Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu: ‘We did two years of R&D earlier than launching the model’

Welcome to Small Enterprise Snippets, the podcast from SmallBusiness.co.uk. Right now’s visitor is Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu, skilled footballer and founding father of The Turmeric Co.

We focus on the challenges of beginning a uncooked liquid meals enterprise and taking it to worldwide markets.

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Hey and welcome to Small Enterprise Snippets, the podcast from SmallBusiness.co.uk. I’m your host, Anna Jordan.

Our visitor at present is Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu, entrepreneur {and professional} footballer. He has remodeled 400 appearances for Studying, Swindon, South Finish, West Brom, England and Wales, scoring ‘that objective’ in opposition to Belgium in Euro 2016.

Earlier than his profession took off, Thomas sustained two heavy cruciate ligament accidents. The painkillers he was taking had been having hostile results, so he and his father got down to discover a pure treatment and realized of the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric which he began taking in shot kind. He went on to develop into knowledgeable footballer after being informed by medical doctors that such a profession was out of the query.

Thomas determined to take the turmeric photographs recipe and switch it right into a enterprise. Gross sales for The Turmeric Co have elevated by 600 per cent over the previous 12 months and the workforce has quadrupled.

We’ll be speaking in regards to the challenges of organising the corporate and increasing into totally different international locations.

Anna: Hello, Thomas, how are you?

Thomas: Hello, Anna. I’m good. Thanks. How are you?

Anna: Yeah, not dangerous. Not dangerous in any respect.

As we touched on within the intro, there’s just a little bit alluding to how The Turmeric Co took place. Might you inform us a bit extra about how the corporate and the way the photographs got here to be?

Thomas: We launched The Turmeric Co in 2018. Primarily, what we did was we aimed to carry a spread of extremely practical pure shot blends, which my father had created a decade earlier, to market. We realised that there have been various customers buying inside this shot class of practical shot drinks within the type of liquid meals. The standard in the marketplace wasn’t what it ought to be, and it wasn’t wherever close to the standard of the product that we had been utilizing as a family-made recipe. The mix itself is one thing which I had used, as talked about, a decade earlier, to assist my very own restoration from surgical procedures I’d had as a young person.

We realised that if we might carry this to market at scale, we might additionally influence positively a number of totally different individuals in all totally different walks of life, to permit them to dwell a wholesome and energetic life-style. So we needed to construct a bespoke manufacturing facility, with a purpose to scale up our manufacturing of those high-quality photographs. Then we needed to construct a logistics infrastructure and a framework throughout the enterprise sitting beneath the model, to permit us to ship the product direct to customers in a calming format all through the UK.

We efficiently achieved that in 2018, launched the enterprise and we constructed the enterprise and the manufacturers very a lot as a digitally native vertical model. So very a lot round that on-line buyer expertise, making certain that we might educate the purchasers as nicely, to take them by the journey of residing a wholesome and energetic life-style. With that we constructed a very robust subscription mannequin on-line. And yeah, we’ve clearly grown year-on-year since launch, we’ve constructed the enterprise off of three essential skews in our vary. We’re ready now the place we’re seeking to upscale, once more, persevering with to ship the product all through the UK and discover worldwide alternatives of distribution as nicely.

Going again to the place you began, what sort of challenges or difficulties did you may have beginning and working the enterprise within the early days?

Thomas: So usually, when manufacturers arrange, they arrange simply as that – as a model, so a kind of model within the gross sales channel. However we needed to develop into a beverage manufacturing enterprise in addition to a model. We virtually arrange two simultaneous enterprise fashions, which had been clearly intertwined, to permit us to ship the standard of merchandise that we envisaged delivering. And in order that was the primary problem when it comes to that complete infrastructure – understanding manufacture, the accreditations related to that.

As soon as we achieved that, which took round two years of analysis and growth to attain, we then launched the model. The most important ingredient and problem that we confronted as a model was actually about differentiating our product with others in the marketplace. As a result of, sitting on the shelf, it’s very onerous to differentiate the variations or the USPs (distinctive promoting factors) in what we’d see as a very high-quality product in ours, versus a comparatively lower-quality product and a much less efficient product, which possibly incorporates apple juice, orange juice, water – or it doesn’t have as a lot of the practical uncooked substances of the turmeric and the ginger roots. It was actually nearly how we will differentiate that and talk that to customers and to the market.

We actually did a number of analysis, we labored onerous when it comes to our branding and messaging across the product. The important thing ingredient for us was constructing that on-line retailer and that on-line eCommerce platform, which allowed us to essentially educate customers and take them on that journey. As we stated, we’ve constructed a very robust community – a very robust group – all centered round wholesome and pure residing by high-quality vitamin. We had been seeking to attain as many individuals as attainable with the vary and to assist individuals in all totally different walks of life.

How about enlargement as you’re seeing into the longer term and going internationally? What sort of challenges do you envisage there?

Thomas: So once more, as a result of the product is contemporary, it’s uncooked, it must be chilled. We have now to ship a calming distribution chain wherever we go. Whether or not that’s the final mile to customers, we needed to construct the boxing and the packaging in a means the place the product was insulated and chilled. The most important problem that we clearly face is round how we preserve that chilled distribution chain all through the product lifecycle. And yeah, it’s an extra ingredient.

Once more, it’s whenever you have a look at kind of merchandise in the marketplace, there’s a number of ambient shot merchandise, and that’s achieved by pasteurisation. However should you pasteurise a product, notably a pure product, you’re compromising as much as 90 per cent of the dietary worth of the product. Parts similar to which are actually essential the place we may very well be ambient, and we might have a shelf lifetime of over a 12 months on the product. However truly, the aim and the advantage of the product can be severely compromised. We determined to not go down that route. It wasn’t nearly mainstream distribution. It’s about delivering a high-quality shot format to individuals in a handy style and that’s what we’ve achieved. However now, as you stated, scaling that past, notably worldwide markets, the problem is clearly sustaining that high quality and that degree of distribution all through.

Yeah, completely. By way of the shot kind, I’ve seen just a little little bit of pushback from customers saying that they want one thing, say, in a much bigger bottle, maybe with much less plastic or one thing longer life. What would you say in response to them?

Thomas: Yeah, so once more, it’s all in regards to the high quality of the product that we ship. And so we can not use glass bottles, as a result of we don’t pasteurise our product. So we couldn’t transfer to glass bottles. However as I stated we’d be compromising the merchandise effectiveness by as much as 90 per cent. So what we’ve finished as a model, and as a enterprise, is we’ve embedded sustainability initiatives at our core. So for example, all of our bottles are created from 25 per cent biodegradable and 75 per cent recycled plastic. We even have simply launched a recycling returns initiative, which permits prospects to return their plastic bottles, in addition to the boxing and insulation on to us freed from cost.

The place we’ve clearly received a subscription mannequin, the best way that that works is on the client’s subsequent supply, all they need to do is hand again the field with the bottles and the packaging, to the courier and will probably be couriered again to us. And what we’re engaged on doing now could be bringing these used bottles again into our provide chain. We’re a deep sterilisation, a deep cleansing course of the place we will then reuse these bottles. And what that’s permitting us to do is and negate that degree of single-use plastic, which clearly may be very damaging to the setting, the place we’re primarily saying each single one in all our bottles can be utilized a number of instances by taking part on this recycling returns initiative. It’s one thing we’re actually happy with. As I stated, sustainability is at our core. And we’re seeing incredible suggestions from our prospects, and extra importantly, incredible participation within the initiative as nicely.

For our listeners who maybe are pondering of getting a enterprise with a type of recycling scheme, and what can they anticipate when it comes to prices to set one up?

Thomas: By way of the recycling scheme, prefer it’s clearly working collaboratively with the couriers. We labored actually onerous with all of our couriers to make it possible for they’re aligned with our initiatives and with our values to facilitate that kind of degree. Now, once more, that recycling returns initiative comes at a value. However that price is one thing that we soak up as a enterprise, that we embed into our infrastructure and into our mannequin. However once more, it’s not for all companies, as a result of I feel we’re in all probability one of many solely UK-based companies who actually ship that initiative as a basic a part of their core. However the influence that it has not solely on the setting, but in addition on the group and the understanding of our model values is very large as a result of it exhibits and proves that we’re taking sustainability significantly and we’re actually taking forward-thinking steps to facilitate that as nicely.

Entrepreneurship is kind of a typical profession path for footballers after they retire, why do you suppose that’s?

Thomas: Yeah, I feel there are particular challenges which include entrepreneurship, that are aligned with elite sports activities. By way of elite sports activities, you must have a excessive degree of competitiveness, that you must frequently ship and try in the direction of attaining one thing. That’s very a lot related when it comes to entrepreneurship. You’re at all times going to face adversity challenges, however it’s the way you overcome these, the way you cope with these and how one can at all times make the very best final result out of that adversity. There are undoubtedly a number of synergies in that. Additionally, there’s plenty of dangers concerned in companies, notably whenever you’re attempting to ship such a distinct segment product into a brand new rising class.

However the rewards actually are there. The rewards for us [The Turmeric Co] are receiving at present over 10,000 optimistic buyer opinions on our vary. We’ve positively impacted 10,000 individuals sufficient for them to go and write a testimonial and inform us about their very own expertise. That’s the reward – positively impacting individuals’s lives. Notably this present day, when there’s a lot spoken round well being, vitamin and wellness. It’s actually an essential subject, and also you see it when it comes to the HFSS regulation, the excessive fats sugar and salt regulation coming into play now, which, once more, I’m very actively outspoken about, as a result of the influence that snack meals, quick meals, junk meals, highly-processed meals are having on our society, however extra importantly, having on future generations is now extra prevalent than ever.

An instance of that’s that since lockdown has completed, one in 4 youngsters are leaving main faculty overweight and that that’s essentially as a result of vitamin and to the meals decisions that households and youngsters are making. Clearly this must be modified, there must be steps in the direction of optimistic, wholesome existence. And for us at The Turmeric Co, we’re massively enthusiastic about that, and a driver in the direction of that change.

Yeah, I’ve learn in your web site that you just’re enthusiastic about educating the longer term technology. So how would you guys personally go about doing that?

Thomas: Yeah, so an instance of that’s that various our partnerships with elite sports activities throughout totally different sports activities sectors. We’ve partnered with over 20 skilled sports activities groups, to construct consciousness by our partnerships with them on wholesome residing, wholesome, nutritious choices and, clearly, the ability and the effectiveness of uncooked practical substances, similar to fats, similar to substances present in our vary. And constructing consciousness by these partnerships, versus the high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt manufacturers who’ve a monopoly. You’re taking, for instance, McDonald’s, Coca Cola, all of those are extremely processed, high-in-fat, high-in-sugar meals, that are in the end damaging well being of society. Their snack meals, and everybody’s allowed a snack – I like snacks as nicely – however it’s not a staple a part of my eating regimen. The difficulty is that as a result of they’ve had the monopoly for such a time frame, when it comes to advertising and marketing, promoting and principally having the ability to management the eye of the plenty, by numerous campaigns, TV campaigns, out-of-home campaigns, partnering with sports activities organisations. An instance of that’s within the World Cup. The World Cup closing – over a billion individuals watch that – and the primary sponsor of that’s Coca Cola. It’s like, in fact, when that’s the case, the younger youngsters are going to be extra predisposed to wanting these snacks as staple components of their diets and their vitamin. In order I stated, we’re basic drivers in making that change, and constructing consciousness to customers in all totally different walks of life to have wholesome, nutritious choices.

I perceive that The Turmeric Co isn’t your first foray into enterprise. You had a enterprise beforehand along with your brother known as Sports activities Ledger. Might you stroll us by a journey of that enterprise and the teachings that you just took into The Turmeric Co.?

Thomas: Yeah, so once more, I’ve very a lot been concerned in entrepreneurship all through my life. I’ve been concerned in various totally different companies, in numerous totally different sectors. Sports activities Ledger was very a lot round digitising knowledge – sports activities knowledge – utilizing blockchain expertise.

I’d say that, when it comes to the market, that was very area of interest, and really early on when it comes to that expertise, and that expertise may be very a lot nonetheless creating, however it was a incredible expertise and many nice learnings when it comes to constructing a workforce and constructing the info behind it. And for now, what we’re doing at The Turmeric Co very a lot is round knowledge and understanding our customers desires and desires, by their buying patterns and to their interactions with the model. You possibly can actually leverage knowledge to supply a very heightened buyer expertise and tailor-made buyer journeys to essentially educate them on the trail and for us now, clearly, by vitamin and thru our vary, we will tangibly see that. Yeah, it’s actually, actually good and nice experiences for certain.

Blockchain is fairly in style amongst footballers. Do you suppose that it’s shaping enterprise and can proceed to form small companies into the longer term?

Thomas: Yeah, I feel it’s nonetheless very early when it comes to kind of blockchain expertise, it’s a creating area, much like what the web was, again within the early 90s, when it comes to digitising knowledge, digitising trade of data. And all blockchain expertise is doing is digitising forex. So, having the ability to trade forex trade worth throughout the web, in a safe method. However when it comes to the event of that expertise, it’s nonetheless very a lot early days, there’s clearly a number of hype round it, notably issues similar to NFTs now, there’s a large furore round it. But it surely’s extra in regards to the fundamentals, and the basics are very early nonetheless. There’s a number of growth required within the area. If it continues to develop over time, then then actually it’s going to be expertise which will probably be adopted by the plenty.

Do you suppose the Metaverse, for instance, will speed up that?

Thomas: Yeah, once more, it’s all innovation and expertise, and it’s there now. It’s merely round adoption. It simply relies upon – the limitations for entry as they start to be damaged down; the limitations of training as they start to get damaged down, an increasing number of individuals will probably be accustomed to it and undertake it. So, yeah, it’s actually an fascinating area, one which I’ve been concerned in from very, very early on and have been lucky sufficient to have finished that. So, yeah, it’s good to see that that space creating as we converse.

What sort of assets would you suggest for small enterprise house owners who’re all in favour of blockchain and the way it’s creating and the way possibly they’ll apply it throughout the enterprise?

Thomas: Yeah, as I stated, I feel the infrastructure continues to be in growth, so I wouldn’t say there’s notably important use instances now. However provided that the web as it’s, there’s a number of infrastructure, whether or not it’s cost gateways, issues similar to PayPal, Stripe, and so forth. That infrastructure is excellent presently. There’s not a large want to maneuver over when it comes to transferring to a digitised forex within the area at this second in time. However, yeah, I feel, as I stated, there’s a number of growth required throughout the area. I do know there’s a number of work ongoing, however I feel that that may in the end simply take time, however yeah, normal strategies of transacting this present day are greater than enough.

What we’ve finished with our personal on-line retailer, we’ve constructed a really sturdy infrastructure when it comes to utilising platforms similar to Shopify Plus, utilising platforms similar to Yocto (an open-source, construct your personal Linux programme) to drive referrals, drive loyalty factors, and clearly, driving into SMS and electronic mail advertising and marketing as nicely. So, these infrastructures are all in place and may be utilised and I feel that actually ought to be the primary level of name for any entrepreneur seeking to enter into the eCommerce panorama.

Okay, truly, one thing’s simply jumped to my head. Yeah, The Turmeric Co does turmeric tokens as nicely. Was the pondering behind it some kind of another commerce? So moderately than cash, individuals can learn blogs or go away a video evaluation. What was the pondering there?

Thomas: Yeah, so it’s only a approach to reward prospects and we use Yocto loads in rewards for that. It’s principally a loyalty mechanism for purchasers who’re engaged with us. So, as they make purchases, they’re rewarded with tokens, event tokens, after which these tokens are then redeemable in retailer. So, for our loyal prospects, they’re frequently getting rewarded for buying with us and can obtain issues like totally different low cost rewards, merchandise, so it’s a very distinctive approach to construct group and advocacy by these most loyal prospects.

Anna: Alright. Properly, I feel that’s it for me. Thanks ever a lot for approaching the podcast, Thomas. It’s been nice.

Thomas: Wonderful. Thanks a lot. Absolute pleasure.

You will discover out extra about The Turmeric Co at theturmeric.co. You may as well go to SmallBusiness.co.uk for extra articles on beginning a enterprise. Bear in mind to love on Fb @SmallBusinessExperts, on Twitter @smallbusinessuk (all lowercase) and subscribe to our YouTube channel, linked within the description. Till subsequent time, thanks for listening.

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