Headshot of Tyler Everitt

Portsmouth alumnus Tyler Everitt has used his entrepreneurial spirit and passion to launch his joint venture during the pandemic

4 min read

The multiple lockdowns in the last 12 months have meant many of our alumni have finally had the head space and time to really think about their current and future businesses. Portsmouth alumnus Tyler Everitt is one of those who, as well as juggling a full time job, has taken the leap to create a business in something he is passionate about. 

We asked Tyler, who graduated from BA (Hons) Economics and Management in 2016, to tell us about his new venture, LocoPro, and his time at Portsmouth:

Your time at Portsmouth University

I loved my time at the University of Portsmouth and built friendships that will last a lifetime. I studied Economics and Management and completed a work placement in Prague in my third year. I worked for a company called Arriello, a leading consultancy and solutions provider of risk management and compliance services to the pharmaceutical industry. 

Completing a work placement was a brilliant experience and I will always be grateful that Arriello decided to give me the opportunity. Moving abroad came with lots of challenges which really helped me grow as a person.

Tyler Everitt, BA (Hons) Economics and Management

I used to love the Freshers week at Portsmouth as it was a great opportunity to meet new people and see friends again after the summer. I really enjoyed the Varsity days too where I represented the Volleyball team.

What was after graduation?

As I left University I decided to set up my own business in the outdoor leisure industry selling outdoor, camping and caravan parts and accessories. Leaving University where you are surrounded by your friends, to working on your own and not having someone to learn from, was very difficult. After six months I felt I needed more experience in the business world and made the decision to join the corporate world after I saw a great opportunity to work within Kingfisher plc. I’ve now worked at the company for four and a half years as a Local Procurement Manager focusing on multiple departments such as Marketing, Legal & Logistics.

My entrepreneurial spirit has since returned and is in full flow with my new venture LocoPro.

How did you start your business and what is it about?

LocoPro officially launched in January 2021 and is a simple platform for golfers to find the best golf coaches in their area. The website also allows golf coaches to advertise themselves and receive feedback from clients.

The traditional way golfers will book lessons is at their local golf club with no way of knowing what that golf coach specialises in or what past clients have thought of their lessons. LocoPro brings a new dimension to booking a golf lesson by being able to compare golf coaches in the same area. 

The more positive feedback a coach has, the more likely a golfer is to book in with them. We now have over 250 coaches with thousands of reviews.

Tyler Everitt, BA (Hons) Economics and Management

The company is a joint venture with my school friend Jack who’s a website designer. We both have full time jobs but this has given us a focus during the pandemic and definitely helped pass the time when everything has been closed! 

I am a keen golfer (although not a very good one!) so it is great to own a business in the industry. I love seeing new people joining the LocoPro community and I really hope we can help bring in more business for them. Many golf coaches have been unable to work for much of the past year so anything we can do to help is great.

What is next?

Headshot of Tyler Everitt

I hope to be able to grow LocoPro with Jack and make it the first place people think of when booking a golf coach. We have big plans to take this to the USA.

Tyler Everitt, BA (Hons) Economics and Management

We have big plans starting with our first LocoPro Pro-Am – an event at the Welcombe Golf Course in Warwickshire, 6–7 October 2021. This will give us a great opportunity to meet some of our coach community.