Before Wednesday

Ashby meeting — what to actually think about

Not a script. Just so you walk in knowing what you think, not figuring it out live in front of him.

You don't owe him a decision on the spot, and you don't need to show your whole hand before he's even made an offer. Go in curious, come out with information, decide after.

1The honest state of play

Neither of these is a "safe, established" business vs a "risky startup" — they're both young.

Your Padel Uttoxeter is legally YOURPADEL LTD, incorporated November 2025 — under a year old. No filed accounts yet. Chris Smith is publicly the face of it but isn't the registered director on record — the ownership structure isn't as simple as it looks from the shop floor.

Doesn't mean anything's wrong. Just means it's not the veteran operation it might feel like from the inside. What you DO have is real evidence: you've actually been paid, actually worked the rota, actually seen how Chris runs it.

Ashby's place is currently zero evidence, all pitch. "More proactive, more understanding" is what someone says when they're recruiting you — that's exactly the moment people are most persuasive and least accountable. Worth taking seriously. Also worth testing, not assuming.

2Quick gut-check — think it through, text Dad your answers after

This is as much for you as for him. Knowing your own answer to these means you're not guessing your reasons live in the meeting.

Good about Uttoxeter: pay, hours, how you're treated, anything you've actually learned, any real responsibility given?

Bad / could be better: understaffed, unsupported, badly scheduled, feels like you're not valued?

Paid reliably? Every time, on time, no messing about?

Would you want Chris as a reference on a personal statement or CV? Be honest.

What's Ashby actually offered so far — role, pay, hours, is the venue even open yet — or is it all still "trust me"?

3What to actually find out on Wednesday

Ask these like you're genuinely interested, not like you're cross-examining him. You are, but he doesn't need to know that.

Is the venue open and trading now, or is this a job for a site that doesn't exist yet? If not open — what's the real target date?

Who legally owns it? Is it his business, or is he working for someone else too?

What hours would you be covering — and would he be OK confirming time off around 24 September (UCAT resit, 1pm) and results day if you need it?

Would you ever be the only person on site? If something goes wrong — medical thing, till problem, a difficult customer — who's got your back with no one else there?

Pay rate, and how/how often you're actually paid — weekly, monthly, guaranteed hours or zero-hours?

What's his own background running a place like this — first time doing this, or done it before?

4The money — know your numbers before he says his

From 1 April 2026, your legal minimum as an 18-year-old is £10.85/hour. That's the floor, not a target.

If he says "£X a year"	What that actually is per hour (37.5 hrs/wk)
£20,000	£10.26/hr — basically minimum wage
£22,000	£11.28/hr — just above minimum
£25,000	£12.82/hr — a decent 18% above minimum
£28,000	£14.36/hr — genuinely good for this kind of job

Do that maths in your head live if he throws a number at you. Don't just react to whether it "sounds big" — a headline annual number always sounds bigger than the hourly rate underneath it.

Your actual leverage — real, not made up:

He's headhunting you. That's him telling you your price, not you asking for one.
You already know how a padel venue runs — Playtomic, courts, customers, kit. No training time, no ramp-up cost for him. That's worth real money to a new operator.
You've got somewhere to go back to. You're not desperate, so don't act desperate.

Don't lead with a number. Let him name one first if you can — whoever says a figure first usually loses a bit of ground.

"What were you thinking in terms of hours and pay for this?" — then go quiet and let him answer.

If he lowballs and you want to push back, don't argue the headline number — ask about the whole package:

"What's that look like per hour once I know my actual hours? And is that guaranteed hours or zero-hours?"

If he asks what you want, give a range, not a single number, and anchor it in something real:

"Given I already know the systems and I wouldn't need training, I'd be looking at somewhere north of minimum — realistically low-to-mid teens per hour, depending on the hours and how much responsibility I'm carrying."

5Don't

Don't slag off Chris or Uttoxeter. Small industry, word travels, and it makes you look disloyal to whoever hires you next too.
Don't accept anything on the spot. "Let me think about it and come back to you" is always fine, even if you already know the answer.
Don't tell him everything you're worried about. Ask the questions in section 3 like curiosity, not like you're building a case against him.
Don't forget — this is a gap year job while you wait on results and the UCAT resit, not a career decision. Optimise for reliability and flexibility over whichever one sounds more exciting in the room.

After the meeting

Text Dad the gut-check answers from section 2, plus whatever Ashby actually said on hours, pay, and whether the place is even open. He'll fold it in with his own read and you two can land on what you actually do.