OM Entrepreneurs

Function Central

The Founders: Ali Lion (BH 1993-98) and Mike Ausden (CO 1993-98) The Business: Event-music booking agency. The Beginning: Ali and Mike played in bands together throughout Marlborough, university and for several years after, touring with various original projects and function bands. The Eureka Moment: After quickly running out of available dates for their own function band, they built a website to advertise their friends’ bands and to meet demand. This quickly grew to a roster of over 500 artists in all genres, providing entertainment at weddings, parties and corporate events. The Dough: Self-funded. The Key to Success: Exclusive artists, a strong focus on user experience and customer service and constantly adapting

the roster to an ever-changing musical environment.

The Present: It’s been a very difficult year for the industry, but the agency is continuing to invest in up-and-coming talent and has partnered with The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance to provide mentoring and support to their students. The Future: FC USA!

The Nitty-Gritty: www.functioncentral.co.uk info@functioncentral.co.uk

Time Out Bags

The Founder: Alix Cussins (EL 1994-96) The Business: Kids’ activity packs. The Beginning: After leaving university, Alix headed into the fashion world. After 10 years, she moved to the countryside and set up an award-winning travel activity company. The Eureka Moment: When Covid 19 restrictions stopped travel, Alix had to adapt her business overnight and so developed a new activity product aimed at boosting kids’ mental health.

The Dough: A small private investment, producing all elements of the business in- house, utilising free marketing, technology and social-media platforms. The business now operates with minimal monthly running costs. The Keys to Success: Anyone can be an entrepreneur; everyone has a unique talent to turn into a business. Don’t be afraid of going back to work after having children. If you build your bricks together, business and family life can coexist. The Present: Managing relationships with businesses and charities, sending monthly activity packs to children in need. There is an unprecedented demand for the packs from charities, children in care, hospitals, young carers and Sure Start centres. The Future: Developing new products and relationships. Developing new partnerships with hospitals and children’s charities, with a key focus on mental health and children with special needs. The Nitty-Gritty: www.timeoutbags.com

Bij Fior

The Founder: Rachel Feibusch (SU 2014-16) The Business: Bij Fior is a curated collection of the most exceptional, characterful and coveted fine-jewellery pieces from family-run and independent designers around the world. The Beginning: Rachel began her career working for Net-A-Porter in the jewellery-buying department and as an independent fine-jewellery consultant with clients including Dubini and Tomfoolery London. The Eureka Moment: Watching as fine-jewellery sales grew online at Net-A-Porter and elsewhere, Rachel recognised a space in the market. She used the skills and connections from her jewellery career to create Bij Fior. The Dough: Self-funded. The Keys to Success: Relationships with talented people. Rachel stresses the importance of the exceptionally talented jewellery designers she houses on site. and growing, with various exciting projects on the horizon and new pieces being added to the site regularly. The Future: Rachel hopes Bij Fior will become a go-to for buying remarkable and individual pieces of fine jewellery. And the possibility of Bij Fior’s own line collection is one not to rule out.

The Nitty-Gritty: www.bijfior.com rachel@bijfior.com Insta: @bijfior FB: @bijfior

Big Grin Distillery

The Founder: Archie Ley (B1 2010-15) The Business: Making outstanding gin and vodka for the young at heart. The gin is a single-shot gin, with no compromise on flavours. The house-blend gin has got a bit more get-upand-go than London Dry Gin. The vodka is made from 100% wheat grain. The Beginning: Launching at the start of the first lockdown.

The Eureka Moment: Really liking gin and realising that craft distilleries take themselves too seriously. Big Grin is an antithesis to this.

The Dough: Private investment from people who believe in investing in people first and ideas second.

The Keys to Success: Launching a positive and happy brand in bleak times. Being categorised as essential workers. Providing premium booze to people in need. The Present: Sales, expert feedback and media coverage have exceeded expectations. As well as distilling, Big Grin Distillery has its own bottle shop selling spirits, wines, craft beers and ciders. A number of events in London over the summer got the Big Grin smile out there. The Future: Flavoured gins and vodka, rum and a hard seltzer. Laying down some whisky. Selling the business and never having to work again. The Nitty-Gritty: archie@biggrin.co.uk www.biggrin.co.uk Insta: @biggrin_distillery