Peter Harrison

Peter set up his security business when he was 20 and in his first year at Lancaster University. “It was all just a bit of fun at first,” he says. “We didn’t necessarily concentrate on making any money. I’d already worked as a door supervisor and it was a real passion for me. When I first started I’d have worked for free! Which is a good thing too - in the first year despite all our hard work we made £7,000 profit, which needed splitting several ways!”

Working as a door supervisor, Peter loved meeting people and being part of major events. Now as the managing director of FGH Security Ltd, he supplies licensed security operatives to nightclubs, pubs, festivals, cinemas and the retail industry. The company is involved in high profile events like the Great North Swim and the Kendal Calling festival. FGH Security has grown enormously since 2003 - it now has five offices, employs nearly 200 staff right across the Northwest and carries out work for several councils, the Police, Aldi, Yates’, Vue Cinemas, Subway, Revolution Vodka bars and the NHS to name a few!

Were you very entrepreneurial as a youngster?

From the age of about 8 I used to do the gardening for my granddad at £1.50 per hour, which was loads at the time. I also loved taking my old toys to car boots and setting up small stalls at the side of my mums’ car, haggling with adults was hours of fun. I always kept my eye out for nice antiques too. When I was 9 I formed a band with several primary school friends and “busked” at parties which didn’t bring in that much money (probably because I was the lead singer but can’t sing to save my life!). I had a paper round for a long time, and at 11 I published a series of comics with two friends. We sold the comics at school and to a few local shops; we sold advertising space to clear the print costs.

When I was fifteen and heavily involved in several sports I organised a Duathlon (a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike ride and another 2 mile run). It was called Santa’s Sprint and despite it being held on Boxing Day I got forty competitors paying £12 each. I got two shops and a sunglasses manufacturer to sponsor the prizes, met with the police and land owners to get relevant permissions, paid the British Triathlon Association to insure the event, paid my school to let me use the sports hall and got T-shirts printed for all the competitors and helpers who marshalled on the course. By the end of the day, the final balance stood at minus £30! But I had lots of fun organising it and learned a lot from it.

Did you always want to be an entrepreneur?

Throughout my A-levels I was training to be an Officer in the Royal Marines. Despite passing three interviews and my first selection tests, I failed at the last hurdle. I was extremely upset as this was all I had ever wanted to do and I hadn’t even thought about University (or anything else either!). After a year’s travelling and trying my hand at several jobs I was accepted at Lancaster to study Mathematics and Statistics. Lancaster University was extremely supportive and somehow I managed to graduate in 2005 with a third class BSc in Management Science. Finishing university was a great relief as for a long time I found myself not having enough hours in the day to do everything I needed to – I was already running my business by then. I’m now fortunate enough to be involved with the Royal Marines on a part time basis at the same time as running FGH Security Ltd.

Peter Harrison is supporting the Make Your Mark with a Tenner competition. By visiting a local school in Blackpool to share his enterprise story and support the pupils’ businesses with his expert advice, he’s helping the next generation make their mark!