From badminton to business: how Mrinal Madina built his sports agency

Founded by Mrinal Madina and based in Kingston-upon-Thames, the Entertainment Sports Agency (ESA) helps businesses grow by combining sports and entertainment events with leadership training.

It offers customised services to engage clients, develop personal skills and expand businesses.

Here, Mrinal talks about what prompted him to launch his own business, the opportunities and challenges he's encountered, and why he turned to Grow London Local for support.

What inspired you to launch your business?

Setting up a sports and entertainment agency is a dream come true for me. I've been passionate about sports from the age of eight, when I first picked up a badminton racket.

Since then, my transition through cricket, golf, karate, tennis and now padel means I've played, watched and attended thousands of events.

Sport has given me so much – confidence, inspiration, connections, wisdom and enjoyment. Through the agency, I now have the chance to give back, supporting other businesses to grow using sport and sharing expertise with those who need it.

What sparked the idea for the agency and how did you expand your services over time?

Originally, with my passion, experience, contacts and knowledge of golf, I planned to develop a golf agency. Then, I met a tennis professional named Jon Southcombe, the former commercial director of David Lloyd, who was building a global padel brand.

Jon encouraged me to think beyond my idea of a golf agency and expand it to other sports. I realised there were several sports and entertainment agencies out there, which means clients have an idea what to expect.

I saw the immediate benefit of partnering with Jon and working on other sports, and we already had a world-class client to work with in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS).

I expanded our services by combining what I was already doing – events and marketing – with new offerings such as sponsorship and investment sourcing. We explored what other agencies are doing and identified what we can and can't do, what we want to do and what we can offer through partners or suppliers.

What challenges have you faced as a business owner and how have you overcome them?

Great question. Starting an events business six months before a global pandemic was something I wouldn't wish on anyone. But we stuck to the task and continued to develop clients and opportunities.

As a small business that's self-funded, not having access to capital or large budgets mean we have to be frugal and careful in what we do, while aiming high and being creative and flexible in our approach.

Working incredibly hard and remaining passionate and believing in the venture are all key to survive the challenges of being a business owner. Developing a good team and looking after them is a challenge but essential to work with bigger clients.

Being organised and having good systems and processes is also a challenge, because business owners fall into different camps. Some are very good operators but less strong on sales or creativity, while others are stronger in sales and less so on systems, processes and operations.

How did you hear about Grow London Local, and what has your experience been like?

I heard about them through [Business Support Manager] Jo and had some positive meetings with mentors. Learning about the digital skills needed and what to focus on was useful. There is still a long way to go to implement all the actions but having systems and processes is going to be key to our growth.

Would you recommend Grow London Local to other small businesses?

Yes, definitely. It helps you solve issues in really practical ways.

How has your relationship with your Business Support Manager impacted your business journey?

Confidence, support and friendship.

How do you use social media to grow your brand and boost sales?

We're working on campaigns using LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to showcase what we do and promote events.

What do you love most about being your own boss?

Freedom and opportunity. Working with who I want, when I want doing what I want.

Finally, what advice would you give to other small business owners in London?

Work hard, stay curious, find mentors and peers to learn from and enjoy the process. It's like putting together a 1,000 piece jigsaw, though there's no end.

So, you have to enjoy the work and have fun along the way. Celebrate small wins and remember it's relationships that make you happy, not having lots of money.

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