Van Man To Millionaire
A One-Day Intensive at Baddow Park House with James Martin
Thursday 19th November 2026 - Baddow Park House, Essex
I started with a van.
Just me, a set of tools, and more graft than sense.
If I didn’t turn up, nothing happened. No me, no money. It was as simple and as brutal as that.
And for years that’s exactly how it stayed. I was the business. The van was the office. My two hands were the whole operation.
Sound familiar?
Most people who build a service based business start exactly like this. They’re good at the thing. So they do the thing. All day, every day, until they’re knackered and wondering why the harder they work the more stuck they feel.
The big shift for me, the one that changed everything, wasn’t working harder in the van.
It was learning how to get out of it.
Building a team around me. Handing over the doing. Freeing myself up to actually grow the business instead of just running it.
And that’s exactly why we’ve decided to do something we’ve never done before:
A one-off, full day event at Baddow Park House focused entirely on transforming a service based business.
Not theory.
Not social media nonsense.
Not somebody trying to impress you with buzzwords and rented Lamborghinis.
Real-world lessons from decades of actually doing it. Starting in a van, getting out of the van, and building companies that could run and grow without me being the main thing holding it all together.
This Is NOT A “Motivational Seminar”
You already know how to graft. That was never your problem.
This day is about the things people don’t tell you.
The moment you stop being a technician and start being an owner.
The first hire that terrifies you.
The jobs you’re scared to let go of.
The systems that let someone else do it as well as you.
The pricing that finally builds a margin instead of buying yourself a job.
The cashflow pressures.
The difference between working in your business and working on it.
The opportunities you can only see once your head is out from under the bonnet.
In short, the 10,000 hours of knowledge that only come from doing it properly over many years.
And trust me, some of those lessons cost me thousands and thousands of pounds over the years.
Probably hundreds of thousands if I’m honest.
So if I can help you avoid even one serious mistake, this day could become extremely valuable for you indeed.
What we'll cover on the day
We’re not going to waste your time with theory you could have Googled.
Across the day we’ll get stuck into the things that actually move the needle in a service based business:
- Getting customers, so the phone keeps ringing and you’re never at the mercy of a quiet month.
- Marketing advice that works for a real business, not the stuff that only works on Instagram.
- How to get off the tools, so you stop being the person doing every job yourself.
- How to build the right team, and hand over the work without it all falling apart.
- How to scale, and grow the business instead of just growing your own to-do list.
- James’ experience, the real journey from one man in a van to multimillion-pound companies.
- James’ failures and lessons, including the expensive mistakes so you don’t have to make them yourself.
And it’ll be an open Q&A throughout, so whatever you’re stuck on, bring it with you.
Who it's For
This is not for people who just want a busier diary and a nicer van.
This day is for serious business owners and tradespeople who either:
– Already run a service based business and know deep down they’ve built themselves a job, not a business.
– Or are growing fast and want to build it properly from here rather than getting trapped.
People who want to understand how you actually step out of the day to day.
People who want clarity before they hire, delegate and scale.
People who understand that one good decision about how you build your business can change your entire future.
Why Baddow Park House?
Because this isn’t just a hired conference room somewhere off a motorway.
The event takes place at Baddow Park House itself, right in the centre of the Baddow Park Estate.
Which means the venue itself becomes part of the learning experience.
You’ll see first-hand what happens when you build businesses that run without you standing in the middle of them.
The highs.
The lows.
The moving parts.
The income streams.
The pressures.
The opportunities.
The reality of building something far bigger than one person in a van could ever be.
No fluff.
No posing.
No pretending everything is perfect.
Just honest insight into how a service based business really grows behind the scenes.
What you'll get
- Full day event with James Martin.
- How to transform a service based business from a one-man operation into a proper company.
- Real-world case studies and breakdowns from James’s own journey out of the van.
- Open Q&A throughout the day.
- Access to Baddow Park Estate examples.
- You’ll be looked after properly throughout the day with exceptional food, drinks and hospitality from the Baddow Park House team (all included of course!).
- Networking with other serious business owners and entrepreneurs.
The Investment
£1,000 +vat per person.
And honestly, if you’re serious about building a business that doesn’t need you in the van, I believe this could be one of the most useful investments you make for a very long time.
One mistake avoided could save you tens of thousands.
One good decision could change your entire trajectory.
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
Tell me at 3pm on the day that you haven’t had at least £10k worth of value and you want your money back.
Tell me at 3pm on the day that you haven't had at least £10k worth of value and you want your money back. Because if you're serious about transforming your business and ready to take action, I'm confident this one day will save you tens of thousands of pounds in costly mistakes, missed opportunities and wasted time.
You’ll Leave With
Most people spend more time planning next year’s holiday than they do planning how to actually escape the day to day of their own business.
That’s madness.
This day is designed to help you think better, ask better questions and make far better decisions before you take the next step.
So if you’re serious about getting out of the van and building something that grows without you, from somebody who has actually lived it, built it and navigated the highs and lows of it over decades…
Then this is probably not a day you want to miss.
And if I’m lucky, I’ll see you at Baddow Park House.
The Host
James Martin
Built multimillion-pound companies in property, hospitality, and construction, despite being severely dyslexic. Started with a van and two hands, and grew it into businesses that could run and scale without him. Can’t read or write fluently, but can out-think almost anyone in the room. James is a deal-maker, operator, and leader who spots what others miss.
Next Steps
To confirm your place at the one-day “Van Man To Millionaire” event on Thursday 19th November 2026, click the button below to purchase your ticket online.
If you have any questions, or you’d prefer to pay by invoice please email Davina@baddowpark.com
