David drawing on experience as a carer to make mobility more affordable
GRASPING HIS OPPORTUNITY: David Carter, founder of AIM Mobility, at work fitting batteries to a customer’s mobility scooter
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A YOUNG entrepreneur who developed his experience of the care sector by looking after his disabled mum is now building his own mobility business with the help of the Making Changes for Careers programme (MC4C).
David Carter, founder of AIM Mobility, also made some key customer contacts with the help of the Freedom Centre and has seized opportunities much further afield to sharpen his business experience.
He said: “At one point I became a service and repair engineer for one of the largest stairlift companies in the world. I got the opportunity to travel all over the UK and also Italy and even a year in Australia, and while there I had some amazing experiences and learned that failure or rejection is always better than regret.”
David’s entrepreneurial ambitions date back to his school days, when he was selling sweets and drinks. He gained a degree in business and management at the University of Hull and then joined a local mobility company as a trainee manager of aftersales.
He said: “I fell in love with the industry because I got to see what a difference these aids do for people and even my own mum. I progressed to dealing with repairs and doing bits of training with some trade dealers as well as sales.”
But David had always wanted to run his own business and he found the support he needed when he discovered MC4C.
He said: “I had an idea but was not sure where to start. With the help of MC4C I created a plan. I received a grant which helped immensely and I also received continuous help – they have been there when I have needed them for advice, teaching important lessons, keeping me focused on the goals and offering opportunities I wouldn’t otherwise have.”
David also benefited from being invited to pitch at one of MC4C’s THUD events, impressing the audience enough to win a further grant.
He said: “The grants have made a huge difference because otherwise the investment would have come solely out of my own income and certain equipment would have been purchased incrementally.
“The event was also an opportunity to gain experience in self-promoting and speaking to people of various backgrounds, influence and careers. It was daunting but exciting and opened my eyes to what having a business is about and what sacrifices will have to be made – but it’s worth it!”
MC4C also introduced David to the Freedom Centre, where the team offered more help including the opportunity to promote AIM Mobility at his own stall in the centre.
Julian Rice, CEO of the Freedom Centre, said: “It was clear David was developing a great idea for a business, building on his training and expertise to offer something different to the market.
“He has a natural commercial sense and understands how to translate great supplier relationships into real customer value, delivering a range of complementary services to those who need support getting around.
“As the Freedom Community Trust does with many startups and small businesses, we gave him support to engage with some of his key customer demographic and helped him to present his offer to potential clients.
“He went from speaking to people one or two at a time to being able to give an impromptu presentation by himself to around 80 rather lively older people who later told me he came across really well. I hope he turns his business into a major long-term success - there is every reason to believe that he will.”
David explained that AIM Mobility is short for Affordable Independence Matters: “When I was working in the industry, I saw how unaffordable it can be to some people, and I believe that everyone is entitled to aid to keep their independence.
“My aim is to offer affordable services and repairs of the majority of mobility aids. I also offer refurbished scooters and new and used stairlifts but my focus is to prioritise aftersales making sure customer receive a great and efficient service and repairs. I know from experience that some companies seem to treat that as a second thought, and that always bugged me.”
In his first year of operating, David recognised that the business will only work as long as he does.
He said: “I can’t just wait for things to happen. I’ve had my failures and successes and I keep learning from them. This year I have made and I continue to make many changes to learn and make an effort to promote this business better and to understand the needs of customers.”
David’s future goals include setting up his own shop to offer his customers advice and guidance as he promotes an affordable alternative in his industry. He also wants to build on the experience he has gained following an introduction to the Freedom Centre and put himself through more engineering training to expand my knowledge to offer a more varied service for his customers.
Charlene Porteous, youth enterprise advisor at MC4C, said: "David is a great example of how the support we provide at MC4C can help young people in Hull develop determination, pursue new opportunities and turn practical skills into a sustainable business. "
To find out more look up AIM Mobility or email aimmobility2024@gmail.com