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WHEN the Covid-19 lockdowns shuttered his printing business, Grant Fraser found himself at a crossroads early in his entrepreneurial career.
However, rather than simply pack it in and return to the day job, the Paisley businessman decided to embrace the sweet side of life and created SweetPunkz, a confectionery venture that has not only thrived but has also been a force for good in the local community.
Using the power of social media to drive sales, Grant has forged a successful business model, achieved a six figure turnover just two years into trading and earned himself a loyal customer base throughout Scotland and beyond.
Sensing a gap in the market for a modern-day online sweetshop with a face, Grant moved quickly – swapping printing for pick and mix overnight.
“Scrolling through TikTok, the same videos kept appearing. I thought, everyone loves sweets, there might be an opportunity here to do it my style”, he said.
Shortly later, he signed a lease for a Renfrewshire Council incubator unit ordered stock, designed a website and created a brand ahead of launching in March 2021.
“In the space of a few weeks, I went from having no idea where I was going next to being totally immersed in the world of confectionery,” he said.
Grant’s entrepreneurial spirit took a charitable turn months later when he launched the SweetPunkz Super Sour Challenge in aid of the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH).
Having purchased stock that even the self-declared sweet tooth couldn’t handle, he was left with sweeties so sour that he didn’t think he could sell them.
Instead, he decided to give the sweets away for free to those brave enough to take on the challenge. All they had to do was suck the sweets for 20 seconds and record their effort on TikTok.
Within an hour, the challenge had amassed 200,000 views. By morning, it had soared to 1m, and by the time it ended over 30m people had watched across all video posts. Meanwhile, over £1,400 was raised for SAMH and followers of SweetPunkz skyrocketed from 3,000 to 36,000.
Grant said: “SAMH carry out some fantastic work and remain a lifeline to many. To raise money and awareness for them is something that I am immensely proud of.”
Since then, the momentum has continued. Sales have hit record levels, while SweetPunkz continues to grow.
Beginning with a range of 50 sweets for customers to create their own pick and mix, SweetPunkz now also boasts a range of imported goodies and confectionery, some of which have even been discontinued in the UK.
To mark another milestone, SweetPunkz has recently moved into larger premises run by CoVault, the workspace company that offers month-to-month contracts for micro and small businesses with 19 locations across Scotland.
However, he remains grateful for the Renfrewshire Council incubator unit that set the scene for first two years of SweetPunkz success. With his stint at the incubator coming to end, Grant was forced to look for an alternative base.
Fortunately, CoVault were on hand to offer a custom-built space in Paisley through their Enterprise Foundation which aims to help start-ups scale up and grow.
“CoVault has been brilliant and helped us create a space that is tailored to our needs,” het said.
For further information, visit: covaultworkspace.com
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