April 28, 2017, by The Ingenuity Lab
Thorne Goalkeeping: Back of the Net!
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do” – Pele
At The Ingenuity Lab, no day is the same and every member has a different story and requirements. As a group, we support each other, collaborate and ensure we have as much fun along the day; creating a melting pot of ideas!
After some fantastic achievements at Ingenuity17, we thought we’d kick the next batch of Ingenuity Lab member showcases off with Harry Boulton. You may have heard his name mentioned before, and we are certain you will be hearing and seeing a lot more of this superstar in the months to come…
Age: 20
Nationality: English
Company name:
What are you studying at The University of Nottingham?
I am in my final year of studying Economics (BSc).
What made you want to be an entrepreneur?
The idea of working for myself and designing my own products has always appealed to me, but I didn’t actively pursue entrepreneurship until I spotted a gap in the goalkeeping market. I thought it would be a great opportunity to develop my skills and see if it was for me.
Thankfully, along the journey I have realised that being an entrepreneur is far more rewarding (although harder!) than I originally anticipated, as it is always forcing you to learn and develop and grow your network. It is also a fantastic experience to see you ideas and business make a difference to people and to an industry.
What is your business concept?
The business is built around an innovation in protective goalkeeping equipment that reduces the cost to goalkeepers of using high-end equipment. I developed a brand around this, including our own range of gloves and apparel.
What stage are you currently at in setting up your company/business?
The business has it’s first range of gloves and apparel developed and ready to begin being sold to the worldwide market.
The last year has been used to develop and promote these products in time for our launch this summer.
Regarding the USP of the business, that will be launched next year as it is still in the process of development.
The Ingenuity17 prizes Harry won with Thorne Goalkeeping
What challenges have you faced during the process?
Although I got to the Top 20 of Ingenuity16, I wasn’t among the winners and I had to reflect on whether it was worth me pursuing the idea further.
Thankfully, the advice of Steve Chapman (Head of The Ingenuity Lab) and other Ingenuity Lab members, I decided to stick with it. This forced me to overcome of challenge of believing in myself and the idea!
Since then, the process of having products manufactured and learning how best to promote the business has been a challenge, but has also provided the most learning opportunities as well.
How has being an Ingenuity Lab member helped you?
Aside from the obvious benefit of being among the prize winners at Ingenuity17 [Harry won the Ingenuity17 2nd Prize (£3,000); Potter Clarkson Prize (£6,000); and an Enterprise Grant] being an Ingenuity Lab member has been hugely valuable in allowing me to meet with experienced mentors over the course of the last year. These mentors helped to guide me and the business in the right direction with some fantastic advice and insights.
The community within The Ingenuity Lab is also extremely valuable as, aside from being friendly, everyone is extremely helpful.
What are your goals for 2017?
The most immediate goal is to launch the business for trading, which hopefully can be done within the next few weeks, and then to begin growing!
I am also hoping to have our USP fully developed by the end of the year to begin promoting it.
We are so excited for the launch of Thorne Goalkeeping, and can’t wait to see him score some big customers over the coming months! Follow Thorne Goalkeeping’s journey on Instagram and find out more about the business on their website.
If Harry’s story of success has inspired you, why not become a member of The Ingenuity Lab? You can also register your interest in Ingenuity18 now. Find out more here.
Please subscribe to this blog to keep updated about our events and activities! You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
No comments yet, fill out a comment to be the first
Leave a Reply