How to maximise kickstarter with Ben Watkiss, co-founder of Stubble & Co.
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 ben@stubbleandco.com
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
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
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