A Glasgow-based start-up business has won £75,000 and a business support package.
Guy & Beard took the award as part of Scottish EDGE – Scotland’s leading business competition for innovative, high growth potential entrepreneurial talent.
Founded by Arti Poddar and Usman Mohammed, Guy & Beard run high quality barber shops out of converted shipping containers in convenient locations, with free parking and affordable prices.
In the space of five and a half months, Guy & Beard have opened three shops at key locations in Glasgow and are due to open a fourth soon.
The business was one of twenty Scottish EDGE finalists who pitched their business idea live at Stirling’s Macrobert Arts Centre on 29th May to a panel of business heavyweights made up of: Jim McColl OBE of Clyde Blowers, Steve Dunlop of Scottish Enterprise, Simon Hannah of Filshill, Maeve McMahon of Royal Bank of Scotland and Carol Beattie of Stirling Council.
During the intense final, the judges deliberated over the various pitches before declaring 11 of the businesses winners.
Twenty-five businesses in total received funding of just under £1m as part of the Scottish EDGE’s twelfth competition round, which launched in February of this year.
Scottish EDGE, which looks to support Scotland’s innovative, high-growth potential entrepreneurial talent, received almost 250 applications for the current competition round.
Arti and Usman were presented with their award by founder, chairman and CEO of Clyde Blowers, Jim McColl.
Announcing the award, Scottish EDGE CEO, Evelyn McDonald, said: ‘Guy & Beard are focusing on turning a fairly basic and traditional task into a cool experience.
‘Using old shipping containers, they have created walk-in barber shops that are situated in some of the key retail outlets in Glasgow and with the support of Scottish EDGE will be rolling these out to other major cities across the UK.’
Usman Mohammed said: ‘We were up against some exceptional competition and would like to congratulate them all for getting to the final.
‘Launching Guy & Beard in Scotland will hopefully allow us the platform to encourage other entrepreneurs to set up their dream businesses. We believe in our businesses, employ brilliant people and are not afraid of hard work.’
Arti Poddar said: ‘The fact we’ve seen tremendous growth is testament to the strength and loyalty of our wonderful team – without whom we wouldn’t have won Scottish Edge funding. We would like to congratulate all the winners of Scottish Edge Funding 2018.’
Guy & Beard currently employs 12 full time staff and plan to launch their own affordable male grooming product range later this year.
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