Booost Spotlight: Tim Jones

Today, it’s CEO Tim’s turn in the Spotlight.

From a career rooted in student support to navigating shifts in the DSA funding landscape, we explore the moments that shaped his approach to business. Plus, we get a glimpse of life in Cheltenham, top city breaks and walking (and wine) weekends…

What drew you to Booost?

From a business point of view, I’ve always been aware that the clock was ticking for our previous business (Ultima Education) and that we needed something to replace it when the inevitable happened and the government replaced all of the SME’s providing various services (of which Ultima was one) to support its DSA funding programme with two end-to-end suppliers.

Fortunately we spotted an opportunity to create a new business before these changes were implemented, and both Booost the app, and Booost Education the business, were born.

From an idealistic point of view, Ultima provided a great service to students applying for DSA funding, but it was, for most students, a one-off assessment. Booost (the app) was an opportunity to provide something with more lasting value, a tool to help students to be as successful as possible during their studies.

From a realistic point of view - having co-ran a business for a few years, the thought of having to persuade someone to give me a job again was not appealing at all. Far easier to start a new business.

When did you know you wanted to work in your field?

I never knew I wanted to be a business owner until I did it.

I previously worked in student support roles at various universities and felt pretty happy in that environment. However, I was often frustrated by not always being able to do what I wanted, so maybe owning a business was the one way I didn’t have to do what I was told. In theory. In reality there’s this business partner who constantly tells me what to do, so…

More specifically, I’ve now spent the best part of 20 years working in some way with students who face difficulties with aspects of the educational system, and my desire to be part of that has come from the students I have met along the way. I never really struggled when I went to university - not because of anything special to do with me, I’m just fortunate to match the demographic that the system is set up for. So when I met students who were facing barriers to something I had been able to largely take for granted, working to try and make that situation better felt like something worth spending time on.

Where are you located?

Cheltenham. Famous for its racecourse, GCHQ and its literature festival. Think Bath’s smaller, less pretty sister. Sometimes called the place where ambition dies, which sounds awful but its because once people move here, they seldom leave - it has a good mix of shops & restaurants, the festivals, the Cotswold’s countryside surrounding it, the mighty Gloucester Rugby Club nearby, and you can be in London in 2 hours, or Bath, Bristol or Cardiff in around an hour or so.

Plus Eddie the Eagle was born here, so, you can’t really top that.

What does your perfect weekend look like?

Well, despite liking where I live a lot, I do very much enjoy a weekend away. Sometimes somewhere quiet and rural, but often a new town or city to explore, either in the UK or farther a field. Some highlights: a walking tour of Belfast from two former political prisoners from opposing sides of The Troubles, walking up Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Christmas markets in Strasbourg, eating bitterballen in Amsterdam and wine tasting at a vineyard in Devon. That being said, I also like staying at home and doing some cooking and drinking. Chuck in a good boardgame too and I’m pretty content.

Best trip you’ve been on and why?

For more than a weekend - I went to New York a couple of year’s ago and was expecting to be blown away by it, but was a little underwhelmed. I got home and did a Covid test and it then made sense why I’d felt a bit rubbish for the week.

So instead, maybe Fowey in Cornwall back in 2020 - just after lockdown and very much a new beginning - partly because of the pandemic but also for other reasons. And on that pathetic attempt at mystique and intrigue, I’ll leave it there!