[Laura Maciver | BBC Scotland Business]
“We were in profit in year one, like a tiny profit. But it was enough just to be able to see that it was viable and actually nine months down the line we both quit our full-time jobs.”
When Maths graduates Kirsten Fairlie and Heather Laughland caught up for a coffee three years ago they weren’t planning to conceive a business idea around their shared hobby of pole dancing.
The friends, who were in their early twenties and beginning careers in financial services, were venting their frustration at what they saw as the high cost and long delivery times of ordering their favourite pole-wear clothing from overseas.
The pair, now aged 27 and 25, decided to take matters into their own hands, emailing their first supplier (one of their favourite brands from the United States) that day.
They made a large order with an initial £20,000 investment (made up of all of their savings and a loan) and started selling to friends in the Glasgow pole dancing community from their stock, which they stored in Kirsten’s spare bedroom.
Their company “Pole Junkie” was born.
Cash flow
Heather says: “It did take us by surprise the way it took off.
“We totally just learned on the job how to use social media, how to use Facebook and Instagram to do all of our marketing. It just kicked off straight away.”
Pole Junkie had a turnover of £235,000 in the first year, though Heather admits there were some “scary cash flow moments” in those early days.
She said: “We ended up doing extra events and extra competitions just to try and pay import duty bills and stuff like that.
“We were in profit in year one, like a tiny profit. But it was enough just to be able to see that it was viable and actually nine months down the line we both quit our full-time jobs.”