Grad2Director updates – Alex Popple
In February we published a blog highlighting how our Grad2Director program had helped eight recent York St John graduates turn their business ideas into viable opportunities, becoming directors of their own companies in the process.
“Accessible, Informative & Versatile”
When English Literature graduate Alex Popple found out about our Grad2Director programme, he saw a way to develop his hobby from an enjoyable side-venture into a fully-fledged business opportunity – and so Flowery Whiff was born.
“Over the last few years I’d started to make my own lip balm formulas and flavours,” Alex told us. “I have dry skin myself, and used balms for protection. I was interested in how they were made and that interest led me to start creating my own balms and solid perfumes.” Alex’s hobby may have stayed just that, but the email about Grad2Director piqued his curiosity. “I saw Grad2Director as an opportunity to explore the idea of starting a business, but I didn’t really know what to expect. I signed up for a workshop and that’s when I met Dr John Park for the first time. What struck me most was how accessible it all was and how the concept of running my own business was far less daunting than I had previously thought.”
Once registered on the Grad2Director programme Alex started meeting with John. With this support Alex began to focus on building the online profile of his company, developing a website, and establishing a presence on sites like Etsy and Pinterest. , “My company has a growing client base,” he explains, and looking at the range of fun, but natural products it’s easy to see why. “We offer a range of mocktail flavoured lip balms like apple martini, banana daiquiri and Pina Colada and vegan lip salves, which are packaged in environmentally friendly tubes. We also sell a range of solid perfumes, using blends inspired by each of the four seasons.”
What next for Flowery Whiff? “Over the next six to twelve months it would be great to build our client base even further and put more work into raising awareness of our products, mainly through increased social media content. We’ll also be looking at ways that we can continue to expand our product range,” Alex explains. And which three words would he use to describe the Grad2Director programme? “I would say accessible, informative and versatile. The programme really opened my eyes to what was available in terms of resources and information about starting my own business, as well as facilitating and covering a wide range of valuable discussions and activities.” Alex also has some advice for any current students wondering if they can turn their hobby into a business. ”Look out for Grad2Directorin the future, the insights and experience you can get by engaging with the programme are incredibly valuable, especially if you go on to start a business off the back of it.”
