Insights from an Entrepreneur - Kirsty Henshaw (Worthenshaws)

This fantastic Smarta interview features Kirsty Henshaw, one of the entrepreneurial stars of 2010, who wowed the Dragons with her frozen desert Worthenshaws Freedom. Kirsty is joining us at the Business Teacher National Conference 2011 on Thursday 30 June and it will be lovely to hear how her business has developed since this interview. Kirsty’s story is perfect as a case study for all business spec units covering the essentials of enterprise and entrepreneurship.

Click the video below to play it.

Some key learning points for students:

- The need for advice in order to enter the food industry - impact of legislation before a product can be sold legally

- Dedication: finding time at unsocial hours in order to develop the concept

- Government support: funding to support design work on packaging and initial website (sources of finance)

- Distribution: initially through specialist wholesalers rather than going straight to the supermarkets & other retailers

- The importance of getting a customer before increasing production capacity

- Persistence: e.g. insisting on getting through to “buyers”; making the first contact helps develop good customer relationships

- A successful product for supermarket buyers needs to have a clear USP