Jewellery rental subscription service, Glitzbox, crowned Winchester winner of Virgin Media Business Voom Pitch competition
Glitzbox, the UK’s first jewellery rental subscription service, has been crowned the Winchester winner of the Virgin Media Business Voom Pitch competition. Founder, Tamsin Gordon, collects £5,000 for her business and will also get to meet Richard Branson to discuss business ideas.
Six companies from the south pitched as part of the Voom Tour to a panel of judges.
Winchester was chosen as the only city south of London for the Voom Tour and Winchester City Council worked with Virgin Media Business and Hampshire County Council to ensure that the sessions on the bus were tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs in the city to give them the most appropriate support.
Glitzbox impressed the judges with its clear business proposition and innovative offering, which is seeking to revolutionise the way women buy and discover jewellery. The service allows subscribers to borrow three pieces of jewellery every month and in turn, discover new designers. At the end of the month, users can decide which pieces they want to buy and which they'd rather return. Users also get the full subscription charge back as credit towards the pieces they simply can't live without.
Tamsin developed the idea whilst working at Notonthehighstreet.com, where she helped up-and-coming designers. She realised that there was an untapped opportunity for a totally new style of platform - one which bridged the gap between online and bricks-and-mortar. A disruptor in the jewellery space, the concept benefits both consumers, who want to try different products, and emerging designers, who gain exposure along with valuable feedback on their designs.
Following the win, Tamsin commented:
Voom is such a great initiative for people like me, who are diving in at the deep end on their own. It’s been incredible meeting all the other pitchers and hearing their stories. I still work a 35 hour week as a freelancer so this lump sum will allow me to dedicate some time to focus solely on my business.
The Right Worshipful Mayor of Winchester, Cllr David McLean, who was there to watch the competition, said:
The Voom Tour is one of the many ways that Winchester City Council has shown its commitment to taking an entrepreneurial approach to public service in line with its Council Strategy. It’s so inspiring to hear these young people talking about their new ventures with so much passion. The ambition that they have is so encouraging to see and demonstrates that Winchester and the rest of the UK is very much open for business.
James Brewer, 26, from Winchester also took part. His business, Togge, is an online platform that connects the work of aspiring artists to a community of buyers and galleries from around the world.
Mr Brewer said:
“I am humbled to have been part of the process and to have made it this far. Winchester is a small place but there is such drive in the city. I hope that my business can continue to grow here and hopefully Voom has opened some doors for me.
The Voom Tour is the first time that Voom Pitch, the UK and Ireland’s biggest business pitching competition, has hit the road in search of the best new business ideas. It’s designed to help the brightest and the best companies to perfect their pitching ahead of the national competition in 2018. In addition, the Voom Bus offers free and exclusive 1-on-1s with leading experts such as LinkedIn, Crowdfunder, Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) and JCDecaux.
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder, said:
“The Voom Tour is seeking out brilliant entrepreneurs and ideas to help break down the barriers to business success. The aim is to help them put aside their fears and take the next steps on what could be the most significant journey of their business life. I’m looking forward to meeting the winner of the Winchester Voom Pitch.
The Voom Tour is officially live and travelling to communities across the UK and Ireland, with its next stop in Glasgow on 2nd November. For more information on the Voom Tour, and details on how to register to pitch a great business idea, please visit https://voom.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/voom/tour