Some people know from a very young age – what they want to do when they grow up! But for many of us life turns out as more of a succession of jobs, rather than a career and becomes about paying the bills rather than working in an area we love. However it is never too late, there are more opportunities now for budding inventors, entrepreneurs or for taking a hobby or craft into self employment. Many brands that we know and love on the high street started with very humble beginnings:
For example Innocent Smoothies was started by three men in 1998, when they bought £500 of fruit and sold ‘smoothies’ all weekend at a London music festival. They asked each person who purchased a drink to put their empty bottle in a ‘yes’ bin if they thought they should give up their day jobs and pursue the smoothie idea. At the end of the day the ‘yes’ bin was full and so they resigned the next day from their jobs and started the company ‘Innocent’, so named to capture the pure and fresh product. The range has now expanded; they have gone on to get investment from drinks giant ‘Coca-Cola and now sell millions of smoothies a week.
Perhaps one of the most famous British stories is that of Sahar Hashemi and her brother who founded Coffee Republic – the UK’s first US style coffee bar chain. They already had good jobs, but risked everything on a dream of changing a nation of tea drinkers into caffeine addicts. They sold the business in 2001 but Sahar has become an inspiration to would-be entrepreneurs around the world, firm in her belief that anyone can do what they did. In fact she wrote a book titled ‘Anyone Can Do It – Building Coffee Republic from our Kitchen Table.
In the early eighties Romy Fraser was interested in alternative medicine and so she started to produce organically sourced beauty products and natural remedies – Neals Yard Remedies was born. She was way ahead of her time – before all things eco became fashionable, but the brand was built on a solid foundation of no animal testing, 100% recyclable bottles (pretty blue glass) and all of the ingredients are UK sourced. They were front runners in their field and became the first UK company to be awarded a Carbon Neutral brand mark. The first shop was opened in London in Covent Garden and there are now multiple stores in the US, Japan and the UK.
Whilst the world seems a scary place at the moment with world economies still drowning with worries, these stories show that good ideas can take off whatever the climate. And many economists believe that difficult economic times can provide the best launch pad for some start-up businesses.
So if you have a hobby that really is your passion, maybe now is the time to take the leap…Or you have had an epiphany moment regarding a product that could make the world a better place, now could be the time to spring into action!
Maybe we will see you on Dragons Den…
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