A 22-year-old serial entrepreneur from Aberdeen has launched his third business in less than 12 months – this time with his mum. Andrew and Dona Gibbon opened XOXO Floral Boutique in Peterculter, North Deeside Road at the end of September after gaining advice from Business Gateway Aberdeen City & Shire. In just three weeks sales had outstripped projections for the first quarter and three additional staff have had to be taken on to meet demand.
The retail outlet is the latest venture to be added to Andrew’s business portfolio which already includes Young Bull, a designer clothing and promotions business, and MajorVibe.com, a music production and marketing business, both of which launched earlier this year.
Andrew said: “My mum has always wanted to open her own florist, having worked for others in the industry for 10 years. We’ve always talked about the idea of opening our own so when the perfect premises came up we decided to go for it. We’ve big plans for the brand that include opening two new shops next year – another in Aberdeen and one in the central belt. It’s my biggest venture to date and although it’s tough keeping on top of three businesses, I love the challenge, and risk, that comes from growing and developing each of them.”
“I’ve a strong relationship with Business Gateway, having initially contacted them when I was 18 and about to launch Project Carbon, a high-end online fashion retailer and network which I then went on to sell. Over the years they’ve been there for support and guidance whenever I’ve needed it and signposted me to financial assistance and Princes Trust Youth Business Scotland. Because XOXO is my largest and most complex business with retail premises and full time staff, I went to my adviser to seek help with things like VAT, staffing and a lot of legal information. I can truly say that I would not be in the position I am now without my adviser’s support.”
Liz Pirrie, Business Adviser, Business Gateway said: “Andrew may be young but he has a great aptitude for business. He understands that to be successful you need to be determined, work long hours and access support where and when you can. Using our services has allowed him to rapidly build his business knowledge which, in turn, has helped him set up three successful ventures so far.”
Determined to differentiate their business from others, Andrew and Dona, launched XOXO Floristry School and XOXO@HOME on December 1.
The school will provide groups of friends and family with an opportunity to create their own floral displays in store whilst enjoying some bubbly and chocolates; while XOXO@HOME will offer “dressing” services for the home, including the creation of centre pieces for dinner parties, and consumer contracts where, for a monthly fee, arrangements will be delivered either weekly, bi weekly or monthly to consumers in their own homes.
Dona said: “We already offer corporate contracts but saw a gap in the market to provide the same service to consumers. The school will allow me to pass on some basic skills and provide people with the opportunity to make something beautiful that they can take home – like their own Christmas wreath.
“Working with Andrew just seemed the right thing to do as our skills complement each other – I have the knowledge, contacts and creativity while Andrew has the business acumen, ambition and loves to take a risk. We’ve been far busier than anticipated and want to build upon our initial success. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what we want to achieve and are working hard to establish a brand that we can be proud of.”
Contact Business Gateway on 0845 609 6611 or visit www.bgateway.com