Canary PR » Interviews

Interview with Darren Spratt

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:41:23 +0000

By day, Darren Spratt works in a senior business management capacity, but as a release from work pressures it is the BMW E28 to which his attention drifts.

Why the E28? Is this some kind of mid-life crisis Darren?

Maybe it is. Very probably!

Let me get this straight. I am not a car fanatic – in the general sense. I use a garage to fix these old classics and the limit of my personal investment in their upkeep is a bit of elbow grease in the polishing process.

I think it is a combination of factors. The drive is fantastic – a wonderful smooth automatic transmission and a 6-cylinder engine which contains some power. These cars look fantastic too. A big square, yet streamlined profile – complete with a wonderful shark nose. The chrome looks great too.

You know, there is an argument that they were slightly old fashioned when new in terms of appearance. Mercedes were already sporting moulded light clusters when the E28 shone it’s big round headlamps for the first time. The model followed its predecessor’s (E12) shape pretty closely – something BMW were criticised for at the time.

But you drive a brand new Mercedes for work – why would you want to jump into a 25 year old car at the weekend?

I know, I know. It’s an emotional thing too. I acquired my first E28 back in the early 90s. It was meant to be a stop-gap car when I moved from employment into self-employment. But I did fall in love. It was 11 years old at the time and it felt more like a proper car to me! I even went on my honeymoon in it. I later sold that car because of my then wife. She thought it was too big for her. What a sense of regret I have about that. I should have got rid of her then instead – I did that later!

Some years on, I found the car was on my mind, so I started to do some research. I found a great website http://forum.bmw5.co.uk and within this site I found a large number of enthusiasts for the E28. Naturally, it wasn’t long before I purchased my second E28.

So, these old Beamers are about 25 years old now – must be cheap to buy?

Oh yes! You can pick one up on ebay for a couple of hundred pounds! But take a look at the specialist sites and you’ll see the good ones are appreciating. Take a look at www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk and www.carandclassic.co.uk and you will often find models going for £3,000 to £4000 now. One member of http://forum.bmw5.co.uk specialises in detailing and has sold a couple of cleaned up versions for circa £7,500.

Well thanks for sharing your enthusiasm – as a final point, is there a particular model of the E28 for you?

For me, it’s the 528iSE – automatic, of course. I’ve currently got 2 of them…

American fans can find out more at www.mye28.com

By day, Darren Spratt works in a senior business management capacity, but as a release from work pressures it is the BMW E28 to which his attention drifts.

Why the E28? Is this some kind of mid-life crisis Darren?

Darren Spratt: Maybe it is. Very probably!

But you drive a brand new Mercedes for work – why would you want to jump into a 25 year old car at the weekend?

Darren Spratt: I know, I know. It’s an emotional thing too. I acquired my first E28 back in the early 90s. It was meant to be a stop-gap car when I moved from employment into self-employment. But I did fall in love. It was 11 years old at the time and it felt more like a proper car to me! I even went on my honeymoon in it. I later sold that car because of my then wife. She thought it was too big for her. What a sense of regret I have about that. I should have got rid of her then instead – I did that later!

So, these old Beamers are about 25 years old now – must be cheap to buy?

Darren Spratt: Oh yes! You can pick one up on ebay for a couple of hundred pounds! But take a look at the specialist sites and you’ll see the good ones are appreciating. Take a look at www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk and www.carandclassic.co.uk and you will often find models going for £3,000 to £4000 now. One member of http://forum.bmw5.co.uk specialises in detailing and has sold a couple of cleaned up versions for circa £7,500.

Well thanks for sharing your enthusiasm – as a final point, is there a particular model of the E28 for you?

Darren Spratt: For me, it’s the 528iSE – automatic, of course. I’ve currently got 2 of them…

American fans can find out more at www.mye28.com

You can follow Darren Spratt on Twitter

Join Darren on Linkedin

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Interview: Dia Soleado Invest’s CEO Robin Brinkman

admin — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:03:37 +0000

Business related

What can you tell us about Dia Soleado Invest?

Dia Soleado Invest was started by myself about a year ago to fill a need that I saw in the marketplace for people who had either very little or no previous success in the overseas property investment market and who had felt it was time to take a more serious look at how to make money from property.

What is your company’s philosophy / mission statement?

To deliver a very straight forward, no nonsense approach, with the utmost focus on integrity and quality of service.

What do you see as your company’s strengths in the marketplace?

Having had some good success myself in the property market I feel we can offer some great insight on emerging markets and where ‘the next big thing’ may be.

Based on their feedback, how do your clients view your company?

I would say that they all view us as a valued information source. Somewhere they can turn to for the straight up answers, for better or for worse.

What sets your company / products / services apart from (those of) your competitors?

It is an extremely competitive market out there with a lot of other great companies doing their best to get your business. With us, I would hope that we stand out with our personal approach and ability to access whatever information you may need to make your next property investment an informed one.

How do you see the future of your company in the light of new advances in technology?

Well, I think we are really on the cutting edge as far as how people are doing business these days and we are only too eager to improve our quality of service at every step of the way. If there is a newer and better way of doing this, we want to know about it.

What does the future hold for Dia Soleado Invest?

We would like to continue to improve our property offer and expand into new markets as well as build lasting relationships, with not just clients, but with developers as well so that we can empower ourselves to negotiate better offers for our investors.
Personal

How long have you been living in the Canary Islands/Spain?
4 years in January

How did you decide to come here?

I came here as a management consultant to help get a sales team for a development up and running. When the contract was up I had already fallen in love with Spain and wasn’t about to go back to the cold and rain anytime soon.

What motivates and drives you in the business world?

Just being connected with different people and developments from all over the world. Since being involved in property I have really found the world to be an ever-shrinking place and it’s just nice to be a part of the global society and have my finger on the pulse.

What do you consider to be your greatest personal achievement?

My two beautiful boys…hands down! Mind you they are still a work in progress.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

This company has been a pretty big accomplishment for me. It was a lot of hard work and continues to be an every day thing for me, but so far I have been extremely pleased with the results and I am really excited about what the future holds for the company and me.

How do you unwind after a stressful day/week at the office?

I usually go for a run, swim or bike ride. I’m training for the Ironman next year so any spare time that I’m not spending with my family is spent busting my hump in and around the island.

At the end of your career, what do you want to be remembered for?

Just as someone who always took the time to talk to people and who was always helpful. Someone who wasn’t afraid to speak their mind and ultimately somebody who helped make you a ton of money!

WEBSITE: WWW.DIASOLEADOINVEST.COM

BLOG: WWW.INVESTMENTPROPERTYABROAD.COM

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Interview: SortedSites.com Director John Beckley

admin — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:18:43 +0000

Business related

What can you tell us about Sorted Sites?

Sorted Sites is a Web Design and Internet Marketing company which started in 2000 and we currently have ten people working for us.

Initially we started out as a Design Company, however, the need for results as opposed to design has taken over. Things like PPC, SEO, Copywriting, Blogs, Email Marketing and Internet Marketing have been brought to the forefront of the business.

What is your company’s philosophy / mission statement?

Our mission is to develop Intelligent Web Solutions online, both in design and marketing and to provide a service to our clients that is honest and true to the spirit of the internet.

What do you see as your company’s strengths in the marketplace?

Our strength is offering a complete solution for medium to small companies from domain registrations to design and marketing. We offer a complete package of ongoing maintenance and marketing solutions.

Based on their feedback, how do your clients view your company?

Well, you would have to ask our clients. However, based on the fact that 80% of our business comes from our existing clients together with working on referrals, I would have to view it in a positive light.

What sets your company / products / services apart from your competitors?

The fact that we offer a complete solution and we are also one of the few companies that have lasted the test of time.

How do you see the future of your company in the light of new advances in technology?

I do believe that we will move further away from design and more into marketing of web sites and marketing will revolve around Blogs, Forums, on line Press Releases etc.

What does the future hold for Sorted Sites?

A large proportion of our work is in the Real Estate sector and I see this continuing for the foreseeable future.
Personal

How long have you been living in the Canary Islands/Spain?

10 years.

How did you decide to come here?

I initially came to work for my brother who is the owner of Pearly Grey in Tenerife.

What motivates and drives you in the business world?

I am motivated by making things work and of course I like the financial rewards too. They don´t call me “Johnny Cash” for nothing!

What do you consider to be your greatest personal achievement?

Marrying my wife, Hellen.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Having my daughter, Gabriella.

How do you unwind after a stressful day/week at the office?

Playing games with my daughter and cycling.

At the end of your career, what do you want to be remembered for?

Being a good honest individual.

You can find out more about John Beckley on:

Twitter, Google Profile, Flickr Photos, linkedin

You can find out more about Sorted Sites on:

Company Website (Blog), Flickr Photos, Twitter, FaceBook Business Page

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