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Creativity and business should go hand in hand, but realistically, sometimes they don’t even know each other exist. Starting up your own business is great when your mind is free to wander, dream and devise. Putting all these thoughts and ideas down onto paper and fragmented into numerical structures and costing is daunting, confusing and one reason why small businesses fail. Taking your business into the realm of accounting, target marketing and successful selling is crucial.
IEAction set up their stall at Innovate 08 to include an Angels' Alley “Dragon’s Den” styled critique stand. The idea was for small business entrepreneurs to pitch their strategy and business proposal to the Angels to convince them why your business is worth the investment. The final aim was for small businesses to gain impartial advice and practical experience when going for the big “real” sell in order to garner interest and investment.
With Angels' Alley you had the opportunity to have your business case-studied and reviewed by experts in their field of business. It was a bona-fide adversarial chance to obtain practical information. Treated as a trial run to sell your product it helped to reinforce your beliefs in your wares and, reassess strengths and weakness so you could re-adjust your business plan and research strategy. Expert feedback can help you to make decisions to develop your business, taking it to the next productive level.
To carry on the vein of innovation, you can apply to exhibit at IEAction’s EcoDiversity Showcase being held this November 17, 2008 at RIBA in London. For more information and/or to be showcased please visit our website at www.ieaction.com/eco or email Sally Leonard: sleonard@ieaction.com
By Sonja Fowler
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Angels' Alley Pitches
Angels' Alley’s army of pluggers and pitchers strutting their stuff varied from fashion to food to even web based development.
Sculptures of towering fruit by ‘Fruit Republic’ become an edible replacement for traditional flower bouquets.
‘Couture Clubbing’ take boutique club wear and weave veins of fibre optics through the seams creating blinking and bursting threads of fun.
Natalie and her ‘Little Green Van’ use a small catering vehicle to take ethically sourced foods and goods to the consumer. They’re hoping to drive into the unconventional shopping mall market to sell their wares straight from the van.
Feedback was impartial and many of the attendees felt that having a platform to speak about and boost their business enabled them to work on communication and networking skills and to take onboard advice to improve their marketing.
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The Mors Bags The Better
Claire Morsman’s company “Morsbag” has a unique slant that most businesses shy away from. It’s not about making and selling but about creating and sharing, with a conscious notion to take a stance FOR the environment.
Her concern for wildlife and the deadly impact plastic carrier bags has on its innocent victims unnerved Claire to come up with a solution. Replace the plastic carrier bag with a reusable one made from scrap material and give them away for free.
Luring her mother and fiancé in to develop this grass roots idea, a sewing pattern was designed that was user friendly, even for “needle phobes”, along with a website designed to promote her campaign.
The movement has gone global, starting with friends and family creating Morsbags to hand out and share among the public, onto “pods” of people having “sew-ins” in public places, like the zoo, shopping malls and parks.
As long as the material you use is recycled from something old/used you are well on your way to helping to eliminate unnecessary plastic manufacturing demanded by a throwaway society.
If you would like to join the crusade you can pay Claire a visit at her website www.morsbags.com
By Sonja Fowler |
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Moksa
Moksa is a Sanskrit word defining “release and liberation”. Bespoke fashion designer Farah Damji has taken Moksa as her company’s namesake.
Acquiring quality recycled clothing that was to be “thrown way” she customizes the garments with lace, sequins, crystals and embroidery.
Her designs are directly connected to Eastern philosophies and female deities; Kali, the goddess of destruction and Tara the goddess of peace and protection. These ying and yang of influences derived from Farah’s own personal resurrection, transforming a negative into a positive.
Colourful and individually unique, Moksa has a free spirit. Taking commissions from her clients, Farah intertwines their expression with her own imprint that is sure to stand out in any crowd.
By Sonja Fowler |
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