A County Down man who turned a side hustle into a thriving sportswear company now has plans to expand the business further following assistance from the enterprise support service Go Succeed.
Sean McCarthy founded KitRoom in 2018 while working full-time, initially operating the business alongside his career before taking the leap into entrepreneurship full-time last year.
The Crossgar-based business specialises in supplying customised teamwear, uniforms and branded clothing, providing embroidery and printing services primarily for sports clubs across the UK and Ireland.
And Sean has plans to expand that offering more widely into the commercial workwear market in response to growing demand.
What began as a one-man operation has grown into a team of four, with the business moving into larger premises in 2025 to support its continued expansion.
Sean said:
“For a long time, I was balancing the business alongside my career, but it eventually reached the point where it needed my full attention. The business had grown to a stage where it simply couldn’t be done part-time anymore.”
KitRoom initially focused on supplying local sports clubs with customised teamwear before adapting its model during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With grassroots sport temporarily paused, Sean invested heavily in developing the business’ online presence and e-commerce offering, helping it to reach customers well beyond its local market.
Sean added:
“Today, we work with sports clubs across multiple disciplines, but we’re also seeing strong growth in business uniforms and branded workwear. That’s a natural progression for us because our expertise is in garments, embroidery and print.
“We don’t want to become a huge business for the sake of it. Our goal is to build a strong, modern company with a great team that can adapt, innovate and continue delivering excellent service for customers.”
As the business continued to grow, Sean sought support through Go Succeed’s mentoring programme.
He says the guidance and independent perspective provided through the service helped him make better decisions and gave him greater confidence in the direction of the business.
Sean said:
“Running a business can be quite lonely at times. You’re constantly questioning whether you’re making the right decisions and whether you’re focusing on the right opportunities.
“The mentoring support through Go Succeed was invaluable because it gave me somebody I could trust to talk through ideas with.
“Having someone who could step back from the day-to-day pressures of the business, challenge my thinking and help keep me focused was hugely beneficial.
“It gave me confidence that the decisions I was making were the right ones and helped me look at the business from a completely different perspective.”
Go Succeed is delivered free of charge through all 11 councils in Northern Ireland.
Cllr Glyn Hanna, Chair, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, said:
“Sean’s story demonstrates the ambition, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit that exists within our local business community.
“Through Go Succeed, we are committed to helping businesses like KitRoom access the support, expertise and guidance they need to grow and thrive.
“We congratulate Sean and his team on their success to date and look forward to seeing the business continue to develop in the years ahead.”
Funded by the UK Government, Go Succeed provides entrepreneurs with access to a range of services including mentoring, events, planning tools and business networks. Visit www.go-succeed.com to learn more.