{"id":52594,"date":"2018-11-22T00:05:25","date_gmt":"2018-11-22T00:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.startups.co.uk\/startups-awards\/?p=52594"},"modified":"2018-11-22T15:04:16","modified_gmt":"2018-11-22T15:04:16","slug":"export-business-of-the-year-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.startups.co.uk\/startups-awards\/export-business-of-the-year-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Export Business of the Year 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Start-up name:<\/strong> Fancy Dress Worldwide<\/a>
\nFounder:<\/strong> Dom Portman
\nStarted in:<\/strong> 2016
\nBased in:<\/strong> Worcester
\nBusiness description:<\/strong> An online retailer of fancy dress costumes<\/p>\n

This year’s Export Business of the Year, Fancy Dress Worldwide is a breathtakingly successful start-up.<\/p>\n

Launched in 2016 by Dom Portman, the e-commerce site for fancy dress costumes has been profitable since year one – no mean feat for a brand new business – and has gone on to grow 100% year-on-year.<\/p>\n

Exporting to 85 countries worldwide, over the past two years the business has sold over 380,000 products; expanded its product range from one item to a whopping 20,000; and grown its employee numbers from one to 25.<\/p>\n

But how has Fancy Dress Worldwide achieved such rapid growth? Portman says it is, in part, down to the business’ unique software system, which has streamlined its entire e-commerce process.<\/p>\n

For customers, the start-up’s clever tech has introduced a one-click buying portal and fostered ultra-slick customer service. Behind the scenes, the software has enabled the efficient management of mass amounts of stock.<\/p>\n

In short, the retailer’s very foundation is one that can adapt easily and quickly to rising demand.<\/p>\n

In August this year, Fancy Dress Worldwide launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. Within just 27 days, its £200,000 funding target was hit and exceeded by 39%, bagging £278,109.<\/p>\n

With plans to use the investment to break the US, and to increase sales on Amazon by integrating with Prime, the start-up is now barrelling towards a £10m valuation in 2021, with a predicted 500% growth in the three years until then.<\/p>\n

And with ambitions to develop several more e-commerce brands under the same tech umbrella, the future certainly looks big for this business.<\/p>\n

Fancy Dress Worldwide faced strong competition in the Export Business of the Year category. At the ceremony, healthy instant noodle brand Mr Lee’s Noodles<\/a> was awarded the Highly Commended trophy, while automated transcription service Trint<\/a> took home the Commended title.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Start-up name: Fancy Dress Worldwide Founder: Dom Portman Started in: 2016 Based in: Worcester Business description: An online retailer of fancy dress costumes This year’s Export Business of the Year, Fancy Dress Worldwide is a breathtakingly successful start-up. 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