A MAN has revealed how he turned his after-work side hustle into a £2.1million business with backing from a huge celebrity.
Josh White, 32, London, came up with the hustle with two friends while on a lads’ holiday in Thailand.
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The wedding DJ and his friends Perry Fielding, 36, and Ariel Booker, 30, were inspired to start their canned-water business after coming across a remote Thai island strewn with plastic bottles.
Their after-work side hustle is now a business with a whopping £2.1million in assets and a seven-figure investment from The Office star Ricky Gervais.
Josh told the Sun: “Cano water started as a side hustle. We all actually had full-time jobs.
“We went to Thailand and travelled to a remote island and could not believe how many plastic bottles we saw washed up on the beach.
“We had no business experience but wanted to do something that made a difference.”
The trio stumbled upon the idea of putting water in infinitely recyclable aluminium cans as a solution to plastic pollution.
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Josh said: “We were bootstrapping the business through hobbies we had – DJing for me – and then raised money from some angel investors who believed in us boys.
“We would meet up every eve after work to create a brand that didn’t exist.
“After 6 months, we got an order from Selfridges and became a sponsor of London fashion week.
“In 2016 Cano launched our first can of water in Selfridges.
“We went from being the biggest fad to a brand people started to recognise.
“We’ve now sold in excess of 50 million cans across some of the biggest retailers, including Selfridges, Tesco, Waitrose and have won accounts such as Virgin Atlantic Upper Class globally.”
CELEB BACKER
Now the brand has won over a new celebrity investor – The Office star Ricky Gervais.
Ricky told the Sun: “I’ve never really seen myself as an entrepreneur, but I do want to do something useful with my money.
“I’ve never considered myself an eco-warrior either, but I’ve always loved nature, and I hate how discarded plastics are destroying the oceans.
“I was impressed by the company’s commitment to sustainability and to being part of the solution to this destruction.
“It would be great to feel that you’d helped make a difference and I can’t wait to see how the brand evolves and hopefully becomes a success around the world.
“And if not, well, as my mum used to say ‘You can’t take it with you’.”
Josh added: “Our top tips for budding entrepreneurs would be – don’t bottle it.
“You must trust your instinct and don’t let people tell you that you can’t accomplish your goals.
“We got told by so many people that this would be an instant failure -we’re still here.”
It comes after a mum who set up her birthday party business with just £50 revealed she now hosts £500,000 parties for the rich and famous.
How to start your own business
Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis revealed his tips for budding entrepreneurs:
One of the biggest barriers aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners face is a lack of confidence.
You must believe in your idea — even more than that, be the one boring your friends to death about it.
Never be afraid to make decisions. Once you have an idea, it’s the confidence to make decisions that is crucial to starting and maintaining a business.
If you don’t take calculated risks, you’re standing still. If a decision turns out to be wrong, identify it quickly and deal with it if you can.
Failing that, find someone else who can.
It’s OK not to get it right the first time. My experience of making bad decisions is what helped develop my confidence, making me who I am today.
Never underestimate the power of social media, and remember the internet has levelled the playing field for small businesses.
Don’t forget to dream. A machine can’t do that!
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