BUSINESS
CASE STUDY SOURCERY Entrepreneurship is seldom a linear journey – and the story of Zoe Law, founder of Sourcery UK, is a case in point Here’s a look at how Zoe went from working in charity sector and multiple consultancy firms across the world, to founding Sourcery, a platform facilitating eco-friendly procurement from independent British brands, with a vision of creating a micro-grid of small brands and retailers that trade with each other. Although Zoe’s latest venture started in 2020 proper, she tells us that her entrepreneurial journey really started years earlier. Having graduated with a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and a Master’s in Political Economy, Zoe has aspired to create a positive societal impact through her work. Driven by this purpose, she went on to work for three years in the Charity sector, before making
a career change to consulting in Shanghai, China, when the opportunity arose. While Zoe worked with large companies in her consulting work, she mentions about how these experiences gave her useful exposure to sales, logistics, business modelling and setting of key performance indicators – crucial skills for any entrepreneur. Her time at an innovation consultancy also allowed her to gain insight into future growth areas and opportunities. Above all, however, Zoe tells us that the diverse nature of work in consulting equipped her with the confidence in her ability to learn quickly. This has allowed her to thrive in unfamiliar situations and verticals, especially when working with a variety of startups: ranging from a cheese-making startup that aimed to make use of surplus milk, and a precision farming startup. In late 2020, opportunity struck: after hearing from a friend who worked as a restaurant manager on how difficult it
was to source sustainably, Zoe took this as a cue to start a business that aligned closely with her values of creating positive social and environmental impact. From this, Sourcery was born. Today, Sourcery has achieved a considerable level of success, boasting 130 business customers, over 250 products and 20 suppliers. While the platform has temporarily been paused due to high demand, Sourcery aims to relaunch in June, and attract over 100 suppliers, providing over 1000 products. To build capacity, Zoe has hired two new people to handle marketing and engagement. When asked about the greatest challenge faced when running her business, Zoe points out that the shift from the corporate environment to becoming an independent business owner was daunting in many ways: For instance, it can be difficult to know whether one is doing well as an entrepreneur. Additionally, she also cited the challenge of screening potential investors and cofounders, to select a partner who truly shares the ethos of Sourcery. To this end, as a solo founder, Zoe credits various Accelerator programmes with the opportunity to meet like-minded people, going through similar challenges. In some words of wisdom to entrepreneurs looking to start out on a similar path, Zoe encourages experimentation with ideas, ideally in a low-risk way. After all, with all its unpredictability, the path of entrepreneurship is a learning journey,
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