{"id":47439,"date":"2017-05-22T00:55:26","date_gmt":"2017-05-21T23:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.startups.co.uk\/startups-100\/?p=47439"},"modified":"2021-05-18T14:26:46","modified_gmt":"2021-05-18T13:26:46","slug":"54-solesmith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.startups.co.uk\/startups-100\/2017\/54-solesmith\/","title":{"rendered":"54. Solesmith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Founder:<\/strong> Lauren Dorling
\nFounded:<\/strong> 14\/11\/14
\nWebsite:<\/strong> www.solesmith.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Admittedly “bored” by her customer service job, Lauren Dorling began researching potential business ideas when she stumbled across a pair of ski socks which she thought were perfect for her up and coming holiday.<\/p>\n

Wishing to have them personalised, the Birmingham University graduate was shocked when she was unable to find anyone online offering personalised socks. The now 27-year-old didn’t hang around. She handed in her notice, just days after being given the keys to her new house, and jumped in with both feet.<\/p>\n

Inspired by her mother, who had made children’s blankets and cushions from her garage, Dorling founded Solesmith which designs, makes and personalises designer socks.<\/p>\n

A seasonal business, the Derbyshire-based start-up focuses much of its attention on unique items for Christmas, weddings, birthdays and annual holidays like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.<\/p>\n

All personalised socks are made to order, with the majority of Solesmith’s sales coming from one-off transactions, though plans are already in place for a subscription-based model in the coming months.<\/p>\n

Selling via its website, on independent sites such as notonthehighstreet.com, and even in some independent stores, the brand has already expanded its offering and now sells everything from t-shirts, to pyjamas, to jewellery boxes and pencil cases.<\/p>\n

2017 will also see the launch of the wholesale side of the business, allowing other creative firms to offer customers personalised items via Solesmith’s wholesale dropship website.<\/p>\n

A true kitchen-table start-up that has grown to serve over 75,000 customers worldwide and 20 staff at peak gifting times, Solesmith is set to turn over a six-figure sum for 2017. It just goes to show what you can do when you pull your socks up and start your own business!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Founder: Lauren Dorling Founded: 14\/11\/14 Website: www.solesmith.co.uk Admittedly “bored” by her customer service job, Lauren Dorling began researching potential business ideas when she stumbled across a pair of ski socks which she thought were perfect for her up and coming holiday. Wishing to have them personalised, the Birmingham University graduate was shocked when she was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91469,"featured_media":47320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[181],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-181"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n54. 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