Have you heard the phrase?
“One in hand is better than two in the bush.”
Stephen Holmes, the founder of Soccer Star has two in hand and none in the bush as he is on his Sales job by the day and runs a company in £100,000 net profit by the night.
All this seems to be a great idea but will the Dragons approve of such a mode of working in a place they are going to put their money?
Soccer Star at a Glance:
| Idea | Personalized soccer magazine |
| Founders | Stephen Holmes |
| Asked For | £60,000 For 10% |
| Accepted Deal | £60,000 For 25% |
| Dragons | Peter Jones |
| Business status | Active |
| Episode No. | Season 16, Episode 11 |
Index:
What is Soccer Star?
Soccer Star, now re-branded as Heroics is a personalized sports magazine manufacturing company based out of South London. The company offers a wide range of exclusive products to its consumers.
It maintains exclusivity in its offerings through licensing agreements with various sports clubs and organizations. Due to the first movers’ advantage, the company has, well-known clubs that have remained loyal to it over the years.
To encourage children to take up sports and to solve a host of other issues like mental wellness, the company provides books for free to schools, hospitals, clubs, and associations. By 2030 it aims to provide 1 million books globally to good causes.
Who are the Founders of Soccer Star?
Stephen Holmes founded Soccer Star in 2018. He served as the Sales Director at a data management company right until the time he made a deal at The Dragons’ Den.
The reason that Stephen gave for not leaving his full-time job was his commitment to his family.
Stephen accepted Peters’ offer without negotiation that displayed a sort of naivety as far as business affairs were concerned.
Did Soccer Star get a deal on Dragon’s Den?
Stephen displayed the company’s huge range of products in the Den. All the Dragons seemed to be pretty much convinced about the business model as their personal experiences as parents gave them enough rationale.
But as soon as Stephen disclosed that he was not fully devoted to the business, Peter’s harsh criticism followed. Other Dragons came to Stephen’s defense but he became speechless while answering Peter’s questions.
Soon, the tides turned and all the Dragons including the harsh critic Peter Jones made an offer to the entrepreneur. Out of the buffet, Stephen ended up joining forces with his critic at not even the best price that he was offered.
What happened to Soccer Star after Dragon’s Den?
The Dragons deal did not get finalized as neither Peter’s website nor the company’s website reflects any sort of involvement of Peter with the business. Nonetheless, Soccer Star seems to be doing pretty well.
It now offers a much larger range of products and has inked licensing agreements with multiple sports franchises and clubs.
The company rebranded itself to Heroics to make it more recognizable and easy to search for its audience. Heroics has more than 100,000 customers as per the company’s website.
Its products are available in a total of 14 languages. The brand has entered into partnerships with big European soccer leagues such as the English Premier League, Scottish Premier League, and the Spanish League other than this; licensing agreements also cover top national teams and their appearances in the World Cup.
The financial data of the company has not been officially declared but based on the company’s initial statistics, the lifetime revenue can be estimated to be between £2.5 million to £3 million. The actual figure, however, could be slightly higher than this.
Product Details:
- It is a personalized soccer comic.
- It comes loaded with original logos and players of soccer teams
- It has licensing deals with multiple European leagues.
- It has dedicated World Cup books for top national sides.
- It is available in 14 languages.
- It can be ordered globally through its website.
Competitors of Soccer Star:
Multiple personalized book publishers exist in the UK including the soccer or sports segment that directly compete with Soccer Star but the brand retains its originality through multiple licensing agreements and it also has an upper hand due to The Dragons’ Den Effect.
Some of the possible competitors of Soccer Star are:
- Wonderbly
- You Love Print
- Not On The High Street
- Etsy
What is the Net Worth of Soccer Star?
Stephen put a price tag of £600,000 on his company before he walked into the Den but with only three months of sales to back this up, he had to settle for a bit less.
The deal that Stephen made with Peter Jones valued his company at £240,000 but it never go through.
Since then, there has been no official word from the company regarding its financial status and only the fact that it has rebranded to Heroics is common knowledge.
According to revenue estimates, Soccer Star’s net worth can be said to be in the range of £3 million to £4 million.
Is Soccer Star still in Business?
Soccer Star is active by the name Heroics and its product range and licensing agreements have been on the rise ever since.
It appears as though Stephen went to The Dragons’ Den just for a commercial and not for an investment as he probably wanted to retain his day job.
Just like Wonderbly, Soccer Star also appeals to the soft side of parents who want to make their child feel special by all means possible. Hence, we can conclude that its outlook is positive.
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FAQs:
What is Soccer Star?
Soccer Star, now re-branded as Heroics is a personalized sports magazine manufacturing company based out of South London. The company offers a wide range of exclusive products to its consumers.
What's the net worth of Soccer Star?
Stephen put a price tag of £600,000 on his company before he walked into the Den but with only three months of sales to back this up, he had to settle for a bit less.
The deal that Stephen made with Peter Jones valued his company at £240,000 but it never go through.