Fashion retail is notoriously difficult to get into, and even those who do manage to set up a business often find it hard to compete against the high street giants. Perhaps what’s required is a different approach and a different product, and that’s exactly what Brad Seaborn has put together in the package that is….Violent Delights.
Brad was working as an assistant manager in the retail trade when he decided he needed a new challenge. Without aspirations to move on in his current job, he looked at other options and started to exercise his talent in graphic design and copy writing. It was through this that he met customers who were to change the course of his career.
Two fashion wholesalers in London, for whom Brad had done graphic design work, persuaded him that he should follow his love of alternative fashion. Talking to them about his ambitions made Brad realise that it would be possible for him to set up an online retail business which he could differentiate through his commitment to excellence in customer service and his ability to source clothes not found on the high street. With encouragement and support from his wholesaler friends, Brad had the start of a business idea soon realised he was going to need professional business advice if he was going to seriously pursue his dream.
It was the Job Centre that initially put Brad in touch with Colbea, where he booked himself into a Start In Business course. Brad has high praise for trainer, Trevor Edwards, whose style he describes as “down to earth, friendly and open minded”. This was followed up by one to one business advice from a professional adviser at Colbea, which proved to be a real asset as Brad launched his new company – Violent Delights.
With a relatively small sum of money to invest, Brad began in April 2007 by trading on eBay and investing almost all his profits back into the business. The astounding response was proof that there was a market out there for Brad’s branded Goth, Punk and alternative fashion clothing. He set about teaching himself to build an e-commerce website, which he has done successfully, where brands such as Tripp, Criminal Damage, Dead Threads and Manic Panic are on display. As Brad explains, exclusivity is everything: “My customers want to be able to go out to a nightclub or a bar and know that no one else will turn up wearing the same thing as them – catering for my customers’ individuality is what my retail site is all about.”
Clothes are imported from all over the world as well as sourced from the UK, but all are selected by Brad and many styles are exclusive. He believes in keeping stock levels high so that his customers don’t have to wait for their purchases. The faceless aspect of online shopping is mitigated by Brad’s commitment to customer service and to improving the experience of buying over the web. He constantly works on his site – already ranked highly in Google – to make it more like an online boutique and to reflect the individuality he knows his customers want to see.
The advice he has received from Colbea has been indispensable. “I can’t put a value on the support I’ve received”, he says. “The advisers have made me think more widely and have been so enthusiastic about my products. Even though my advisors were not familiar with this particular style of clothing, the fundamentals of running a successful business always apply, whatever your sector may be”
His own enthusiasm and commitment was recognised recently when he was awarded joint first place in the Super Start Competition organised by a newspaper publisher. Brad’s plans for the future are to expand the business and to employ staff to help with the running and administration of the company, thereby allowing him to stand back and take strategic decisions. To date, the growth has been, in Brad’s words, “explosive” and he recognises that it’s time to take a bigger view. He plans to return to Colbea soon, in the knowledge that the door is always open and business advice is there for the asking.
To see Brad’s collection of alternative fashion, go to www.violentdelights.co.uk
For information about Colbea phone 01206 548833. Colbea provides confidential business advice to anyone in the Colchester or Tendring areas thinking about setting up in business, or who is already trading. Their fully qualified advisers will help with all practical aspects of being your own boss. Colbea offers training courses that help you create a business plan and gain essential skills in various aspects of management and leadership. Ask for details.
