Ideas for a business start-up: Guy Collection

Rachel Bridge’s excellent series of articles on how entrepreneurs come up with their start-up business ideas has another excellent case study this week…

The case study in question is that of Donna Baker who found it difficult to buy bright & colourful clothes for her young son called Guy.

Despite having no experience of the fashion trade, Donna decided to build a new business focusing on the boys clothing market. The business was financed from the proceeds of an existing business sale (her husband sold his funeral business) + the couple also invested family savings.

Donna invested in a professional website and catalogue before launching.  She bought a mailing list, send out the first 37,000 catalogues and started trading!

Early indications suggest the business is doing well.  It is now shipping about 150 orders per week, with 1 in 6 from repeat customers.

You can read Rachel’s article here

Click here to visit the Guy Collection website to learn more about the business

Revision Presentation - Marketing Mix: Introduction to Promotion [17 May 2012]
Revision Presentation - the Startup Cash Flow Forecast [13 May 2012]
Revision Quiz - Sources of Finance for a Startup [12 May 2012]
Revision Quiz - Cash Flow Forecasting for a Startup [12 May 2012]
Enterprise, Location and Culture - Inside the new Google Campus in London [14 Apr 2012]
Start-ups - the Wooden Smartphone? [4 Mar 2012]
Lesson video : Franchising for beginners [4 Mar 2012]
How PepsiCo are trying to control diseconomies of scale [18 Oct 2011]
Revision Quiz - Startups and Understanding the Market [16 Oct 2011]
Revision Quiz - Market Research for a Business Startup [13 Oct 2011]
Revision Quiz - Locating the Startup Business [12 Oct 2011]
Revision Presentation - Risks and Rewards to Enterprise [7 Sep 2011]
Revision Presentation - Objectives of New Businesses [6 Sep 2011]
Insights from an Entrepreneur - Lara Morgan (Pacific Direct) [5 Sep 2011]
Luke Johnson on sources of finance for a startup [29 Aug 2011]
Debunking the myths of entrepreneurs and startups - a must read [28 Aug 2011]
Spotify - Five Years to Break-even [28 Aug 2011]
Strategy explained - Insights into Amazon [13 May 2011]
Q&A - How many stages does a distribution channel have? [3 Jan 2011]
Q&A - Describe the main ways direct marketing is used in promotion [2 Jan 2011]
BUSS1 Revision Quiz - Sources of Finance for a Startup [13 Dec 2010]
How to start a toy shop [12 Oct 2010]
Insights from an Entrepreneur - Will King (CEO King of Shaves) [10 Oct 2010]
Fashion retailing finds its home online [11 Sep 2010]
Online distribution channels - which retailers are still missing out? [1 Sep 2010]
Lesson Worksheet - Enterprise & Entrepreneurs [9 Aug 2010]
Essential business reading for the summer! [5 Aug 2010]
Lesson Worksheet - Marketing Mix: Promotion Basics [1 Aug 2010]
Entrepreneurs LIVE! 2010 - THE Enterprise Event for Students in 2010 [1 Jul 2010]
New BBC Resource: Start Up Stories [25 Jun 2010]
Rajeeb Dey to Speak at the 2010 Business Teacher National Conference [3 Jun 2010]
The 40 Schoolboy Errors Made by Startups [6 Feb 2010]
Some good reasons why startup business plans are a waste of time [17 Dec 2009]
Primary v Secondary Market Research for a Startup [4 Dec 2009]
Startups and Small Businesses in Numbers [14 Oct 2009]
Retailing activity - the online fashion challenge [12 Oct 2009]
Teaching Activity on Startups - Mini Briefs [7 Oct 2009]
The Decline of Newspapers Creates a Surge in Local Startups [4 Oct 2009]
V-Water - from start up to exit [4 Oct 2009]
Emma Jones to speak at the Business Teacher National Conference 2010 [30 Sep 2009]
Born in the Storm - 4 Start-ups One Year On [16 Sep 2009]
Memory Challenge - Start-ups [15 Sep 2009]
Is a recession the perfect time to launch a technology start-up? [14 Sep 2009]
Icing on the cake for entrepreneurs [13 Sep 2009]
Research Start-Ups! Team Challenge [4 Sep 2009]
AQA AS Business (BUSS1) - Recommended Websites (2009/10) [27 Aug 2009]
Business angels take flight - just when small businesses need them [12 Jul 2009]
Tracking the progress of three new start-ups [21 Jun 2009]
Q&A - What are the main personal sources of finance an entrepreneur can obtain for a start-up? [27 May 2009]
Q&A - Should a start-up raise investment from outside investors? [27 May 2009]
Q&A - Why are start-ups vulnerable to cash flow problems? [26 May 2009]
Q&A - How can a business handle a loss? [26 May 2009]
Why businesses fail - an interview with Pepita Diamand [24 May 2009]
Q&A - What are the main drawbacks to an entrepreneur of starting a business [22 May 2009]
AQA AS Business Unit 1 - Possible Evaluation Questions [17 May 2009]
Q&A - What are the main legal areas that a start-up business needs to consider? [1 May 2009]
Q&A - Describe the basics of setting up a business in the UK [1 May 2009]
Q&A - Does a start-up or small business need to recruit staff? [1 May 2009]
Q&A - Why should a small or start-up business employ consultants and advisers? [1 May 2009]
Q&A - What is a bank loan? [1 May 2009]
Video case study - Business Angels [1 May 2009]
Start-ups - the spirit of enterprise lives on [14 Apr 2009]
Q&A - Why is the cash flow forecast so important? [1 Apr 2009]
Q&A - What are fixed costs? [1 Mar 2009]
Q&A - Why do start-ups find it difficult to estimate revenues? [1 Mar 2009]
Q&A - What is franchising? [1 Mar 2009]
Q&A - What are the main non-financial objectives of entrepreneur starting a new business? [1 Mar 2009]
Q&A - What are the financial objectives of a new business? [1 Mar 2009]
Video case study - three startups born in the storm [19 Feb 2009]
Venture capitalists leave Grasshopper Porridge hopping mad [15 Feb 2009]
Video case study - Jivana Style finds niche in the greetings card market [6 Feb 2009]
Q&A - What motivates someone to start a business? [1 Feb 2009]
Video case study - starting a business in a recession [24 Jan 2009]
Sources of finance for SMEs - Banks Squeezing the Life out of Businesses [3 Jan 2009]
Small businesses call for cap on credit card costs to ease finance squeeze [30 Dec 2008]
An entrepreneurial success story involving…indoor skydiving! [22 Dec 2008]
Video case study - demand for real ale bucks the trend [13 Dec 2008]
Video case study - three small businesses born in the storm [26 Oct 2008]
50,000 fewer start-ups in the UK during 2008 [29 Sep 2008]
Is this a good business idea, or a passing fad? [27 Sep 2008]
Here’s a useful short video about a start-up business [22 Sep 2008]
Starting a Business with a Franchise - Case Study [22 Sep 2008]
Green shoots of growth for a gardening start-up [19 Sep 2008]
Start-up case study - Petmeds [24 Aug 2008]
Start-ups & the importance of business planning [7 Aug 2008]
Starting a business - have your cake and eat it [6 Aug 2008]
Business Planning - teaching resources [6 Aug 2008]
Marketing mix - the online retailers have never had it so good [4 Aug 2008]
Protecting a business idea - Scrabulous under fire [2 Aug 2008]
Did smoke signals lead to the wrong investment decision? [2 Aug 2008]
First mover advantage could prove fruitful [30 Jul 2008]
When the partnership structure doesnt work well for a start-up [26 Jul 2008]
Cash flow problems could mean its a wrap… [26 Jul 2008]
Working from home - the cost effective location for a start-up [21 Jun 2008]
Teaching applications of tutor2u’s Start-up Mini Briefs [4 Jun 2008]
AQA AS Business Unit 1 - Recommended Reading List [31 May 2008]
Starting Your own Business - David Lester [30 May 2008]
Small businesses shun business bank accounts [29 May 2008]
Startups - finding a winning idea [22 May 2008]
Start-ups and the confidence factor [21 May 2008]

BUSINESS TEACHER RESOURCE NEWSLETTER
Get first news of business teaching resources, ideas and other materials from tutor2u. Over 9,400 business teachers from the UK and around the world receive our regular teacher email newsletters. Sign up for free here!