Concrete Canvas
Concrete Canvas was founded in 2005 by engineering students Peter Brewin and Will Crawford. It utilises a technology the pair invented, which turns fabric into concrete using just water and without the need for mixing equipment. It can create a concrete layer for use in industry or defence, or a concrete shelter for disaster relief.
Peter Brewin: “As students at the Royal College of Art we entered a competition creating new uses for cement. The first usage was the concrete shelter that can go up and set within 24 hours. We were so excited by the technology that after graduating we set up a business. Over the next couple of years we got a business plan together, grew the team and added the canvas product, which comes in rolls and is then manipulated into shape by the client on-site.
“Our main funding came from business angels and our first big client was the [British] Army for use in Afghanistan. They used the concrete layer to protect sandbag walls and better defend soldiers against incoming fire. After that, we demonstrated our technology to Network Rail for use in lining drainage and ditches. It saved them time and money compared to making the concrete off-site in slabs. Since then, we’ve grown and now sell to over 50 countries. Our turnover is £6m.
“You need to enjoy and be fascinated by what you do – you can’t have money as your motivation”
Peter Brewin, co-founder, Concrete Canvas
“In terms of key learnings, I believe there’s great advantage starting a company soon after graduation. You don’t have a mortgage, you don’t have a family and you can afford to take risks. You must put in long hours when you start off.
“I also think it’s important to do it with someone you trust completely, like Will. And you need to enjoy and be fascinated by what you do – you can’t have money as your motivation.
“We’ve shown you can do it on a skinny budget, but we could have raised more cash earlier and quickened up development. However, you don’t want to give too much control away in terms of equity early on. It’s a trade-off, but we are quite pleased where we have ended up.”
Eyetease was founded in 2010 by Richard Corbett. It has created two digital media technologies. The iTaxitop enables advertising, media, news and information to be shown from a box on a taxi’s roof. The ads are location and time specific and sent to each car via wireless connectivity. It’s approved for use in over 50 countries. The EyeFi is a plug-and-play device that provides superfast wifi on the move in taxis, buses and trains as well as fixed locations such as offices and caravans.
Richard Corbett: “I lost my job at the height of the recession in 2009. I went on holiday to New York, and in Central Park – full of families and kids – I noticed that the taxis driving by had ads for strip clubs on them! I thought why in this digital age can’t you have ads on moving vehicles on every street which could show multiple and relevant campaigns for their location? Nobody was doing it so I thought, why not me?
“I found out that it was difficult to get the technology right as a vehicle is power hungry and vibration and temperature also has an effect. Some of the early prototypes proved to be very expensive shambles but I learned, with the help of engineers, how to make it more weather and movement resistant.
“I was being funded by family and friends, and eventually in 2011 we had a prototype ready and took it to Transport for London (TfL). They liked it but asked us to do road test after test, which ran into thousands of pounds. They were also concerned about changing the shape of the iconic London black cab.
“Eventually they told me they didn’t want to go ahead. I couldn’t believe it. I was in £200,000 debt. My girlfriend asked ‘When is enough enough?’ but the entrepreneur in me did not want to fail.
“Know your product and your customer inside out and when you see an opportunity to create your own destiny then take it!”
Richard Corbett, founder, Eyetease
“In 2014 I paid £50 to three taxi drivers to wait outside an event then-mayor Boris Johnson was attending. The sign on our tops said ‘We Love Boris’. When he came out I was so nervous but I went up to him and asked him to give me five seconds of his time. He looked at the taxis and said, ‘Bloody marvellous.’ Two weeks later, TfL called me back in and we signed a multimillion-pound deal with a media company to get the tech on hundreds of cabs in London. We’ve now got a £1.5m turnover.
“Every day someone will say your idea is silly and you should give up. Yes, listen to the critics, and if you think they have a point then use it to make your idea stronger and better, but also keep passionate and keep persevering with your idea.
“Know your product and your customer inside out and when you see an opportunity to create your own destiny – as I did with Boris – then take it!
“Maybe working with a partner would have been better, as setting up a business can be lonely at times. I could also have fundraised earlier and expedited the growth but I didn’t stop at the first challenge as others do. I had the endurance to overcome them.”
Halto
Halto was founded by sisters Lerryn Ryall and Lucy Cox in 2012. It’s a device designed to be used on halter-neck bikinis to prevent the bruising, blistering and headaches some women feel when wearing them. The soft, cushioned device with two holes allowing the bikini strings to go through is now sold nationwide via stockists such as lingerie retailer Bravissimo.
Lucy Cox: “The idea came when my sister was looking for a halter-neck bikini for her honeymoon in the Maldives. She found that wearing a halter-neck can be incredibly uncomfortable as, especially for women with big boobs, the weight is taken by the string knot at the top of the neck.
“We felt there must be a solution. So, she got a boot sole and a bit of glove and made a device to go under the knot. She took it on holiday and wore it 10 hours a day with no pain!
“We decided there was a business there but we didn’t know if it had legs, so we carried out an online survey to find out how broad this problem was and we had 300 responses in two weeks.
“Taking advantage of a EU-funded start-up programme, we got help from a local university to do some 3D printing to develop a prototype.
“But then we both had a wobble! Things were chaotic enough with kids under five, jobs, and the scale of setting up a business seemed overwhelming. We lost our confidence.
“We’ve shown the benefits of networking – just taking that three seconds of bravery to go and chat to the right person changed our future”
Lucy Cox, co-founder, Halto
“Just when we were prepared to walk away, we attended a conference and listened to a fantastic talk by Rob Holmes, co-founder of the Gro Company. We chatted with him afterwards and he loved our idea and became our mentor. He had been through the same process while having young kids and he understood the challenges. He introduced us to their product designer and put the wind back in our sails.
“The next stage was a crowdfunding campaign in February last year which raised £11,000 in pre-orders. With the capital, we developed packaging, our website and found a manufacturer.
“We also heard from Bravissimo who said they were interested in the product. So, we googled the chief executive’s name and sent her an email. They’ve since placed thousands of orders.
“Our next target is to get multiple retail stockists and start distribution in Australia. We’ve shown the benefits of networking – just taking that three seconds of bravery to go and chat to someone like Rob changed our future. You’ve also got to listen to your gut when it comes to making decisions and finding the best people to work with. What feels right for you? Who understands your challenges and shares your energy?”
Jimmy's Iced Coffee
Jimmy’s Iced Coffee was founded by Jim Cregan in 2010. His ready-made iced coffee comes in a range of flavours including mocha and gingerbread. Stockists include Selfridges, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Ocado, Waitrose, BP and Whole Foods.
Jim Cregan: “Back in 2008, I was working as a labourer in the UK and decided to go on a long trip to Australia with my then girlfriend. I’d never had iced coffee before but I stopped at a petrol station one day and found a drink called Farmers Union Iced Coffee. We were on a long journey and I wanted something to keep me going but I didn’t want an energy drink. I cracked it open and it was a revelation for me. I fell in love with it and I drank two or three a day for the rest of my time in Oz. It kept me awake on long drives, sorted stupid hangovers, and was a perfect pre-surf pick-me-up.
“It was when I returned to the UK that I had my lightbulb moment. I walked into my local supermarket in search of something like the iced coffee I drank in Australia, but there wasn’t anything like it. The only iced coffee that was there tasted too sweet and had too many ingredients. It was then I decided to make my own.
“I got my sister Suzie on board to help me and we made the first product in a bedsit. The business has gone from strength to strength with one carton now being sold every seven seconds.
“You must be prepared to take some knocks. People will tell you ‘no’ a lot and sometimes for good reason, so be ready to accept it and work on how to make it a yes”
Jim Cregan, founder, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee
“The landmark moment for us was the day we launched in Selfridges. Suzie and I took a carton to the till and watched it bleep through. The receipt said Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, which was a mega moment. Social media has helped grow our popularity. We’ve done two rap videos. The first called ‘Keep Your Chin Up’ and the second called ‘Who Got The Beans’. It’s probably the most fun we’ve had during the whole process.
“My advice to anyone is that you must feel totally convinced and totally pumped that your idea is going to work. If you think it’s going to fail for one minute, it’s going to lose, because that’s one minute you haven’t spent thinking it will succeed. You must also be prepared to take some knocks. People will tell you ‘no’ a lot and sometimes for good reason, so be ready to accept it and work on how you can make it a yes.
“If I could have done anything differently then I wouldn’t have made a one-litre iced-coffee variety in our second year and just kept things as simple as possible. It was hard enough to keep producing and keep selling during that time.
“The early stages of running a business are tough and sleep becomes a myth, but I wouldn’t change what I have now for anything.”
Further Reading
Build Your Business: how to attract new customers
Letting Go: How and when to delegate
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