Lockdown has saved me – by launching me into business
STARTING your own business is a tough task at the best of times, but to launch in the midst of the coronavirus lockdown is really stacking the odds against you. But while some entrepreneurs say that starting up in lockdown was the worst possible timing, others believe that a lockdown launch was great – not only for business but vital for their mental health.
Graphic designer Daniel le McCann launched her cooking kits for kids – Not Just Nibbles – in February this year with no idea that the world would change a few weeks later.
She says: ‘ Not Just Nibbles is about encouraging children to eat more healthily with the help of games and characters I’ve created, such as Dr Broccoli.
‘Every month we feature a different country, so this month it is Greece. Children are learning how to make pitta bread, vegetable skewers and tzatziki as well as being told some fun facts about the country’s history.’
As a full-time freelance graphic designer, Danielle had planned Not Just Nibbles as a part- time hobby, but when work ceased as a result of lockdown she saw it as an opportunity – and a necessity.
She says: ‘I was really worried about my main source of income ending, so I threw myself into the idea full-time. It turns out I couldn’t have chosen a better time to launch because everyone has been stuck indoors with their children.’
As soon as lockdown happened,
Danielle created a one- off box where children make rainbowcoloured pasta using natural colouring such as beetroot.
Word quickly spread thanks to social media. ‘ It really boosted business with some people buying the box and then subscribing for a whole year,’ she says.
The business is financed from a combination of Danielle’s savings and subscriptions while a fundraising campaign on website Crowdfunder meant she was able to donate boxes to schools.
As well as providing a muchneeded income, it has also provided her with a purpose.
She says: ‘I would be so depressed if I wasn’t doing something active – it has saved me not just financially, but also mentally.’
FORGET THE IPHONE ...AND GRAB THE BOX
MANCHESTER-based parents-off our Alice and David Deanie launched business Around The Box a month ago – offering a portable game and puzzles compendium.
‘It was either the perfect time to launch or the worst time,’ says David. ‘We could have just lived off our savings and launched later on, but then we realised we soon wouldn’t have any money left so we decided to launch straightaway.’
A full-time magician, David saw work dry up overnight once lockdown was announced. ‘Weddings, parties, events – they were all cancelled,’ he says.
Both he and his wife Alice – a former nurse and youth worker – have considerable hospital experience. David would entertain children in hospitals in his role as a ‘giggle doctor’.
David has spend the last four years planning their creation – The Box, a portable games and puzzles compendium that can be played as a family in hospitals, at home, on train journeys and family outings.
Alice says: ‘We created the box so that when we go out as a family we don’t take our iPhones – we just grab the box and go.’
With games such as Penguin Party, Curious Cube and Rocket Launch in the box, the Deanies say it can be played by anyone aged between six and 106 and can help families connect away from a phone screen. So far customers are mainly friends and family, but as the word has spread so has the customer base.
Many are buying an extra box to donate to local hospitals in memory of a loved one. With people stuck at home desperate for something to do with their children, the timing could work out well.
‘ There are a lot of families at home at the moment who have the time and money to enjoy this,’ says David. ‘However, we do appreciate that many might not at the moment, so it’s a strange balance.’
MY BUSINESS HAS GONE BANANAS
FOR Jess Salamanca, the timing could not have been worse to launch her banana ice- cream, Banana Scoops. Having spent months working on getting the perfect recipe, branding and finding a manufacturer, she had just got the green light to supply online supermarket Ocado – and then everything stopped.
‘I had everything ready and then was told by Ocado that they couldn’t take on any new suppliers,’ she says. ‘They were so busy trying to meet the demand from their customers.’
After doing nothing but waiting for six weeks, out of the blue Jess received a purchase order from Ocado. ‘We went from doing nothing to making hundreds of cases,’ says Jess. ‘It was panic – there was so much to do.’
Thankfully, her manufacturer rose to the challenge and Banana Scoops – a vegan, non-dairy ice-cream made from bananas and dates – has now had three orders from Ocado and is also selling through retailers Planet Organic and As Nature Intended. Yet there are many things that Jess, a former marketing executive, is still unable to do.
‘Our plan was to reach out to lots of delis and cafes and we were going to market it at events and festivals which have all been cancelled. As lockdown lifts, there will be more chances to spread the word. We’ve had to adapt quickly.’
By Sarah Bridge