Hoxton North Coffee: Victoria Bosworth

Name: Victoria Bosworth
Age: 35
Company name: Hoxton North Coffee
Staff numbers: 4
Location: Yorkshire and the Humber
Date launched: 09/10/2013
Website: hoxtonnorth.com

Tell us what your business does:

Hoxton North is a specialist, independent espresso and brew bar and lifestyle space located on Parliament Street in the heart of Harrogate. We serve espresso and filter based coffee, whole or ground beans for brewing at home as well as made-for-home merchandise.

The business also hosts corporate and private events, including coffee tastings, brew bar sessions, exclusive pop-up events, book launches, poetry readings and live music sessions to encourage the local community to connect more and share stories.

Where did the idea for your business come from?

Having lived in London for over 10 years and being exposed to some fantastic independent coffee shops we decided to take what we’d loved and experienced in London to Harrogate in the North of England.

How did you know there was a market for it?

Harrogate is a traditional spa town with iconic tea rooms like Bettys. Having lived in London and experienced some exceptional independent coffee shops as well as reading all the research on consumer behaviour and lifestyle café culture towards drinking coffee and the growth of third wave coffee, we realised there was an opportunity to take advantage of this and set up a store in Harrogate which lacked any specialist coffee shops.

What were you doing before starting up?

I was a marketing manager for the travel retail division of Estee Lauder Cosmetics in London.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

No, however an opportunity came about and after living in London for over 10 years we decided to take advantage of it. My husband and I also wanted a career and lifestyle change and wanted to be closer to our family.

How did you raise the money?

The money raised was a mixture of personal savings and family support.

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

The main challenge has been cashflow. To manage cashflow we’ve had to be really focused with our suppliers to ensure that there is minimal wastage.

Describe your business model and how you make money:

We make money through coffee sales in the café as well as through selling merchandise and organising events.

What was your first big breakthrough?

We reached number one on TripAdvisor for restaurants and cafés in under four months of opening. We feel that the reason for this has been our hard work, customer focus and attention to detail.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Do your research, know your numbers, use social media and be prepared to work very hard in the short term.

Where do you want to be in five years’ time?

We would like to have either exited via a trade sale or created multiple location sites.