About

About Alan Castle — Big Al

I am a multimillionaire businessman who has lived every side of entrepreneurship: the highs of building multi‑million‑pound companies and the lows of losing everything and starting again. My first taste of business came at just 17 years old in 1999, while I was serving my time as an electrician. I launched my first company, Deltec. The idea was ambitious, but youthful teasing and criticism about the name (“Del Boy”) saw me close the business within a year. That early lesson shaped the resilience I carry today.

From dial‑up to data centres

By 2000, I launched FireNet, one of Northern Ireland’s earliest internet service providers. Over six years I grew it to 38,000 customers, operating data centres across the region, before selling in 2006 for a seven‑figure sum. Around the same time, I ran Box Electronics, a retail venture that was ultimately taken by the worst recession in my time.

Scaling retail and telecoms

In the years that followed, I continued to diversify. I created Fixafone, which grew to 17 stores, 70 staff, and more than £6 million turnover at its peak across four different geographical areas. I acquired and absorbed multiple companies including ABC Domains, Angelfire Hosting, and PC Limited. I built ventures beyond technology too, such as Barnams Ice Cream in Lisburn, which ended in a legal battle with a seasoned multimillionaire landlord, and I operated Switch Telecoms in Bristol.

Lessons from loss

Not every chapter was a win. I owned and ran the Lough Erne Hotel, a period that coincided with one of the hardest stretches of my life and a mental breakdown in 2012. Bankruptcy and hardship did not break me — they made me sharper. They gave me the humility and discipline to build again, with stronger systems, deeper caution, and the determination to create lasting wealth.

What life looks like now

Today, I am a father of three and nothing brings me greater pride than seeing their futures grow brighter than mine. My work ethic remains the same: I rise at 5 a.m. and spend an average of 14 hours a day working. I enjoy the grind of building houses, restoring properties, working the land with heavy machinery, and ending the day physically tired from honest work. I am successful, but not flashy. I live humbly and value the process of working hard far more than showing off the results.

Mentorship as a mission

Mentorship has become one of my greatest callings. I currently mentor 35 people directly, investing hours daily into their growth. Recently I personally gifted five of them £4,000 in stock each to start market‑trading businesses. My life mission is clear: to create 10 new multimillionaires and 990 people earning at least £100,000 annually — a community of 1,000 individuals who achieve financial freedom through hard work, discipline, and proven systems.

Interests

Alongside business and building, I enjoy my cars and continue to grow my collection — a passion project that reflects years of persistence and resilience.