There is no time like the present to launch a new business
Fans of the tv series Dragon Den, would surely be surprised to know that Duncan Bannatyne, one of the stars, is in touch with his femine side. Of all the dragons, you may have thought he, with his hard Glaswegian exterior and ruthless dismissals of hopefuls in the Den, would be the last to acknowledge this. But inside his smartly understated flat in London’s Covent Garden, something stands out. In between the elegance of the cream sofas in the lounge and the minimilistic style of the kitchen, sits a chair dear to his heart – a garishly loud pink sofa!
On closer inspection, there appears to be something rather dapper about the man, even chic – the pinstripe seems a cut above the tightly buttoned Theo Paphitis or the bland Peter Jones. You also get the sense that he is aware of it!
Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that his latest venture is into the world of style, with the launch of a snappy line of ladies watches marketed under the name ‘Kurt Zeiss’. Design of the range is modern and comtemporary, with clear open faces in designs combining elegance with futuristic sleekness. With this range of men watches and ladies watches, Bannatyne and new business partner Grant Morgan, clearly aren’t messing around. Or maybe not? There certainly does not seem to be any great rush to sell the products, as the main outlet was through eBay, and Bannatyne’s wife’s boutique in Yarm, North Yorkshire. But since the arrival of Morgan, a new website is in operation exclusively developed to market the products.
The men met through various charity functions and realised that there was a mutual love of watches, and Duncan has admitted that he didn’t see much risk in starting the business.
Following a sluggish start, watch sales have been increasing and the predictions of growth are set to continue. The run in to Christmas should be the busiest time of the year, and at the company are preparing themselves for the extra demand.
If Kurt Zeiss is a vanity project, though, it is certainly a good one for a man who knows a good proposition when he sees one. Bannatyne, with a fortune of £320 milliion is by far the richest of the Dragons, and built the business after buying his first ice cream van twenty years ago.
Comments
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
-
IBP
Partner links
Free Trial Download
