Working life can be great. But sometimes, it can be, well, not so great. What once felt like an ideal career choice can start to grind you down.
That’s the position Bradley Allen, founder of dog food company Bruno’s Dinner was in.
“After 20 years in aviation I became very disillusioned with the corporate world and was beginning to understand I needed to do something I wanted to do,” he said.
“With some savings, and my then wife’s backing, I quit my job. At that time I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I knew the last chapter in my working life would be one of self-employment. I had been successful at everything I had done, so why would I fail at being my own boss?”
Like many prospective entrepreneurs, Bradley found inspiration for his business very close to home indeed: “We had four dogs who we fed a RAW diet, but the supplier often came when we were out, they often short delivered, and they came from nearly 4 hours away to deliver.
“My wife said ‘why not sell RAW food and offer a first class service?’.”
And so Bruno’s Dinner was born, and Bruno, as you’ve probably already guessed, is one of Bradley’s dogs.
Bradley Allen, founder of Bruno’s Dinner
The company started small – it was originally based in Bradley’s garage and turnover was £16k in the first year.
But last year turnover was £261k, and the company has relocated to a retail shop in Crawley.
Upon starting his business, Bradley was aware of the need to get online and so he joined forces with 123 Reg.
“I chose 123 Reg originally as it was affordable, and easy to build my first website. The support was always on the end of the phone or available via email which gave me peace of mind,” he said.
“Once I knew I was going to expand to a shop I commissioned you to build a website for me which is a vast improvement over my version four years ago, I now have a professional up to date website showcasing my ever-growing business.”
And Bradley has his eyes firmly on more success, although he knows things won’t always be straightforward: “The biggest hurdle is getting exposure / marketing. Success is based on the brand and who knows about you. This still worries me to this day.
“I won’t be happy until my turnover is £500k+.”
Want to get your business online like Bradley? You can start using the 123 Reg Website Builder for free here. Or you can get our Make Me A Website team to build a high-quality website for you.
