b'AT WORK WITH: Julien Vaissieres, Founder, Batch.worksBatch.works has been trading since JanuaryLaunchPad is where it all started forConscious Living collection. We worked 2018. As the founder, I was selected as aBatch.works, and this initial opportunitytogether over five months to select the winner in February 2018 of the LaunchPadhas brought us to where we are today.Theright product and colours to match their competition, which meant I receivedLondon Stationery Show in 2018 was myartworks/requirements. Over this period, a free stand at the London Stationeryfirst ever trade show, even though I hadwe moved our new facility to Containerville Show in April 2018. LaunchPad providesalready tried quite a few local and craftalong the canal in East Londona village of opportunities for innovative youngmarkets. Going for a professional show wasshipping containers repurposed into small businesses to enter the stationery industry.such a different and new world. You arebusiness spaces, occupied by all manner As a result of this, I was motivated to enternot trying to sell to individuals, but to largeof businesses, from people making food to the Stationery Matters Thirty Under 30corporations where cost and volume arearchitects and start-ups.competition, and was delighted to be namedthe main focus. This was quite intimidating atWhile working on the first prototypes one of the judges Star Choices. the time. To make the most out of this tradewe developed our unique smart factories show, our strategy was to 3D print ourcomposed of 12 machines that can run product live on site, so that visitors to the24/7 in order to fulfil future orders. In stand could instantly understand our visionOctober 2018, after all the green lights on of local and sustainable manufacturing at aproduction samples, we agreed an initial batch volume.order for over 160 Paperchase stores I was fortunate enough to have theand concessions across the UK, Ireland, Paperchase crew pass by my stand andthe Netherlands, France, Canada and the exchange a few words about what I wasMiddle East. This order has been a huge doing. At this time they where lookingchallenge for us as we had to make sure for products for their SS19 sustainableeverything was in place from quantity collection called Conscious Living. The wholecontrol, packing and labelling, to be ready collection comprises product made fromto ship in December to their distribution recycled or sustainable materials. centre. Being a LaunchPad winner and a Our products are entirely made inStar Choice in the Thirty Under 30 Awards London, using recycled or bio-basedhelped us to have more credibility among plasticthe perfect fit for Paperchasesour new clients and partners.AT WORK WITH: Kaushal Shah, Founder, Paper Plus EuropeApril 2019 marks four years of myfollowed by lows and highs throughout the journey with envoPAP. It all started asday, and ending with My life is great and an endeavour to introduce paper madegearing up for tomorrow. No single day is from agricultural waste to the Europeanlike another. Theres no typical working day markets. The vision, to make sustainabilityfor me.the new normal through products madeSome days are focussed on meeting from agricultural waste materials. We haveclients, some days focus on sales, and gone far beyond just being a paper supplier.some days I wear different caps of Finance, Support and motivation from consumersMarketing or HR. As a young CEO, each and organisations have helped us tostrategy is formed through lessons from the transition into a company now researchingpast or just trying something completely and innovating sustainable products with anew. One of the advantages I have is to travel vision to replace single-use plastic items. Ithe globe and meet clients from around the guess the most important thing is to keepworld. Cultures, behaviours, receptiveness innovating, which can be either product orto products and enthusiasm are different processes, and thats what keeps me going aseverywhere, and I aim to understand them all. an entrepreneur.I try to dedicate as much time as Recently we launched envoPAP Research,possible to my work, but its never enough a project which I am super passionatebecause of my ambition. I always start mydedication and more importantly patience. about. After seeing the amount of plasticday with prioritised tasks of the utmostNot everything goes according to plan, and being used globally, I felt a need to findimportance, and then follow with morefor everything to fall in place takes time. ways to use envoPaP to replace single-usetime-consuming tasks, and those whichEvenings for me are usually talking with my plastic in commodity items. Plastic is aneed the most concentration, like research.partner about each others business and serious problem and finding a solution withHowever busy the day gets, I always make alearning from our experiences. Having a our product and expertise would be ourpoint to keep myself updated on the currentpartner whos also an entrepreneur is very greatest achievement of all.news, reading books and learning as muchhelpful as we have similar thought processes Every day is a different hustle, andas I can. The more I know, the broader theand we brainstorm to develop each others tackling challenges as they arise is the way Ivision I can have. ideas and to give feedback. I love what want to shape myself. Each day presents newStarting and then running a businessI do and have so far always enjoyed the adventures, achievements or challenges. Theis a hustle in itself, and I certainly believeadventures. I look forward to the future and day always starts with a lot of motivation,it does take a certain level of discipline,the impact we can create.64 SPRING//SUMMER 2019'