Smarter Housing

Adam set about developing a time-saving, stress-free solution to the problem of finding good quality student accommodation that benefited both the prospective tenants and landlord.

The answer was Smarter Housing, a web-based business that sources properties for the student rental market, oversees the agreement process and handles the maintenance of the property.

Once he had graduated, Adam worked on the business full time, and established Smarter Housing in August 2005. He had £13,000 in student debt to repay, but his drive and dedication saw him raise £50,000 in just four months.

The majority of this funding was from grants and flexible loans tailored for business start ups, such as Business Link and The University of Warwick’s Enterprise Fellowship Scheme.

Adam’s big break came when he spoke to a friend’s landlord who had several properties on the student rental market in Warwick. He was prepared to try a new approach and Adam worked fast to let the properties. The landlord then recommended Smarter Housing to others and Adam soon had 20 properties on his books. Smarter Housing had a profitable first year in business and its growth has been extraordinary.

For two years, Smarter Housing operated in Warwick and Coventry, but has now expanded to cover Leamington Spa, Nottingham, and Stratford upon Avon. Adam hopes for even faster expansion over the next two years, with plans to go nationwide by 2009.

Although Smarter Housing is Adam’s most successful venture it is not his only one. In 1999 he registered two online social networking sites, SchoolLeavers.com and UniLeavers.com. These faded in popularity, but Adam says, “I’ve learned from my own mistakes. If I’d acted quickly back then there’s every chance I could have shared in the huge success of networking sites enjoyed now by sites such as Facebook and Friends Reunited!”

Adam’s advice to young people interested in setting up their own business is, “Do it now! If it goes wrong you’re still young enough to focus on something else, or learn from your mistakes and move forward.” Get more tips and advice on Adam's blog.