A bullied school boy who channelled his energy into becoming a successful boxer is showing the same determination with his new roofing business.
Sam Best, who was brought up in Lemington in Newcastle, was pushed towards boxing at school by a teacher who thought it would toughen him up. Now boxing at light heavyweight, Sam trains twice a day between working at his roofing business and being a dad to new baby.
He’s won six of his professional matches and is using the same winning attitude in his new business SB Roofing, which is gaining a reputation for taking on the jobs other firms had given up as a bad job.
Sam was made redundant from his previous roofing job while his wife Emily was pregnant with their baby son.
Sam said: “I had no work a year ago, but since then it’s literally gone through the roof.
“I concentrate on domestic jobs and have completed some that no one else would touch, things that are difficult and hard to do. I did the fascia and guttering for one customer that seven other companies had turned down.”
Sam’s can-do attitude has won him work through word of mouth and he’s now aiming to take his new business to limited company status within the next year. The firm has also benefited from Sam’s membership of Business Network International, which meets at the Biscuit Factory and helps members find new contracts through recommendation.
“Joining the referral organisation has made my business stand out from the rest. It’s professional, fosters the need for an excellent reputation and shows people that I can be trusted to do the best possible job, whether its replacing felt on a garden shed’s roof or retiling a large industrial building,” said Sam.
And he uses the same ethics in his work as he does in his boxing: working hard, refusing to cut corners and the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.
Sam explained that many people he grew up with made some poor life choices and added: “I came from one of the worst streets in Lemington. It shows what you can do if you’re prepared to put your mind to it and work hard.
“I want young people in the north east to channel their time and energy to something positive rather than leading a life of petty crime and I want to leave a legacy for my son Owen that he can be proud of.”
