities. But why does an established businessman with a multi-million-pound turnover need finance?
“I opted for the sale and leaseback option for speed, really. I like to use my own money first, but I wanted to be sure I had secure funds to expand,” said James, “I met Mark from Johnson Reed at several trade leisure events, which we both attend a lot of. He’s really personable, and great to have a chat with. He incredibly pragmatic and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and delivered everything on time, which was helpful for the fast purchase of these two sites.”
Sale and leaseback facilities, just like standard leasing, also guarantee great tax savings, and businesses can enjoy the security of being able to plan outgoings and budget around fixed repayments. All business purchases qualify for this facility, as long as they’ve been purchased new within the last 12 months.
So where will Jimbo’s adventures lead him next? In June’s issue of Engage, the Entrepreneur’s Network’s monthly publication, James’ newly appointed CEO Aaron Othman, says, “I’ve been looking at nursing homes, good quality nursing homes, because it’s basically what we do but at the other end of the age scale. Hopefully we can get into that industry as well, because I think there’s a real market out there for good quality care for the elderly.”
At Johnson Reed, we do lots in the hospitality and care sectors, so we’d be on hand to help with that business venture, Aaron!
Interested in a 30 day Entrepreneur’s Network ‘test drive’? Get 30 days of unlimited support calls, marketing reviews, monthly briefing, strategy days and much more for just £25.
