How To Start Up by FF&M

Welcome to How To Start Up, the podcast for anyone looking to start & scale their own business. I'm Juliet Fallowfield & today we’re discussing viral marketing with Lucie Macleod, founder of the TikTok sensation, Hair Syrup. Founded in 2020 with no prior entrepreneurial experience, Lucie combined her understanding of consumer behavior with social media creativity, to turn a handmade hair oil into THE beauty must-have with over 350,000 engaged TikTok followers & rapid, 1,000% year-on-year growth.  After an appearance on BBC Dragon’s Den, the brand is now on track to hit £6.5 million in revenue by 2026. To hear our next guest’s answer to Lucie’s question at the end of this ep, just click follow in your podcast directory of choice & you’ll receive a notification from us when it is ready for you to listen.  Lucie's advice: * Don’t invest hugely to begin with; start cautiously * Don’t build on ‘pinterest appeal’ with pretty packaging; functionality is what counts * Believe in your product * Stick at it when things get difficult; be dogged * Tiktok can be good if you strike lucky * Be very careful spending on advertising as you can lose a lot of money if you’re badly advised * Also be very careful about the people you surround yourself with; if you wouldn’t be happy with a particular person being in your house, then don’t employ them in your business * Trust trumps skill * Learn to step away from your business and fully relax FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason [https://www.fallowfieldmason.com/].  Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason.  FF&M recommends:  * LastPass [https://lastpass.wo8g.net/AzkdN] the password-keeping site that syncs between devices. * Google Workspace [https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-100234523-14343091]is brilliant for small businesses * Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1251284] * Canva [https://partner.canva.com/WjQeJ] has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3787-funk-game-loop%20%20] &  Licence [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/] Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1288742/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1288742/support] Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1288742/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1288742/support]

Building a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand offers an incredible opportunity to connect with customers and foster long-term brand loyalty. But while the rewards can be significant, so too are the challenges and barriers to entry. That’s why I wanted to speak with someone who has successfully navigated this journey for our season focus on sales. From modest beginnings in a Shoreditch coffee shop in 2011, David Abrahamovitch [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidabrahamovitch] has built Grind [https://grind.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOoqw7lgg0o_GYmO9OBi2DC9aVni1Q8jBgplWsDsmRvbEGdlHlctH] into one of the UK’s leading DTC coffee brands. Having built a hugely loyal customer base, it’s estimated a Grind coffee is enjoyed every 2.8 seconds in the UK. David’s business has also grown through partnerships with the likes of British Airways & Soho House.  Keep listening to hear David’s advice on how to build a DTC brand & how to leverage community-building to generate sales.  David’s advice: 1. Accept that everything is sales; sell to yourself constantly 2. With every small sale you are building a following and a brand 3. Pitching your product should not worry you; you know more than anyone else about it, so you have nothing to fear 4. Always know your numbers; but also tell the story of the history of the brand, and your plans for its future 5. Be optimistic - but not delusional! 6. DTC is more work in that you have to have a website / attract people to that website / and  deal with the packaging and the posting 7. Whereas  selling through a retailer you only need to advertise the product 8. BUT DTC gives you access to customers’ data and allows you to build a relationship with them 9. So selling through both the above is perhaps optimal 10. Advertising is essential for DTC selling - Facebook / Instagram / email / tube car panels are all useful; expect to spend up to 30% of revenue on marketing which will be a constant burden 11. Retaining customers is everything; the product must be a good one 12. If customers unsubscribe, find out why so that you can fix the problem 13. Use AI to help with small repetitive edits, not to replace people, just to speed up what they do 14. In order to attract young talent, create a culture that they will understand and like; always be thoughtful with your team and make sure they understand their job, their position and the company mission FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason [https://www.fallowfieldmason.com/].  Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason.  FF&M recommends:  * Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1251284] * Canva [https://partner.canva.com/WjQeJ] has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3787-funk-game-loop%20%20] &  Licence [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/] Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1288742/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1288742/support] Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1288742/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1288742/support]

PWC [https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2024/pwc-2024-voice-of-consumer-survey.html#:~:text=Consumers%20are%20increasingly%20prioritising%20sustainability,%2Dliving%20concerns%2C%20among%20others.] reports that over 80% of consumers are willing to pay higher prices for sustainably produced goods so environmental responsibility is clearly a lucrative business as well as being the right thing to do.  Laura Harnett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-harnett/?originalSubdomain=uk] is the Founder of Seep [https://theseepcompany.com/], the only B Corp-certified, plastic-free cleaning tool brand in Europe. Having raised a £50,000 Dragons’ Den investment from Trinny Woodall & Deborah Meaden, Laura & her team are on a mission to stop 1 billion plastic cleaning tools from entering landfill by 2030.   Keep listening to hear Laura’s advice on learning how to sell as a first-time founder & how to make your sales process as sustainable as possible.  Laura's advice: * As a challenger brand, having spotted a gap in the market you will need to ensure you are confident about your supply chain, packaging, etc. before you approach retailers * Selling direct to customers via a website is a great way to gain approval / test - and perfect - your product / do some market research  * When iterating products, try them out with your direct customers * The evidence of your DTC sales enables you to approach big retailers with confidence * Target your marketing emails carefully and thoughtfully * Persevere with this; it can take time * Facebook and Instagram ads are helpful * You will find other founders provide you with advice and support FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason [https://www.fallowfieldmason.com/].  Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason.  FF&M recommends:  * LastPass [https://lastpass.wo8g.net/AzkdN] the password-keeping site that syncs between devices. * Google Workspace [https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-100234523-14343091]is brilliant for small businesses * Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1251284] * Canva [https://partner.canva.com/WjQeJ] has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3787-funk-game-loop%20%20] &  Licence [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/] Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1288742/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1288742/support]

Starting a business is a huge effort, but scaling it to new heights takes a great deal of skill. So, I wanted to hear from a serial founder who has not only grown and scaled a multi-million-pound business, but also decided to start from scratch and do it again. Guy Blaskey [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/guyblaskey] founded healthy pet food business Pooch & Mutt [https://www.poochandmutt.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOoqA7LgKLMyg5W0Ej6wHAetDmjy8yogtrNsqwLah4TLk0xZmO1OI] in 2007. Having scaled it to £30 million in sales, he sold the business in 2023 for £11.5 million. Since then, Guy has founded Detrash [https://detrash.com/?srsltid=AfmBOormlR9GCWikH_fU15y-p_Fp1l7QObz0xw-zqXIdbPL_dcmCcfmj] to upcycle waste products into high quality watches.   Keep listening to hear Guy’s advice on what he learnt about a sales strategy, selling a business & why laying the operational foundations is one of the most important things you can do.  Guy’s advice:  * Think about how you can do things differently * Don’t spend too long on your business plan; get going and make a plan afterwards * If you need a retailer, remember it’s less about the product (and less about you) and more about what makes your buyer’s life easy: filling a gap in their range, price point etc.  Think about them * Always think about your customer and how you can help them achieve a result * It takes time and rigour - and some failures - to get everything right and become a strong business * You need a strong understanding of the finances; it’s not just about the brand * Budget properly; predict sales and follow through * Don’t overfund early on; if you start small you can track the money and see what works and what doesn’t * Produce the product and get going with a small budget before considering looking for VC * Marketing and distribution channels are quite as important as the product * Work on your business rather than in your business; in other words, delegate the knowables FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2025 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason [https://www.fallowfieldmason.com/].  Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. FF&M recommends:   Buzzsprout [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1251284] for directory listing Zencastr [https://zencastr.com/?via=juliet] for recording remotely  MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3787-funk-game-loop%20%20] &  Licence [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/] Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1288742/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1288742/support]

When it comes to bringing a product to market, there are lots of aspects to consider before it reaches the shelves.  To learn more, I wanted to hear from someone who has successfully launched products to market. Kinga Wilewska [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kingawilewska/] is the Founder & CEO of MUJO [https://mujo.life/?srsltid=AfmBOoqR82XSxNfyHS-34G-yucaKdSVA0ZROzqphPmuwdVmNmauNQ2St], the adaptogenic coffee alternative packed with vital nutrients. Having watched her dad lose his fight against cancer, Kinga developed a keen interest in adaptogens & set out to bring truly transformational products to market.  Keep listening to hear Kinga’s advice on sourcing feedback on your products & how to begin making sales.  Kinga's advice: * Always pay attention to costs * Spend time sourcing ingredients carefully * Research your market thoroughly and understand where the gaps are * Speak to strangers about what propels them to buy / what are their priorities / what packaging appeals to them * Pay continual attention to feedback * Communicate with your buyers; see your product as a service for them * Refine your pitch and your website to suit your market * Your brand needs to inspire trust and exude authority * Always put quality over quantity * Believe absolutely in your product yourself * Be disciplined and honest with yourself (eg when you need help) * Use Facebook to advertise - rather than use an agency (this can minimise spend and maximise reach) * Minimise risks for first time buyers: guarantee them money back and absorb the shipping costs yourself * Always be ready to learn some new way of reaching your market FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts. Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason [https://www.fallowfieldmason.com/].  Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason.  FF&M recommends:  * LastPass [https://lastpass.wo8g.net/AzkdN] the password-keeping site that syncs between devices. * Google Workspace [https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-100234523-14343091]is brilliant for small businesses * Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1251284] * Canva [https://partner.canva.com/WjQeJ] has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3787-funk-game-loop%20%20] &  Licence [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/] Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1288742/open_sms] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1288742/support]