How I started my own business – Abigail and Chloe from Buttercrumble

Graphic and Communication Design grads Abigail and Chloe talk about how they set up their own design business, Buttercrumble. They talk us through their entrepreneurial journey and the help and support for their business they got at Spark. If you are interested in start up don’t forget to check the blog regularly for contributions from other Spark businesses.

Our Business:

We are Abigail and Chloe, a design duo, who are also known as Buttercrumble. We are passionate about collaborating with other creative people who believe in the power of good design. We’re a super-synced twin team, born and bred in Yorkshire, who graduated from the University of Leeds in 2016. We’ve had a lifetime love of art and design so it was a no-brainer when we applied to study Graphic & Communication Design. The skills we’ve developed at university have been vital to the growth of our business.

How I started my own business: WayWest Design

This week, Jack, a New Media graduate talks about his experience of setting up his own business, WayWest Design – he explains how the Enterprise opportunities at the University have helped him throughout his entrepreneurial journey and what benefits this experience has brought him. If you’re interested in starting your own business, read on and don’t forget to check out the Leeds University Start up Service page on our website for more information.

About my business:

I’m Jack Weston, founding Director at WayWest Design. We provide expert services in Web and App Development, Digital Design and Illustration, Photography, Videography, Motion Graphics, SEO Consultancy, Marketing Consultancy & Digital and Marketing Strategy to our worldwide client base. Our purpose is to deliver specialist knowledge in our field as well as maintaining a personal quality for our clients.

WayWest was established whilst I was still studying at the University of Leeds. I have always had passion for design so I began designing logos, graphics and websites for friends and family members free of charge in order to gain experience and add to my portfolio. From there, I was recommended to people and businesses outside of my network, rapidly increasing my profile and has spiraled into the successful business that it is today.

Getting into Entrepreneurship

Are you considering starting your own business, but wondering whether it’s definitely for you? In this guest blog Christian Nellemann, CEO of XLN Telecom, explains how he became a successful entrepreneur and how you could too!

If you count being hard-working, persevering, passionate and enthusiastic among your character attributes, as well as having an eye for an opportunity, then you might just have what it takes to not only be your own boss but to strike it rich along the way.

How I got my job: Co-founder of JumpIn

Do you have a business idea? Thinking of starting-up whilst you’re still a student? Sam Ryan is one half of the duo who founded JumpIn. In this blog post he explains why you should make the most of being a student and start-up whilst you’re still studying!

 Barney Williams and Sam Ryan, co-founders of JumpIn, at No.10!

In April 2012, I was sat in a bar in Leeds city centre with Barney Williams. We lived three roads apart in Hyde Park, yet we irrationally decided to take two separate cabs to the same destination. It was from here that we decided to explore the possibility of taxi sharing. 18 months on and we’re now the co-founders of JumpIn, a community focussed taxi booking and sharing mobile app purely for students.