25Celebrating - Shell LiveWIRE

25
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forEword
James Smith
CHAIRMAN – SHELL UK
This booklet introduces 25 Shell Livewires: former winners and finalists of the
annual Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Spanning three
decades, they are representative of the thousands of young people from across
the UK who, each year, turn good ideas into innovative businesses.
Shell created Livewire 25 years ago to encourage a spirit of entrepreneurship
across the UK that would create jobs and economic growth, while at the same time
encourage innovation in its own workforce. The programme has proven such a
success, it is now established in more than 20 countries around the world.
More than just a competition, Shell Livewire’s website provides advice, interactive
planning tools and access to a network of likeminded people. Each year more than
20,000 budding young entrepreneurs register for tailored business start-up packs,
and demand is growing.
The following pages tell inspiring stories that exemplify entrepreneurship. They are
both an important record of past achievement and, I hope, encouragement to future
entrepreneurs, whether in large organisations like Shell or in small businesses, to
innovate and turn dreams into success.
Thank you to all those who contributed and congratulations on your success.
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MEET THE LIVEWIRES
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1
Stewart Graham
Gael Force Marine
Scotland Winner 1984
2
Alan Hyde
Protoplas
N. Ireland Winner 1984
3
Nick Munro
Nick Munro Design
UK Winner 1988
4
Colin Rafferty
The Sofa Bed Factory Shop
UK Winner 1989
5
Debra O’Mahony
Etoile Embroidery Design
UK Finalist 1992
6
Andrew Donaldson
Active Supply and Design
UK Winner 1992
7
Gary McEwan
The Maitland Partnership
UK Winner 1993
8
Elizabeth Chantree
Juniper Berry
UK Finalist 1994
9
Paul Ephremsen & Paul Soanes
iD Live Brand Experience
London Runner-Up 1995
10
James Keay
Select-a-Skip
UK Finalist 1997
11
Ronan McNamara
McNamara Tours and Consultancy
UK Winner 1997
12
Victoria & Jennifer Frame
Victor J’s
UK Finalist 1998
13
Stephen Greenhorn
911 Rescue Recovery
UK Winner 1999
14
John Lawler
Madventurer Travel
UK Special Award Winner 2001
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15
Charlie Osmond & Caroline Plumb
FreshMinds
UK Runner-Up 2002
16
Simon Noble
Simon Noble Surfboards
UK Finalist 2002
17
Sufyan Ismail & Bashir Timol
1st Ethical
UK Runner-Up 2003
18
Michael Welch
Black Circles
UK Winner 2003
19
Neil Tierney & Neil Farish
Lightweight Medical
UK Winner 2004
20
Elin Davies & Kim Saxelby
Style Doctors
UK Finalist 2005
21
Stuart Ebdy
Online Print and Design
Scotland Finalist 2005
22
Jenny Irvine
Pure Package
UK Finalist 2005
23
James Murray-Wells
Glasses Direct
UK Winner 2005
24
Neil MacKay & Richard Starrett
Beautiful Vending
UK Finalist 2006
25
Natalie Connell & James Steward
Built From Scratch Design
UK Winner 2006
live w i r es
“Young people must have the courage to pursue their dreams,
after all, if you aim at nothing you will hit it!”
Stewart Graham
GAEL FORCE MARINE – INVERNESS, SCOTLAND
Set up in 1983 to make lobster creels, Gael Force Marine has evolved into a leading
marine equipment business with operations in the UK and Norway. The head office
remains in Inverness with a factory in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, and sales
and distribution based in Grimsby.
Stewart Graham’s original idea to start Gael Force Marine came about when he
was in further education, but he remains convinced good ideas are worth pursuing
whatever stage of life you’re in.
“Opportunities come along when you least expect them. Taking a decision to
pursue them can be one of the most rewarding decisions you can make. Individuals,
in particular young people, must have the courage to pursue their dreams, and
families, friends and society at large should fully commend and support them in
their endeavours – after all, if you aim at nothing you will hit it!”
Creels are still an important product to Gael Force Marine, but today the company
operates in three key business areas – the thriving UK leisure marine market,
the commercial fishing and marine sector, and the rapidly growing international
aquaculture markets. The company also has significant waterside property
development projects underway.
The business now generates £11 million in annual revenues and employs around
110 staff across the company’s three locations.
www.gaelforce.net
1984
live w i r es
“Being an entrepreneur means you are totally in control of your
economic destiny.”
Alan Hyde
PROTOPLAS – PORTADOWN, NORTHERN IRELAND
Back in 1984, Alan Hyde realised there was a growing use of new generation
plastics in many industries and believed there was a new business opportunity in
plastic repair with huge potential.
Alan developed new technology that allowed high quality, invisible repairs to
plastic parts, such as car bumpers, and then set up Protoplas as the company to
deliver that technology to market.
Between 1984 and 1996 the Protoplas technology, which was endorsed by many
of the world’s insurers, was transferred to hundreds of businesses under licence
around the world. Having taken the business to its full potential, Alan sold Protoplas,
and with his passion for motorsport and business, established Protosport, which is a
commercial motorsport entertainment business.
Protosport provides high-adrenalin, corporate team building and private
entertainment through many forms of motorsport, including rallying, buggy racing,
and quad biking. Protosport also promotes around eighteen rally events each year
for customers with privately owned rally cars and provides competitions for drivers
as young as 12 years of age.
www.protosport.co.uk
1984
live w i r es
Nick Munro
NICK MUNRO DESIGN – CHESTER, ENGLAND
Turning rusty old bedsprings into eggcups provided the inspiration for Nick Munro’s
product design business.
With a Masters degree in Industrial Design from the Royal College of Art, it
was natural for Nick to turn his talents to designing and developing innovative
new products.
Originally working from home with just three designs – the eggcup, napkin ring,
and toast rack – Nick gradually developed a broad range of items in metal, glass,
ceramics and wood, which sold in leading department stores around the world.
Today, Nick’s designs can be found in Harrods, Selfridges and Liberty of London,
with a wider portfolio of clients spanning the world from New York to Kuala
Lumpur. Recent years have seen the launch of “Nick Munro for John Lewis” and his
first commission to work on the interior of a ship when he was appointed as Design
Consultant for “Ventura” – the latest and largest addition to the P&O superliner fleet.
Thousands of Nick Munro products are manufactured each year and with a small,
focused team of two employees, the Nick Munro name is recognised throughout the
design world.
www.nickmunro.com
1988
live w i r es
Colin Rafferty
THE SOFA BED FACTORY SHOP – HARTLEPOOL, ENGLAND
At the age of 22 Colin Rafferty set up his own business manufacturing and
upholstering bedroom furniture. His business took off, expanded rapidly and within
6 months Colin received the 1989 Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Award, presented to him by Richard Branson at the UK final.
Until the mid-nineties, the business supplied headboards, beds and sofa beds
nationwide to trade customers. In 1995 Colin decided to extend and develop the
business premises to create The Sofa Bed Factory Shop, his first retail outlet, selling
his products directly to the public. Such was the success of this venture that within
three years Colin was able to open a second retail outlet – The Bed and Pine
Furniture Store – selling beds, hand-made furniture and unusual home accessories.
Colin now employs 20 staff and trades from 16,000 square-foot premises, which
incorporates The Cane Studio – featuring the largest selection of conservatory
furniture in the Teesside area.
In addition to the furniture business, Colin also has a property company, buying
derelict factory units and converting them into smaller work units. At present Colin
has 23 fully let units with a further nine under development. Most units are let to
new companies, with Colin always available to advise on any business matters.
www.sofabedfactoryshop.co.uk
1989
live w i r es
Debra O’Mahony
ETOILE EMBROIDERY DESIGN – LONDON, ENGLAND
Established in 1991 as a company offering a bespoke embroidery service to “top
end” designers in the diverse fields of fashion, theatre, TV and advertising, Debra
O’Mahony quickly built a reputation within the fashion textile industry.
Etoile Embroidery Design’s prestigious clientele includes Nicole Farhi, The Royal
Opera House, and Granada Television, and the occasional celebrity such as Mick
Jagger, Bjork and Caprice, who are all attracted to Debra’s personal service and
fine workmanship.
Debra is committed to supporting up-and-coming designers by providing work
placements for up to three months at a time, giving students an insight into business
operations and hands-on experience of the design world. She often delivers lectures
to design students advising them how to turn their passions and skills into a career,
and also works with the London Institute for the Arts, teaching business skills to
undergraduate students taking creative degrees.
Etoile Embroidery Design remains a small but specialist business employing two
core staff and the original team of outworkers. In recent years new commissions
have been received from Paramount Films and Dawn French among many others.
1992
live w i r es
“Being an entrepreneur is about having the freedom to make
decisions, take calculated risks and be the master of your destiny
– answerable to your customers only.”
Andrew Donaldson
ACTIVE SUPPLY AND DESIGN – CHESHIRE, ENGLAND
After seven years working in the storage equipment industry, Andrew Donaldson
found himself unemployed. Rather than hunting for another job, he created his own.
In 1991, Andrew started Active Supply and Design with just £2,000, focusing
initially on designing and supplying storage solutions for industrial premises.
After winning the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1992,
Andrew employed his first member of staff and the company went from strength to
strength. Within six years annual turnover reached £3 million and, looking for a
new challenge, Andrew sold half of his stake to a key employee.
The next challenge was diversification into self-storage fit-out and the operation of
his own chain of self-storage facilities. This was the catalyst that took his business to
a new level.
Since opening his first self-storage facility in 1999, Andrew has built up and floated
two multi-chain self-storage operations on the stock exchange. His latest venture, Big
Storage, has already raised £10 million of funding and opened four sites – all in
just 18 months.
Active Supply and Design, the original business, now has an annual turnover of
£9 million and is the UK’s market-leading self-storage fit-out company. The business
employs 15 permanent staff and up to 100 sub-contractors on site at any one time.
www.bigstorage.info
1992
live w i r es
“My life is not straightforward; it is a complex mixture of highs
and lows - an exciting cocktail of exhilaration and pride with a
touch of anxiety and stress thrown in. My life is not normal, not
boring, not routine, not 9 to 5. I never want to be anything other
than an entrepreneur.”
Gary McEwan
THE MAITLAND PARTNERSHIP – GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Entering the business world immediately after leaving school might suggest the
makings of a top entrepreneur, and Gary McEwan did not disappoint. In 1992 Gary
set up his first venture, “Associated Freight Training”, which he sold four years later
to complete his first major deal.
Associated Freight Training saw Gary pick up the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur
of the Year Award in 1993 and the following year the Shell Livewire Most
Significant Growth Award.
Following the sale of Associated Freight Training in 1996, Gary began operating
as a business adviser on behalf of the government regional development agency
Scottish Enterprise. This role developed into the formation of a “High Growth Team”
within Scottish Enterprise, meaning Gary’s skills were used to help others.
Now, through his own business development and support consultancies, The
Maitland Partnership and DHP Scotland, Gary and his team of 25 employees
work with over 300 start-up businesses across Scotland. Gary continues to advise
and mentor on numerous other economic regeneration projects for the private and
public sectors in the UK and overseas.
Gary’s awards are not limited to Livewire; in 2005 he also received the Queen’s
Award for Achievement in Enterprise Promotion.
www.maitlandpartnership.co.uk
1993
live w i r es
Elizabeth Chantree
JUNIPER BERRY – SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, ENGLAND
Elizabeth’s entrepreneurial prowess began in 1992 when she set up Juniper Berry,
a business that sold hand-made glassware to shops and art galleries across Britain.
For eight years Elizabeth successfully ran Juniper Berry while simultaneously
working on a solution to an age-old problem that has baffled women for years
– how to stop a ladder running in tights and stockings.
In 2000, Runaway Spray, Elizabeth’s innovative product that helps women prevent
further running in stockings and tights, was launched through her company JWPD
with global success. This global success led Elizabeth to be named one of the UK’s
top female inventors in February 2000 in an annual award ceremony run by the
Patent Office and Fair Play London.
Runaway Spray sold 100,000 units in its first year in the UK, Japan, France and
Germany. Today the product is sold in chains of shops, small independent websites
and gift catalogues.
Due to the success of the spray, Elizabeth ceased trading Juniper Berry to
concentrate on expanding JWPD. Today, the 35-year-old runs a wholesale business,
produces catalogues, and is involved in The Spanish Index, a listing website and
catalogue for people looking for services in Spain. The Spanish Index currently gets
over 200,000 hits per month.
Not forgetting her artistic routes, Elizabeth still continues to take commissions and
exhibit her artwork throughout the UK.
www.runawayspray.co.uk and www.chantree.co.uk
1994
live w i r es
Paul Ephremsen
& Paul Soanes
iD LIVE BRAND EXPERIENCE – LONDON, ENGLAND
A simple idea is very often the seed that allows a business to grow into something
far more complex and that is certainly the case for iD Live Brand Experience.
The provision of staff for promotions, in-store demonstrations and roadshows was
the seed, and now iD Live Brand Experience offers a full in-house service to create
memorable experiential marketing campaigns for their clients.
Paul Ephremsen and Paul Soanes met as business students. While working for
promotions agencies they realised consumer sampling presented a viable market
opportunity. With just £2,000 in the bank, a desk and one telephone, iD Live Brand
Experience was born.
13 years on and the iD Group has gone from an annual turnover of £70,000 to
a projected annual turnover of £15 million, with three businesses employing over
70 head office staff. In 2003, the company also won the Shell Livewire Significant
Progress Award.
The success of iD Live Brand Experience to date is obvious, they are the 2nd largest
experiential marketing agency in the UK and have clear aspirations to become the
UK’s leading agency in this sector.
www.idinfo.com
1995
live w i r es
“Being an entrepreneur allows me to put forward my own ideas
and be the decision maker. Yes of course I listen to others, but if I
really believe in something on my head be it!”
James Keay
SELECT-A-SKIP – SHREWSBURY, ENGLAND
The saying “One man’s rubbish is another man’s fortune” certainly applies to
businessman James Keay. In 1996 James, a business and marketing graduate, set
up Select-a-Skip to provide nationwide skip hire and waste disposal services.
Running the business from his bedroom with just a telephone, a borrowed computer
and a fax machine, Select-a-Skip took off and after only four months James moved
into a business office and took on his first employee.
Starting with a network of 700 sub-contractors, the business has solved waste
disposal problems for thousands of customers, from blue-chip companies and
national construction firms, to private individuals and even Coronation Street!
11 years on, and Select-a-Skip now has more than 2,000 local service centres,
30 employees, hires out on average 400 skips per day, and has an annual
turnover in excess of £13 million. All now managed from the company’s own
purpose-built offices.
Select-a-Skip is forecasting a continued growth, with a product range diversifying to
include steel storage containers, portable toilets, fencing, soil, and aggregates.
www.selectaskip.co.uk
1997
10
live w i r es
Ronan McNamara
MCNAMARA TOURS AND CONSULTANCY – LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND
After leaving university and spending a year working in Derry City Council’s tourism
department, Ronan McNamara understood just how important tourism would be to
Northern Ireland’s economic revival.
Inspired by his time at the council, Ronan set up McNamara Tours and Consultancy
in November 1995. McNamara Tours and Consultancy offers guided tours
throughout Northern Ireland and a complete ground-handling service for
International Tour Operators.
The company initially began as a one-man band, however, Ronan now employs up
to 30 seasonal staff each year.
Although the business is constantly evolving, the quality of service has remained at
the same high level that won Ronan the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the
Year Award in 1997. This is reflected in McNamara Tours’s success at the CIE Tours
Awards, where Ronan picked up the “Best Tour Feature for all Ireland Award” in
both 2004 and 2006.
www.citysightseeing.co.uk
1997
11
live w i r es
Victoria &
Jennifer Frame
VICTOR J’S – YORK, ENGLAND
Very often “eureka” moments come at the most unexpected times and in the most
unexpected places. For Jennifer Frame, it was the combination of a part-time job in
a coffee shop and regular meetings with her sister in the beautiful city of York that
sparked her business idea.
Studying at universities in Glasgow and Birmingham meant York was a convenient
halfway point for the two sisters to meet, catch up and share a coffee. They fell in
love with the city and decided it was the perfect place to launch their business idea.
With Jennifer’s experience of working in a coffee shop, and belief that her idea
would work, she teamed up with her sister, Victoria, to open the city’s first Arts Café,
Victor J’s in 1997. Ten years on, the business has grown to employ 10 staff with an
annual turnover in excess of £350,000.
Recent developments for Victor J’s include the purchase of their premises, extending
and redeveloping the upstairs to offer a second bar and dining area, and the future
looks bright.
If you are visiting York or just passing through, do drop in for a coffee and find out
more about Victor J’s monthly art exhibitions.
1998
12
live w i r es
“Being a hungry entrepreneur helps keep me a livewire.
In business I enjoy the challenges and hurdles I face every day,
which gives me the highs and lows. It’s the way to enjoy a better life.”
Stephen Greenhorn
911 RESCUE RECOVERY – GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Learning industry skills and expertise is a classic route into running your own
business and that is exactly the road Stephen Greenhorn took.
Starting out as a mechanic and then moving into the vehicle recovery business
provided Stephen with the vision for a 24-hour breakdown recovery and rescue
service that would become a familiar sight on the roads across central Scotland.
Stephen started his business in 1998 with “no money” and, through a process
of buying and selling trucks, expanded the business. 911 Rescue Recovery now
employs 25 staff, has premises big enough to house 300 cars, and has 20 recovery
trucks responding to around 14,000 call-outs each year. The company recently
achieved an annual turnover of over £1 million for the first time, and expects to
exceed that figure this year.
Customers include some of the biggest names in the business, including The AA,
The RAC and Strathclyde Police. The company is continually expanding, recently
extending operations on the west coast of Scotland.
1999
13
live w i r es
John Lawler
MADVENTURER TRAVEL – NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND
When John Lawler set up his business in January 2000, he never expected that
he would return to the village where he gained his entrepreneurial inspiration to
perform his annual Tribal Chief duties!
After spending a gap year in Ghana, helping to build a secondary school, John
was made a Chief by the local villagers.
Bolstered by his experience he decided to give other gap year students the
opportunity to take part in development projects and adventure travel, and therefore
set up Madventurer Travel with business partner Luke Charles in 2000.
The dynamic duo went on to win the Shell Livewire Sustainable Development
Award in 2001. Luke left the company shortly afterwards to become a chartered
accountant and now manages John’s books each month.
The company has grown 100% year-on-year, leveling off in 2007 and has helped
complete over 200 projects, including building schools in Kenya and coaching
rugby in Fiji. Madventurer employs six full-time staff in the UK and two in Ghana
with an additional 10 to 30 seasonal crew worldwide.
A huge new range of “Madventures” will be launched in September 2007.
www.madventurer.com
2001
14
live w i r es
“Entrepreneurship is hard to beat. The excitement of spotting an
opportunity, building a team and working to create a business is
wonderfully invigorating.”
Charlie Osmond
& Caroline Plumb
FRESHMINDS – LONDON, ENGLAND
Founded by Charlie Osmond and Caroline Plumb in 2000, FreshMinds is an
award-winning research and recruitment consultancy.
The principle of flexible working is at the heart of the company: FreshMinds has
built a team of over 16,000 “Minds”, a network of the sharpest individuals in
Europe, who work with the company’s two divisions, FreshMinds Research and
FreshMinds Talent.
Within FreshMinds Research, Minds work alongside research managers to help bluechip companies and public sector organisations, such as HSBC, The Treasury and
Starbucks, to analyse their customers, competitors and markets. FreshMinds Talent
draws on the Mind pool to fulfil clients’ short and long-term resourcing needs by
providing candidates ranging from fresh graduates to highly experienced executives.
The firm’s fresh approach to research and recruitment has defined them as one
of the most innovative businesses of their age. In 2006, FreshMinds was named
“Agency of the Year” and picked the title of “Innovative Employer” at the Market
Research Society’s annual awards.
Seven years after founding FreshMinds, Charlie and Caroline have made their
mark as two of the UK’s most exciting young entrepreneurs. They are both
regularly engaged in speaking to aspiring entrepreneurs and are recognised
as key commentators on issues affecting entrepreneurs and the research and
recruitment industries.
www.freshminds.co.uk
2002
15
live w i r es
Simon Noble
SIMON NOBLE SURFBOARDS – PEMBROKESHIRE, ENGLAND
Turning a passion into a thriving enterprise is something that most people dream of,
and that is exactly what Simon Noble has done.
Simon decided at the age of 24 that shaping his own brand of surfboards was his
new calling. Having spotted a gap in the Welsh market, and in order to fulfill his
dream of becoming his own boss, he set up Simon Noble Surfboards, and enjoys
the balance of work and an outdoor lifestyle.
Simon Noble Surfboards creates custom-made surfboards that are individually
shaped to his own designs. Constant research and design makes sure the business
and the boards are continually evolving.
Simon’s boards retail between £300 and £500 and are designed primarily for the
UK surf, and always for the individual. As surfing is now a popular national sport,
Simon, who was a Shell Livewire finalist in 2002, attracts clients from all over the
UK and inquiries worldwide.
Since establishing the business, Simon, has won multiple business awards and
gained an international reputation for his knowledge and his product. His attention
to detail, quality and unique production technique, keeps the business highly
competitive within the industry.
Simon is working on a number of offspring projects to take the business into
the future.
www.snsboards.co.uk
2002
16
live w i r es
Sufyan Ismail
& Bashir Timol
1ST ETHICAL – BOLTON, ENGLAND
Developing a viable, ethically-based alternative to tax planning and investments is
what marks this business out from the crowd.
“1st Ethical” is the UK’s first ever firm of tax planners and financial advisers catering
exclusively for the Muslim community.
Many Muslims are reluctant to access basic financial services because Islamic
principles prohibit the giving and receiving of interest monies, which are a standard
feature of most investments. Many conventional legal products, such as preparing a
Will, are also problematic because Islamic principles require assets to be distributed
in a predetermined manner on death.
The business started when Sufyan Ismail came up with the concept while working
for a national accountancy firm. Bashir Timol joined Sufyan from another top UK
firm and 1st Ethical was born.
1st Ethical has developed a range of tax mitigation solutions, ranging from Trusts
and Pensions, to Wills and Inheritance Tax planning, which work in harmony with
the Islamic faith, while also compliant with UK law.
The company has enjoyed exponential growth since incorporation in November
2001, and now has a nationwide team of 25 employees, with an annual turnover
exceeding £4 million.
www.1stethical.co.uk
2003
17
live w i r es
“Remember: one man’s mission is another man’s sacrifice.
Be the best, but look after others as you can’t make it to the
top on your own.”
Michael Welch
BLACK CIRCLES – PEEBLES, SCOTLAND
Chasing customers in an established and mature market is a big challenge for
anyone, but Michael Welch was not deterred.
Michael’s entrepreneurial guile first raised its head when he started as a tyre
fitter at the age of 16. Soon he began studying for an honours degree in
business administration, and started running a mail order tyre business to earn
some extra income.
Now, using Black Circles’ award-winning website, or by contacting its call centre,
customers can access a cross-country network of 900 independent tyre fitting
businesses. Only two years after trading began, Black Circles’s annual turnover hit
£600,000 and the company now boasts annual revenues of £10 million. With over
150,000 registered customers, Black Circles now employs 20 staff and indirectly
supports thousands of tyre fitters employed across the UK. The company also
supplies a valuable fleet car supply service.
Black Circles continues to expand, signing supply contracts with The RAC and Marsh
Insurance, and has affiliate arrangements with AirMiles.
As well as the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur Award, Michael has picked up
numerous other awards along the way, such as Ernst and Young’s Emerging
Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2005, top ten in HSBC’s “Start Up Stars” awards
in 2003, and Scottish Enterprise’s “Winners at the Web” Winner in 2003.
www.blackcircles.com
2003
18
live w i r es
“It’s about working hard, knowing that you are working towards
something really special – while of course enjoying yourself as
much as possible along the way!” Neil Farish
Neil Tierney
& Neil Farish
LIGHTWEIGHT MEDICAL – GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Using the classic business strategy of identifying the need for a product and then
delivering it is the foundation of Lightweight Medical’s business. This approach
has resulted in the creation of one of the country’s most exciting ‘problem-led’
design companies.
Designing medical equipment for the newborn baby market has been the focus of
the business to date and has resulted in the production of three key products: The
neo-restraint© - the first viable transport incubator restraint, the neo-therm© - a mass
market conductive heating system for critical care newborns, and the award-winning
neo-capsul© - a mass market transport enclosure for low-dependency newborns.
The two Neils hit on their business idea while studying Product Design Engineering.
Following interviews with clinicians, they discovered the need for improvements in
neo-natal care equipment. The business started in May 2003 and now employs
eight permanent staff. Recently the business has moved into its own offices and
design studios in Glasgow and continues to operate its satellite office in London.
The company’s ambitions haven’t stopped at Lightweight Medical. A sister design
organisation called “Element 06” has been created to focus on sustainable
product design.
www.lightweight-medical.co.uk
2004
19
live w i r es
Elin Davies
& Kim Saxelby
STYLE DOCTORS – ANGLESEY, WALES
Providing a service normally associated with celebrities to the general public was
the aim of Elin Davies and Kim Saxelby – Wales’s answer to Trinny and Susannah.
The two fashion experts set up Style Doctors in 2003 and have provided hundreds
of women with a unique, affordable personal shopping service. Although Kim
left the business in 2006 to undertake different projects she still works with Style
Doctors from time to time.
No matter if their client has no time to shop or lacks confidence while browsing
the racks, the Style Doctors (now with stylists all over the UK) provide a bespoke
experience that instills increased self-esteem and highlights how to follow the trends
without breaking the bank.
The Style Doctors will travel anywhere in the UK to meet clients and will accompany
them on a shopping spree to a city of their choice. As they have no allegiance
to any store or brand, their clients know they are getting exactly what they need
regardless of the label.
Since being finalists in the 2005 Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year
awards, The Style Doctors have gone on to record two make-over series for ITV,
worked with top high street brands such as Avon, George and TK Maxx, and have
a regular problem page in a glossy magazine.
www.styledoctors.com
2005
20
live w i r es
“I get the personal reward of putting my ideas into action and
developing them, as well as offering enjoyable employment to
the great team I have around me.”
Stuart Ebdy
ONLINE PRINT AND DESIGN – ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND
Constantly on the lookout to help progress entrepreneurial spirit, not just in
himself but also in others, Stuart Ebdy has continually strived to grow his own
business portfolio while helping other young entrepreneurs.
In 2005 Stuart picked up the North East Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the
Year Award for his first company, White Spark Promotions, which was set up in
September 2004.
Stuart now runs Online Print and Design, which provides businesses with top quality
print and design work and gives them access to an innovative online design service
that allows them to either upload their own artwork or design their own stationery.
Online Print and Design has been a phenomenal success and employs five full-time
and two part-time staff. The company also has 25 agents based throughout the UK
who run their own websites, but process all orders through the parent company.
As the Managing Director of four companies, the future is bright for Stuart. The
25-year-old not only hopes to evolve his business portfolio further, he also wants
to use his knowledge to help other young entrepreneurs with good ideas to get a
foothold into the marketplace by investing in their ideas.
www.onlineprintanddesign.com
2005
21
live w i r es
“My business is a source of great pride and gives me a chance to
put a positive mark on the world. I get great satisfaction from all
the individuals whose lives have been made better because
of my company.”
Jenny Irvine
PURE PACKAGE – LONDON, ENGLAND
Finding time in a hectic schedule to source, prepare and eat healthy food is
never easy and that is exactly why Jenny Irvine’s innovative business has been such
a hit.
Set up in 2004, The Pure Package provides models, actors and members of
the general public who do not have time to cook with the perfect solution –
nutritious meals created by top chefs comprising breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
delivered to your door every morning.
Every menu is created to meet each customer’s daily dietary requirements no matter
if the goal is to lose weight after having a baby or simply to give more energy
throughout the day.
The company has more than doubled in size since 2005 and has moved out of
Jenny’s kitchen into premises in New Covent Garden, the country’s biggest fruit and
vegetable market where her chefs can source the freshest produce every day.
Inspiration for the company, which now employs 12 staff, was simple – it was a
service Jenny would use herself. Jenny won the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of
the Year Award for London in 2005.
Jenny aims to continue to tap into the enormous potential client base that exists in
London and throughout the UK with the ultimate goal being to produce consumer
branded goods once The Pure Package name becomes even more recognisable.
www.purepackage.com
2005
22
live w i r es
“Entrepreneurs are wired in a different way – where others
wonder why, I wonder why not.”
James Murray-Wells
GLASSES DIRECT – WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND
When James Murray-Wells needed a new pair of reading glasses during his final
year of university he was taken aback at the £150 price tag.
Convinced there was a cheaper way, he looked into how much it would actually
cost to make a pair of spectacles and was amazed to discover it was only between
£3 and £7!
The young entrepreneur decided it was time to put the customer first and shake up
the prescription eyewear market by providing high quality, custom-made glasses
from as low as £15. With this business concept James significantly undercut high
street prices, often by as much as 50%.
With no formal business training and at just 21, James started Glasses Direct from a
room in his parents’ home. The company started trading in July 2004 and is based
on the concept of putting the needs of the consumer first, allowing them direct
contact with the dispensing laboratory.
James, who was named Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005,
now sells a pair of prescription glasses every seven minutes and his company is the
biggest direct retailer of glasses in the world. It has a multi-million pound annual
turnover with projected sales of over £10 million by 2008. To date, Glasses Direct
has saved the UK public over £15 million.
www.glassesdirect.co.uk
2005
23
live w i r es
“Knowing that the success is directly dependant on the effort I put
in is what gets me out of bed every morning.” Neil MacKay
Neil MacKay
& Richard Starrett
BEAUTIFUL VENDING – EAST KILBRIDE, SCOTLAND
Hearing women complaining about frizzy hair is not the most obvious trigger for a
new business but it was for Neil MacKay and Richard Starrett.
The two innovators, who met while studying at Strathclyde University in Glasgow,
came up with their “Straight Up Machine” to help women quickly straighten their
hair on arrival at any public location.
Distributed by their company Beautiful Vending, there are now 800 hair
straightening vending machines available nationally in nightclubs, bars, gyms,
shopping centres, and really anywhere where there are, well, ladies!
Since winning the Scotland Final of the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of
the Year awards only last year, Beautiful Vending’s international profile has
escalated, resulting in the appointment of distributors in South Africa, Canada,
the US, Holland, Spain, South America and Australia. The company has doubled
production levels to 40 machines per week, more than doubled staff levels and is
now operating from large premises in East Kilbride. Turnover is expected to triple
this year with anticipated revenues in excess of £1.5 million.
The Straight Up Machine has already been featured on ITV’s This Morning,
Radio1’s Colin and Edith Show, and Radio1’s Newsbeat, and in Heat and Grazia
magazines. The company has also had press coverage in Ireland, Mexico, Brazil
and America.
www.beautifulvending.co.uk
2006
24
live w i r es
“The key is to find your passion and make it your profession.”
Natalie Connell
Natalie Connell
& James Steward
BUILT FROM SCRATCH DESIGN – LONDON, ENGLAND
Built From Scratch Design was set up by James Steward and Natalie Connell to offer
a range of design services and to launch Cyclepods - an innovative cycle storage
product that was originally designed by James at university.
After the company was set up in 2005, Cyclepods was turned from concept to
product in just two months and since then has sparked huge interest with around
100 units being sold to clients that include Pepsi, Reebok, Marks and Spencer, Ford,
IKEA and the BBC.
Not only does the Cyclepods range encourage sustainability and healthyliving through design, but the products are also innovative, extremely robust,
space saving, highly secure, easy to use, low maintenance and offer branding
opportunities to the companies that install them.
Since winning the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2006,
James and Natalie have set up Cyclepods as a separate limited company and
gained investment of £230,000. They have recently moved to larger premises
where they can now store their own stock and also have the capacity to expand.
Cyclepods now has partners in Scandinavia and Holland as well as partners
throughout the UK. Cyclepods are being sold worldwide to clients such as Brisbane
City Council and the company is hoping to introduce Cyclepods to America by the
end of the year.
www.builtfromscratch-design.co.uk and www.cyclepods.co.uk
2006
25
SHELL LIVEWIRE
The Shell Livewire programme is run by a small team of professionals, dedicated to
supporting and promoting young people who want to start or develop a business.
Shell Livewire
Alison Robson
Executive Director Awards
Stuart Anderson Executive Director Marketing
Janet Beecher
Marketing and Awards Executive
Julia Phillips
Marketing and Awards Executive
Maria Holmes
Marketing Administrator
Emma Canham
Awards Administrator
Shell Livewire
Design Works, Unit 15
William Street
Felling
Gateshead
NE10 0JP
T: 0191 423 6229
www.shell-livewire.org
26
Shell VMS (London) 56878 05/07
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