Rainy Day Box Co- Creator Aly Cranston shares her self starter experience
by Startacus Admin
We have a chat with our current self starter of the week Aly Cranston about her fab award winning business Rainy Day Box Co and what it means to be a self starter.
What do you think make up the characteristics of a Self Starter?
To be a Self Starter you need to be tenacious, driven, extremely hard working and possibly a little bit stubborn.
Let's talk about you! Tell us about your business and where the idea came from?!
After the birth of my son Kit (my little wiggly worm), I knew I was in for a wild ride. One rainy autumn morning when I had no idea how to fill the day with my son,
I decided to put together a box full of different things to amuse us whenever we were bored. It was soon after that I decided other parents could benefit from a Rainy Day Box,
so I set up the business to help grown ups with their own indoor days and also because I felt I had stumbled on a good idea.
How important was market research in getting the product right before launch?
Market research is key to making sure your great idea is not just fantasy and is actually a great idea that others will part with their hard earned money for.
Looking back I think ‘The Rainy Day Box Co’ could have done more, as it would have cut down some of the learning curves at the start.
Talk us through your business highlights to date?
In just a short time The Rainy Day Box Co, has won Theo Paphitis's small business Sunday award. We have also been awarded mentoring by 'The Fixer' Alex Polizzi,
we were nominated for The Guardian small business showcase and won the Vista Print small business grant.
I am currently nominated for a Mumpreneur of the year award and will find out on Thursday the result, so keep your fingers crossed for me.
What plans are in place for the business for the next 6 months?
We have some very exciting times ahead with lots of new boxes about to be launched.
We also have some really cool pitches coming up for various opportunities and I’m expecting my second child in the next few weeks.
How can fellow Startacus members get in touch (apart from via your Startacus profile of course!)
We love a chat so would love fellow startacus members to get in touch, email us [email protected], call us 01732252255,
tweet us @Rainydayboxco or send carrier pigeons. You can can also visit our website www.therainydayboxco.co.uk
Thanks Aly! We look forward to hearing what other exciting things you and The Rainy Day Box Co get up to next!
If you are a self starter like Aly then why not take a look at our Self Starter Awards and find out how to get involved.
Join Startacus - the Self Start Society!
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
BleepBleeps - The lowdown on the tech parenting brand that's creating innovative connected products to make the art of parenting easier!
Lumen - The new dating app that's been specifically designed for over 50s to meet genuine like-minded singles...
Startacus teamed up with inaugural Innovation Nation 2018 to deliver Ascend, an all-Ireland tech startup pitch competition. The startups that will be pitching at Innovation Nation 2018 are:
Liverpool based startups and entrepreneurs take note - here's the lowdown on key startup support and help available where you are...
Thortful - The startup that's providing a creative card marketplace for designers, illustrators and photographers...
We are liking the sound of Feels FM, an emoji-powered jukebox using music as a positive coping strategy, & to find new ways to talk about mental health.
Innovative startups and businesses designed and focused on empowering and embracing female consumers.
P2P investment aggregator Orca raises £500K on equity crowdfunding platform, Seedrs within two days.
British logistics company Wincanton is looking for tech startups to pitch their solutions for industry specific challenges, as part of their returning W2 Labs innovation programme.
Portugal-based startup Magikbee secures a further $250k round of funding to continue its mission to reimagine kids’ learning and screen time.
Published on: 26th March 2014
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- P2P investment aggregator Orca raises £500k in two days 18th Sep 2018 P2P investment aggregator Orca raises £500K on equity crowdfunding platform, Seedrs within two days.
- Wincanton innovation programme W2 Labs looks to tech startups 18th Sep 2018 British logistics company Wincanton is looking for tech startups to pitch their solutions for industry specific challenges, as part of their returning W2 Labs innovation programme.
- Spotify for textbooks Perlego raises $4.8m 16th Sep 2018 Perlego - billed as the 'Spotify for textbooks' - has closed a $4.8m venture round, signalling a new chapter for the growing company on a mission to make textbooks more accessible.
- TUC calls for new tech to pave way to shorter working week and higher pay 9th Sep 2018 New technology like AI, automation and robotics could pave the way for better working conditions – including higher pay and reduced workloads – a new TUC report sets out.
