Annalise And Virgin StartUp: When Dreams Become A Reality
Posted on December 11 2017
While Annalise was blissfully going about its business, it was approached by Hampshire
Enterprise, who suggested that the founders of the company, Matt and Lise put their idea
forward for funding from Richard Branson’s Virgin StartUp.
Also read: “Annalise How The Idea Came About”
Annalise had only been operating for 12 months, and both Matt and Lise were already
impressed with the overwhelming amount of positive feedback from customers about the
Annalise charms. Receiving funding from such an established grant like Virgin Startup would
have been the exact boost that Annalise needed at the time.
The founders bravely complied and went headtohead with some of the most promising
entrepreneurial ideas that England and Scotland had to offer at the time. Winning would have
meant that Annalise would have received a governmentbacked loan up to the tune of £25,000
in order to launch, as well as much needed mentorship.
Annalise, A Charming Idea
The Annalise idea was simple:
To provide custom handmade charms, online, any time.
The plan was to create new designs and remodel the Annalise website as well as having faster
turnover and shorter lead times. By increasing production volumes, Matt and Lise knew that it
would greatly reduce cost of sales and the cost reductions would trickle down to the customer,
making the Annalise custom handmade charms even more affordable.
It was an ambitious plan, but as is the case with many great ideas, Matt and Lise’s execution
was flawless to the extent that the viability of their idea was purely undeniable.
A great idea becomes an actual business
Virgin accepted the bid by Annalise, and lent them the money that would have been necessary
in order to accomplish the plan that they had laid out.
Annalise now had the funding and mentorship necessary to take a genuinely well made product,
which was initially born out of Matt’s desire to give Lise (his partner in business and life) a
personalised charm, into an actual business.
The future for Annalise custom handmade charms
With newfound faith in the products, ideas and team; Annalise will continue to expand and
ultimately show that handmade jewellery can be made in a quickly and affordably without
compromising on quality and customer service.
All Annalise products maintain their integrity and the team continues to bring a “personal touch”
to all the customers’ sentimental pieces. They continue to use their expertise to assist
customers in accentuating their precious memories.
Will you be keeping an eye on the story of Annalise?