Chris and Tash of Listit.im on their Isle of Man adventure

Chris and Tash Kelly’s relocation to the Isle of Man started with a boat. But not the one you’d probably expect.

‘I came over here two years ago; sailed over on our boat for the TT,’ Chris tells me.

Him and his wife Tash are both sat opposite to talk to me about what made them choose to move here from Ireland.

They’re immediately likeable people, brimming with natural friendliness and enthusiasm, which is probably why we let them in.

‘I loved it here and decided that maybe a change to the Isle of Man could be quite nice.’

Chris had been coming to the TT since 2008, but it wasn’t his love of motorsport that led to him wanting to make the move, it was the friendliness of us Manxies. But we'll get to how wonderful we are later. First, let's talk about Chris and Tash.

Their cheery dispositions and lovely Irish accents aren’t the only things Chris and Tash are bringing to the community. Chris is an entrepreneur through and through.

Him and Tash have brought over their business - Auto Body Solutions – from Ireland and with it, 15 years-worth of experience in design and manufacturing.

Pioneers in manufacturing solutions, Auto Body Solutions is no ordinary company.

Chris and Tash have built a thriving business that caters to a diverse range of needs. From bespoke vehicle conversions—like camper van furniture and specialised storage solutions – to CNC – manufactured products. They’ve earned a reputation for delivering high-quality, innovative products, having recently worked on the plan.com building in Victoria Street and Tesco stores across the island.

‘Our CNC manufacturing capabilities allow us to create almost anything,’ Chris explains. ‘We’ve designed camper furniture that maximises space, custom wardrobes that fit perfectly into any space be it home or office, and much more.’

The company also offers sign-writing services, helping businesses make an impact with professionally designed and durable vehicle graphics.

A focus on safety is one of Auto Body Solutions’ most successful offerings, particularly its safety lighting systems, which have become extremely popular in the UK and Ireland. These systems enhance exclusion zones around plant machinery and visibility for vehicles.

‘Our halo exclusion lighting systems are in high demand because they are reliable and meet the highest standards,’ Chris shares. ‘We’re excited to bring this technology to the Isle of Man to help local businesses improve their plant safety.’

And that’s not the only business Chris and Tash have brought with them.

They’re introducing something new to the island in the hope it can benefit a substantial amount of us locals. Chris has created Listit.im, an Isle of Man-based platform similar to Facebook Marketplace but with more of an emphasis on online safety.

When Chris and Tash moved to the island they identified a significant gap in the local market - there was no dedicated online classifieds platform for buying and selling.

‘It felt like I was scrolling through 100’s of different Facebook groups and unfortunately, I couldn’t add myself to all of them, or I thought I did at one point, but then even more popped up!’ Chris says.

‘Platforms like manx.net and Gumtree exist, but they rely heavily on seller responses, which can be unreliable at times. That’s when we decided to create Listit.im.’

Simple, safe, secure is the motivation behind Listit.

‘We’ve actively created it to be those three things for people on the island whilst trying to reduce the number of local people being scammed online,’ says Chris.

Listit will condense all these Facebook selling groups into one simple, safe, and secure platform so nobody misses a bargain.

‘From my experience, the filters on Facebook marketplace don’t actually return the correct ad, which is very frustrating and then when you find something you like, you need to wait for the buyer to reply and often those messages are automatically put in a different folder which is sometimes overlooked.’

On Listit, you can contact the seller via Listit messaging, call & WhatsApp, which allows a smoother transaction for both buyer and seller.

‘Online scams are a huge problem, especially during big events like TT,’ Chris explains. ‘Listit.im prioritises safety by verifying sellers and offering a straightforward reporting system that highlights any concerns that a user experiences. It’s something the island really needed, and we’re thrilled to see people using it.’

You can't stop people from scamming because they're always coming up with new ideas and ways to trick people, but it’s something that Chris and Tash are actively monitoring.

‘Besides us looking out for things that don’t seem quite right, people also have the option to report ads and profiles. I know you can do that on Facebook but because of the complexity of their platform, often it gets lost in translation.’

As well as an emphasis on online safety, Listit has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible. Coming from someone who is technologically inept – I am writing this on a typewriter from 1901 – I can say that when I went onto the website, I did not get the usual sense of frustrated confusion I usually do. Everything is laid out clearly. Simple but effective, as the saying goes. There are various categories – from cars to food to hanging egg chairs - for sellers to upload their items to and an option for people to contact Chris to add in a new category if they forgot one.

Coming back to the decision to relocate and Chris and Tash’s journey to the Isle of Man, it all began with Chris’s love for the island, sparked during his visits for the TT.

‘The people here are incredible,’ Chris recalls. ‘On my first visit, I met a couple who invited me into their home when my tent flooded during a storm. That warmth and generosity stuck with me.’

When Chris brought Tash to visit, she immediately fell in love with the island’s peaceful and safe environment—perfect for raising their young daughter – but that’s not to say it didn’t come with challenges and lessons learned along the way.

‘What would you say are the things you wish you’d known prior to moving here that you think could help other people looking to follow in your footsteps?’ I asked.

‘There are a few things,’ they told me.

‘My credit rating in Ireland didn’t transfer to the Isle of Man, so I had no credit at all and had to start from scratch’, Chris tells me. ‘I’ve been building it up over the past 2 years, but I struggled to even get an overdraft in the early days. So, that was an oversight on my behalf.’

‘For 2 months we lived in a camper van as we endlessly searched for a property. Finding a home took more time than we thought. With schools linked to catchment areas we couldn’t enrol our daughter until we secured a property. Thankfully, our daughter loves her school now,’ says Tash.

‘I do think something needs to be done about accessibility, in terms of getting on and off the island affordably, because I see the Manx government screaming out for people to move here but the cost of the boat is absolutely shocking. My biggest problem now is getting raw materials onto the island, and the cost associated with that. So that's a huge problem.’

‘I applied for a work permit to develop Listit, which I know will be a great asset to the island,’ says Chris. ‘I've seen something similar work really well in Ireland and I thought it's something that's definitely missing here, especially with the rise in online scams. So, I put forward an application, I got it, and that was that. I got my National Insurance number then I could open up a bank account. That part was pretty straightforward, because I was bringing something to the island that wasn't here yet, which was great.’

‘It's funny’, Tash tells me laughing ‘because back in Ireland Chris was the more sociable one out of the two of us. When we first came over, I got a job at M&S while Chris set up the workshop and worked on Listit. For that reason, he’s been a bit more isolated. But working at Marks & Spencer was so lovely. I made great friends and I'd actually be lost without them.’

Overall, Chris and Tash tell me they’ve really enjoyed the journey.

‘I love it. And in fact, anytime I've gone off the island, for whatever reason, I can’t wait to come back’ Chris tells me earnestly.

Now well and truly settled, Chris and Tash are looking to create a bright future on the place they now call home and are fully focused on growing both Auto Body Solutions and Listit.im.

‘We’re passionate about innovation, whether it’s designing & manufacturing or making online transactions more safely,’ Chris says.

‘Moving to the Isle of Man has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. We’re excited to be part of this amazing community and looking forward to helping shape its future.’

To find out more visit Listit.im and autobodyiom.com