Monks & Co Clothing: Star Business of the Month January 2014

Monks logo rsClient: Amy Barker and Michael McMillain

Business: Monks Clothing

Description: Monks & Co Clothing is an online menswear clothing store with a shop on Swan Street in West Malling, Kent offering premium, personalised customer service.

Telephone: 01732 841900Amy-of-Monks-Clothing

How to keep in touch with Monks Clothing:

www.monksclothing.co.uk

Website     Facebook     Twitter

“Run by humans not computers” is our motto behind everything we do over here at Monks Clothing.

With the internet being riddled with shops I (Amy) along with my business partner Michael decided it was time to get our customers to say ‘hello’ to a new way of shopping. Struggling to find an online store with a personalised experience was difficult so we decided to do it our own way and introduce a new way of shopping.

We encourage our customers to get in touch or visit our store in West Malling and truly believe that offering a premium, personalised service is key to our operations. Whether you get in touch by email, social media or phone there will always be a real person there to respond.

The recent launch of our store received a fantastic response and since opening, we have been extremely busy. We have beaten our predicted sales targets, introduced 2 new suppliers plus a range of footwear. Providing a personal service means we can really engage with our customers to find out what’s selling to bring them the products they truly want.

The special thing about our store is the personalised service we provide. The same personalised touch is implemented in every element of our business. The store was completely decorated and created by us. From welding a table base, sanding scaffolding boards and constructing a changing room. Every single element was created by us and we are so pleased with the outcome.

There have been some challenges along the way and by far my biggest challenge in starting a business has been my own mind and having the confidence to do it, everything else has actually been really easy and straight forward. We are looking forward to the future to expand, grow and create even more business opportunities.

Thanks for reading our story and we look forward to seeing you in our store soon.

Best Wishes,
Amy and Michael

Business Tip

“Seek every piece of help or guidance out there and do your market research! We spent 2 months doing our market research which has proven to be the most important part of our whole planning and we still think things would have been better if we had done even more!”

inside store

 

Bush Grub: Star Business of the Month – December 2013

Client: Ben BartlettBush Grub Mailchimp

Business: Bush Grub/Claws and Jaws

Description: Edible Bugs, Animal Education and parties.

Telephone: 07946034660

How to keep in touch with Bush Grub:

www.bush-grub.co.uk
Website   Facebook   Twitter

The idea for Bush Grub came about so I could offer a ‘unique treat’ of tasty edible insects to children at my animal experience parties run through Claws and Jaws.

In the first year I only had a limited range of stock and was only selling around 10 items per month. But after the first years trading, I found opportunities started knocking on Bush Grub’s door. But without time and money it was difficult to make the most of them. Cue…Gary Bartlett (my Dad) who could not see these opportunities wasted so joined me full time to provide Bush Grub with the investment and time it deserved.

One opportunity not to be missed was visiting the Brand Licensing Director at ITV who was thinking about how our products could work with the famous TV show – I’M A CELEBRITY…get me out of here! This really was the boost the business needed and that summer’s afternoon talking to ITV, was unforgettable and really did change everything.

Ben Bartlett Bush Grub

2012 saw a big leap in sales and with our newly licensed, branded and designed products (by Clockwork Moggy) in hand we were set on selling in as many shops as possible. This was a real learning curve and talk about jumping in at the deep end I found myself learning all about meeting deadlines, packaging requirements, distribution, cash flow and that’s just the start.

This year left us a little bemused after last year’s success. So it was time to plan, plan and plan some more ready for the I’m A Celebrity and Christmas season 2013 – an extremely busy period for us. Along with this we had some more great news from ITV with four products listed in the hugely successful Text Santa charity event which aims to raise thousands by the end of the year.

So where are we today? Tens of thousands of packets of bugs have been sold, we are in huge retailers such as Menkind, Hawkins Bazaar, Littlewoods, Woolworths plus many more independent sweet shops and this has got us some fantastic national press coverage!

So whats the plan for the future? Well we would like insects to not only be a novelty food item, we would like them to be a part of the sustainable staple diet. So we are working hard alongside my scientific university dissertation to see insects introduced as a future food in the western world. Of course we also plan to continue sales of our great flavoured bugs and lolly pops!

If you dare – try them for yourself!

Business Tip:

“Be dedicated and persevere, nothing happens overnight unless YOU make it happen! Remember you are the boss, if you do nothing, then you get nothing from the business.”

Bug Lollies

 

DigitalBeans: Star Business of the Month – September 2013

Digital Beans Search and Social Marketing

Piperis Filippaios – Managing Director at DigitalBeans specialises in Digital Marketing with a strong focus on Search Engine Optimisation. The business which was originally called uTargeting was founded when he was just 22 and he has been working hard at it ever since. A very creative and hardworking individual showing true entrepreneurial spirit with his resilience to face any business challenge.

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DigitalBeans was developed in response to supporting companies to grow their business online. Traditionally it started out with small companies and sole traders but the company is now increasingly serving larger clients ranging from manufacturers to shopping centres. The company’s success was recognised in the 2013 Kent Excellence in Business Awards receiving the status of Finalist in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category. The company is evolving and always takes into consideration any changing trends and adapting their services to meet these needs.

There is plenty of ambition with both DigitalBeans and Piperis. The aim for the company is to grow the business and size of the team, alongside growing other ventures Piperis is already involved with. Piperis hopes to be able to maintain this momentum and grow the number of companies he is involved with over the coming years.

Business Tip:

“Take the plunge and create your own future”

Website     Facebook    Twitter

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Electric Lantern – Motion Picture Festival

electric-lanterns-festival-rectangle-720Client: Samuel Marlow – sam@electriclanternfestival.co.uk

Business: Electric Lantern Motion Picture Festival

Description: Now in its third year, The Electric Lantern Festival is a week-long international film festival in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, at the start of September 2013.

Telephone: 07599 716453

Website: www.electriclanternfestival.co.uk/schedule.html

Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs supported this event in it’s infancy and are now pleased to announce it’s growth and success. Read on to find out more and join in… 

The Electric Lantern Festival, Tunbridge Wells’ International Film Festival has doubled the number of days it runs to cope with the volume and quality of submissions.

The director of Tunbridge Wells’ Electric Lantern International Film  Festival, Samuel Marlow, announced that he was doubling the duration of the event to cope with the volume and quality of films the Festival has received this year.

Running for a week at the start of September in Tunbridge Wells’ Trinity Theatre, the Electric Lantern International Film Festival screens feature length and short drama, comedy, documentary, animation, music video and experimental film from local, national and international directors. This year the sponsor-funded festival is  screening 63 films from 18 countries including the USA, Iran, Brazil, Cambodia, India and the Slovak Republic, with other films coming from people almost literally a stone’s throw from the venue.

Originally three days long, Samuel Marlow decided to expand the Festival to a week once the quality of the films being submitted became apparent: “You know something special is happening when you start watching another excellent film and your heart sinks because  you’re thinking ‘Oh, no. I’ve got to find space for this one, too!'”Despite the extra days and the addition of a second screen, the Festival is still only able to screen about a quarter of what was submitted.

“It was exceptionally difficult to make the selection,” Sam  continued. “I had to whittle the films down favouring premieres, films with a strong voice or unusual angle.” The Festival’s line-up boasts 41 world and UK premieres, and closes with “Traveller” starring David Essex and newcomer Billy Cook in an adaptation of John F McDonald’s novel.

The Festival’s full schedule can be found at: www.electriclanternfestival.co.uk/schedule.htmlsamuel-marlow-electric-lantern-festival-rectangle-721

Tunbridge Wells resident Samuel Marlow founded the Electric Lantern Festival in 2011 to bring some of the best in independent films to his home town.

Business Tip

“The Festival’s strap-line is See The World In A New Light, and I feel we really stayed true to that. Whether it’s a documentary about caring for elderly zoo animals or floating schools in Bangladesh, a film about a plastic toy diver having an existential crisis or a drama about which of two communities you belong to, every film is surprising, enlightening of inspirational.”

This Art Of Mine – Create something to be proud of!

gemma-blacker-this-art-of-mine-rectangle-549Client: Gemma Blacker

Business: This Art Of Mine

Description: A friendly arts and craft studio set in the Kent countryside. All ages and abilities welcome.

Telephone: 01622 735 312

Website: http://www.thisartofmine.co.uk/index.html

How was This Art of Mine launched?

This Art of Mine was launched in 2010. The start up costs were funded by personal loans from myself and my other business owner Kate. We put in a lot of hard work to get it up and running, visiting many suppliers, designing a website, numerous trips to Ikea and buying our first lot of stock. After two months of planning the doors were open for business.

What is This Art of Mine?this-art-of-mine-studio-rectangle-609

This Art of Mine is an arts and crafts studio where customers can attend craft workshops, art lessons and courses. Teaching all the workshops and courses is an expert team of staff and for that extra sparkle the occasional guest tutor. The main crafts on offer are ceramic painting, jewellery making, sewing, knitting, t-shirt, bag designing and watercolour. The studio is inspiration in itself residing in a beautiful converted barn in the heart of the Kent countryside. The fantastic scenery and relaxing atmosphere come at no extra cost.

Are you creative yourself?

Yes I’ve always loved doing arty crafty things and I’m so lucky that I can now do a job I love full time.

this-art-of-mine-child-class-rectangle-611Where do you see your business in the future?

I would like the studio to be one of the top tourist destinations in Kent with the studio to be renowned for it’s teaching. Anyone then wishing to improve their art and craft skills would immediately think of This Art Of Mine.

Pigs with Personality? Find out more…

What support have you received?

Gemma is linked with a Business Mentor and said “My Mentor has been really great. Although we are very busy, we catch up on a regular basis to evaluate how things are going and to set some future actions.”  Developing a marketing strategy involved Gemma spending time in her Mentor’s own company, shadowing the sales team helped her to understand different elements of business.

kent-foundation-interreg-content_large-444

The NETFORCE 2 mentoring project was selected as part of the France (Channel)-England cross border European cooperation programme INTERREG IVA co-financed by ERDF. This project was launched in January 2011 and ran until September 2013 in Kent and the Upper Normandy region. It gave the opportunity to test new tools to support the entrepreneur in their journey to create a new or take over an existing business.

Business Tipthis-art-of-mine-craft-class-rectangle-610

Keep on top of your admin and remember to take a break from the business once in a while so that you can reflect on where it’s going and come back with loads of exciting ideas to take it forward.

Stepping Stones Success!

kent-foundation-emma-whittal-kei-winner-2012-rectangle-563Client: Emma Whittall

Business: Stepping Stones Studio

Description: A community arts centre to showcase emerging local talent

Telephone: 07787 470495

Website: www.steppingstonestudios.co.uk/

Emma Whitall Founder and Managing Director at Stepping Stone Studios, graduated from Cambridge University and the University for the Creative Arts.

Emma was introduced to the Kent Foundation via contact with one of our Trustees & Chairman of Kent County Council. In order to help develop her ideas, she accessed the Mentoring Service to help her develop a business plan for Stepping Stones Studio. Emma subsequently entered the Kent Entrepreneurs Initiative (KEI) and went on to win. In return she received a package of free support from a range of business experts from across Kent.

Why did you decide to launch your own business?

I wanted to create an artistic studio in Maidstone which aims to reflect the ethos of the community I am working with in new and interesting ways.  I want to realise and develop innovative ideas with profitable and original results.    I just love collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds, utilising my own skills but also honing the interests of others to achieve maximum success.

Stepping Stones Studio is a community interest company and I am passionate about promoting aspiring and established artists in Kent. 

What support have you received?

Stepping Stones Studio is a self-designed arts initiative and received initial sponsorship and funding by Kent County Council.

Emma entered Kent Foundation’s 2012 KEI-Business Challenge and as the winner received a package of support from Kent Foundation’s business partners, including accountancy support from Wilkins Kennedy

Emma is linked with a Business Mentor and said “The Kent Foundation has been a great help and my mentor, Rob Bird, has been brilliant”

“For a young entrepreneur making your idea a reality is the first big step. Writing a business model that works is one thing- putting it into action is another. Kent Foundation helped me put my business idea into a real-life context, helping me make it a reality by giving me a business mentor with real experience, real connections, and real encouragement.”

What do you hope to achieve in business? 

I want to encourage and enable visual artists by providing, affordable studio space, cafe, gallery and shop.  In five years I hope the studio will have become a real artist hub, with tourists coming in, lots of events, open mic nights and art at its core.

kent-foundation-interreg-content_large-444

The NETFORCE 2 project was selected as part of the France (Channel)-England cross border European cooperation programme INTERREG IVA co-financed by ERDF. This project was launched in January 2011 and ran until September 2013 in Kent and the Upper Normandy region. It gave the opportunity to test new tools to support the entrepreneur in his journey to create a new or take over an existing business.