Midlands
firefighter Stephen Walker is hoping to be a millionaire by the end of 2019
after entering a competition organised by a property wealth education and
training company.
He’s one of 40
contestants who entered the Millionaire Maker challenge at the start of the
year and, after passing an audition, he’s being mentored by judges before
facing a public vote in December.
The aim of
the contest, organised by Doncaster-based Touchstone Education, is to help as
many contestants as possible to generate a turnover of £1million or more.
The first to
reach the target will receive a VIP package worth £15,000 including an
all-expenses paid trip to a Formula One race weekend with Touchstone.
Father of
three Stephen, 44, has been involved in property investment since 2010 when he
bought a buy-to-let flat with his mum.
After becoming involved in several more projects he decided to enter
Millionaire Maker.
His goal is
to top the £1million mark with a project to convert old pubs, offices, banks,
post offices, police or fire stations into residential units, leased as
serviced accommodation.
“Where
there’s an opportunity to have a retail shop element on the ground floor, I’ll
always look to include that,” he said. “I’d like to have four commercial
conversions either purchased, in the planning stage or going through the legal
process by August which leaves the rest of the year for conversion and set up.”
Stephen says
he’s enjoying the process so far, despite being challenged and forced out of
his comfort zone.
“Winning the
Millionaire Maker Challenge would be an amazing and life changing thing for me
and my family,” he said.
“I’d be able
to network with some of the greatest business minds in the industry which in
turn will help me grow my business so I can build a legacy for my children and
my family members.”
In January
competitors submitted business plans and each was asked to explain what they
wanted from the process and what they hoped to achieve, other than to make
money.
A final
group of 25 was selected by judges, based on the quality of their submissions
and on their determination to succeed.
They have
been split into two teams, one mentored by Touchstone’s Chief Executive, Paul
Smith and Managing Director Abi Hookway, and the other by Paul’s wife and
business partner, Aniko, and the company’s Commercial Director Gordon Dutfield,
with each battling to produce the first millionaire.
After visiting judges’ houses for an intensive training weekend, the contestants are now putting their business plans into practice with help and advice from mentors during weekly catch-up sessions. Each contestant is keeping a video diary to provide a record of their investment journey.
Touchstone, which
runs courses and seminars across the UK focused on investment in property,
launched the competition as a way of bringing investors together to share their
experiences and expertise.
Paul said:
“We’re always looking for new ways to impart our knowledge and this X-Factor
style competition helps to generate some energy and excitement around the
process.
“By adding a
competitive edge, there’s an added incentive for our investors, with help from
our staff, to push themselves further to make their property portfolios worker
harder for them.”
He added: “We’ve already seen some early wins for our investors and, even at this early stage, several are on course to reach the £1million mark by the end of the year.”
For more information or high-resolution photographs please email carlos@carlosalbamedia.co.uk or telephone 0141 637 6399 or 07880505647
Notes:
- Touchstone, founded by Paul and Aniko Smith in 2004, promises ‘freedom through knowledge’ with a series of training courses, ranging from an online webinar to ongoing monthly learning as well as masterclasses and other learning materials.
- It is the first provider of wealth education training in the UK to be certified by the CPD Certification Service.
- The company operates a series of Six figure Summit throughout the year across the UK where learned spend two full days of intensive training with Touchstone Education’s top professionals where they are given access to high value knowledge about proven property investment strategies.
- Delegates who wish to learn more can attend follow-on specialist workshops on topics such as serviced accommodation and commercial portfolio management.
- All the course materials are created in-house and owned by the company. As well as trading in the UK, there are plans to introduce Touchstone courses in the US, Europe and the Middle East.