Business plan section - Mary

3.0 – Our Company

This section notes who we are, what we offer and why we do it. It also details who owns the business and the non-executive directors that work for the business

3.1 Who We Are

 

James Birkbeck  - Managing director 

Achievements

Volunteer technician on SS Great Britain

Key skills

CAD

Organisation

 

Vicki Foster – Financial Director

Achievements

6 A levels including 3A*

Key skills

Strong maths ability

Experience of budgeting

 

Rachael Smith – Product Development Director

Achievements

Many creative craft skills

Key skills

Researching

Idea development

 

Wai Pang – Branding and Advertising Director

Achievements

1^st prise winner at Portakabin exhibition

Key skills

Computer skills

CAD

Mary Jenner – Marketing and Human Resources Director

Achievements

Products on display at Harewood House Gallery

Work shown at Bradford International Film Festival

Key Skills

Initial Ideas

Organisation

 

3.2 Who owns the business?

We are all individual shareholders in this design consultancy.  James Birkbeck, Vicki Foster, Rachael Smith, Wai Pang and Mary Jenner each own 20% of the business.

3.3 What do we offer – product / services

Our products and services are all highly user based. We design what the client really wants, with an aim to make it as functional as possible. Our products have ranged from work to improve airplanes and boarding processes, modular sustainable housing, flat-pack radios, a range of proposals on how to improve commuting and many more. We work from briefs set by clients, and take them through the design process where we discover through research, define the needs, and develop concepts resulting in a design specification, CAD visuals and recommendations on production.

 

3.4 Our Aims

Our collective aim is to design quality products, with the user at the heart of the process.  We strive to provide concepts that the client will truly love. Where possible, we will aim to make the designs sustainable, as sustainability is an issue we all are passionate about.

 

3.5 Our Assets

As a company, we all share our knowledge and interests, be it around transport, technology, crafts and manufacturing or environmental issues. As we have all worked with each other throughout our undergraduate degree, we have established a highly successful designing technique and a deep understanding of each other’s areas of interest and success. This enables us to complete a wide variety of design briefs, as we can confidently draw on each design member’s skills.

3.6 Non-executive directors

Although we are a young design consultancy, we have already acquired non-executive directors though networking and contacts. These non-executive directors are from a multitude of disciplines, and have helped on variety of concepts. Alan Smith, an aeronautical engineer, for example has assisted us during an aeroplane based project.  Other projects have been supported by Mike Enever, a designer maker of bespoke furniture, Robert Johnson who is a designer for Ikea, Chris Shaw who is the joint-director of Tradebe UK (Britcare) and even Priestmangoode has aided us.