Craig manages business from here to Barcelona

The 30-year-old established Vibrant Talent Development earlier this year, after leaving his old job to seek out new opportunities.

“I left a long term job managing training and recruitment last March,” Craig explained. “I knew it was the right time to leave the company, but the opportunities that were available in the market didn’t inspire me. It was a great time for me to try setting up my own business, as I knew I had the skills and didn’t have many ties.”

Craig decided to leave home soil for a fresh perspective before starting his own business from scratch.

“I chose first of all to spend time abroad,” he said. “I figured there wouldn’t be too many times in my life when I could experience a few months in another culture without immediate pressures. I ended up doing some freelance work in Barcelona and spent six months there; I built a network who I’m still in touch with, and regularly travel back and forth.”

When he returned to Northen Ireland in October 2014, Craig found out about the Enterprise programme which is run by The Prince’s Trust. During the course he quickly picked up advice for beginning his new 
venture.

“I knew very little about starting a business, so the course provided a perfect introduction to the world of taxes, finances and marketing,” Craig shared. “It also provided me with a fantastic mentor who has been great at guiding me in these early stages.”

Craig divides his time between Waringstown and Barcelona, and is constantly building up his new business and gaining new clients.
“We provide learning and development services focused on the development of new leaders, trainers, coaches, presenters, recruiters, and those in customer facing roles. Training or L&D consultancy services are hardly something new but, while there are a lot of practitioners, there aren’t a lot of good ones! We provide interventions that our clients will get a real kick out of - when we design a programme, it’s packed full of games and activities that ensure our learners are actually involved in the learning process.”

Craig believes that the innovative programme run by The Prince’s Trust gave his business a solid foundation.

“The course provided a great entry level grounding in the key challenges I face and the follow-on mentoring has been invaluable.”

To find out more, visit www.princes-trust.org.uk