Activitymix expanding its franchise

Published on Thursday 13 January 2011 16:00

AN ABERDEEN firm which pits companies such as BP and Shell against each other in a range of sporting events - such as ballroom dancing, canoeing and tug-of-war - is seeking to expand its business on a franchise model.

Activitymix, which is the brainchild of Jules Lancastle and Rick Johnston, is expanding its franchise to Edinburgh and London, and hopes to set up in Glasgow ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Since 2002 its "corporate decathlon", which involves ten sporting competitions staged throughout the year, has become a popular fixture for many Aberdeen employees, with up to 40 participating teams. Other clients include accountancy heavyweights Deloitte and PwC.

Johnston said Activitymix had increased its turnover by 29 per cent in the last year, pushing it well above the half million pound mark.

He added: "If companies are seeing the value of this here, they will see it elsewhere as well. The question was how to bring about that expansion. We looked at various models and came to the conclusion that franchising was the way to go."

Johnston said he envisioned the franchise spreading overseas as well as to cities throughout the UK, as many of his existing oil industry clients in Aberdeen were also present in other energy hubs across the globe.

Lancastle is currently setting up the franchise system in London, but entrepreneur and sports fan Gordon Fraser has recently bought the franchise in Edinburgh.

Former hotel manager Fraser is currently trying to sign up ten teams for the Edinburgh corporate decathlon, which kicks off in March.

He said some potential clients in the financial and public sectors were unwilling to be seen spending money on extra activities for their employees at a time of cutbacks or public scrutiny, but he is focusing on the benefits to morale during a difficult time. He believes that if he can make the business succeed now, it will be even stronger in better times.

He said: "I would eventually like to get 40 to 50 companies taking part in Edinburgh. It has the potential to be huge."