In this episode we hear from Ben Watkiss, co-founder of British backpack and holdall brand Stubble & Co. Founded in March 2017 with his wife Victoria,  Stubble & Co blends functionality and performance to create durable bags that are perfect for any occasion. 

Following a consultancy career of over 10 years, it was on a holiday in the Philippines that Ben and Victoria decided it was time to follow their passion and build a brand of their own. Having been consistently let down by bags whilst travelling the world with work and personal adventures, they saw a gap in the market for an aspirational yet affordable option that could be trusted and put customers first.

Ben shares with us his advice on why clearly defining your brand with a long-term view is so important and why going via the kickstarter route can be a great way to get going with your business. 

Ben's advice:

• Be sure there’s a market and a need for your product
• Be sure you can reach that market
• If you go the crowd funding route it’s very public, so:
• Be brave and get off to a good start
  • Make sure your product is as good as it possibly can be
  • Make sure the way you present the product is as clear as it can be
  • Reach as many people as you can, identify everyone possible to drive awareness
• If you have done as much as you can, then you can be proud of the outcome, whatever happens
• Having launched, be ready to make changes if necessary
• Always be open to feedback, your customers’ opinions  are crucial (Typeform is a useful tool which makes surveys user-friendly)
• Try to maintain personal contact with your customers
• If you’re thinking of starting, start - but start relatively small
• Always look hard at the data to drive efficiencies and improvements
• Follow your instincts
• You will never have enough time, but recruit people you can trust and look after them
• There will always be problems, but the successful companies are the ones which solve their problems effectively

If you’d like to hear more from Ben, you can reach him via [email protected]

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

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