Changes Makers from Canada come up with an alternative to replace use of plastic
Gillian Gainham & Ralph Rocard aim to eliminate single use of plastic - once and for all.
Bamb, disposable bamboo products that are convenient and affordable to use. Kindly share the story behind Bamb, why did you start the business?
”My boyfriend and I were both raised to respect and appreciate nature. We love to travel and explore together. On recent trips we have noticed a steady incline of plastic related pollution washing up onto shores & ending up in places in clearly should not be. It truly saddens us to see the impacts of man made plastic wreaking havoc on the Earth. Our journey to creating a sustainable startup all began back in summer 2019.
My boyfriend and I were getting ready to have a party. At the last minute we noticed that there was not enough cutlery or plates in our kitchen for all of our guests. We immediately ran out to the store, on a mission to find some disposables. We ended up going to several stores looking for a solution that was not too wasteful. At the third store we finally settled on some birch wood cutlery/plates. These products left us feeling disappointed. The wood cutlery was splintery and dry in the mouth. Our guests loved the environmental effort but agreed that the quality was lacking. This inspired us to search for a good alternative that would deliver for every occasion — without compromising quality, experience or the environment.
Our research led us to discover bamboo as a sustainable and renewable natural resource. We learned that it has a lower environmental impact than the vast majority of other fibres. Combined with its other great natural attributes, it was a perfect fit.
We decided to creating a brand focused around the environment and creating change. We want to share our new found knowledge with everyone. Environmentally-friendly alternatives shouldn’t be a luxury – that’s not how change is made. Instead, we want to ensure our products are affordable enough to be used by everyone.”
Interesting. So since Bamb is founded by two university students, how do you tackle both academics and business?
”It’s definitely been a bit of a struggle; none the less, full of lessons. It is difficult sometimes, to find a balance between work, academics and having a social life. Having one another really helps. We uplift each other when time gets tough. To tackle both academics and business is no easy task.
The most important thing to remember is to always practice self care. This could mean taking a shower, going for a walk, the gym, etc. Find something that’ll keep you grounded. We have learned that If you do not take time for yourself (physically, mentally, and emotionally), you may burn out.
Organizing your tasks and goals on a calendar also helps. I personally use colour coded calendars and plan very precisely what must be done every day. I organize things by priority so that if I must move a task to the next day it will not affect my overall productivity.
Sometimes the business has had to take a backseat to both of our academic lives. When finals comes around, it can be a stressful time. We remember to not be too hard on ourselves. Even if we are really busy with school, there’s always a little task that can be accomplished towards the business. This little task can move us a small inch forward. We try and make progress every day.”
What have you learnt so far as a young entrepreneur trying to make a global impact? And what advice can you give to a young person going on the same direction of being a distrupter/change maker?
”We have learned so much over the past year! Honestly it’s been crazy, but the most powerful lesson we have learned was to believe in ourselves and believe in the message we are advocating.
When you are attempting to make big changes there are some people that are uncomfortable. They may discredit what you are doing saying it is ‘unrealistic’ or what you are doing is ‘impossible / not worth it’.
During these instances you must dig deep within yourself and remember why you started in the first place.
Our advice to a young person who would like to disrupt the norm and be a change maker is to keep pushing forward. Use your voice and social platforms to express yourself. Education is a lifelong journey, so stay up to date with current events and verify your sources/information.
When people doubt you, remember you are capable of creating change. You will eventually find your supporters and a like minded group of people. “Your vibe will attract the right tribe”.”
What do you consider the 4 main crucial skills you should learn before starting a business?
”Before starting your business we recommend polishing up on these four skills:
Mindset:
Read a lot of books, listen to podcasts, watch videos, attend talks, join groups. All of these things will help you to build the necessary business mindset. It takes mental fortitude and a strong will to start your own business. Build a mindset before beginning your journey!
Time management:
You have probably heard this many times. It is crucial. As a new business owner starting out, you may have to wear many hats. Everyday tasks are going to compete with your new business — for your time. There are only so many hours in a day to be productive. Maximize and manage your time so that you can achieve a balanced life. Make routines, use calendars, prioritize!
Organization:
Organization is another key skill to solidify before starting your own business. If you have exceptional organization before hand, it will save you time and money when your business gets going. Things will be crazy some weeks and you must stay organized and calm.
Sales:
If you are going into business for yourself, learn to sell. Get comfortable with talking about the products or service you would like to sell. Think, who is my target audience what are they like? Relate to them and research them. Think like them. Learn about branding — relate your brand to your target audience.”
There's a wholesale page on your website, how does that work for someone who'd like to be a wholesaler?
”We have a warehouse where we store in bulk. We then choose a third party logistics company to help with fulfilling orders. If your business / organization would like purchase our products in larger quantities, we can offer exclusive discounts for bulk orders. All you need to do is contact us through the form on bamb.ca and we will get back to you in 3 business days.”
So I see that Bamb is in collaboration with Kickstarter to raise funds, can we get more information of how the funds raised will be used and how investors/funders can gain from this social change project?
”That all depends on how much money we can raise. We plan on using the funds to grow our business into supermarkets, grocery stores and online platforms. We want our products to be accessible.
You shouldn’t have to go on a journey to find eco disposable cutlery, only to hear the guests be disappointed. Everybody should be able to buy quality, affordable and compostable goods.”
So after the 5th of July what can we expect from Bamb?
”After our kickstarter campaign project wraps up, we will be in touch with our backers weekly to give them updates.
We’d love to be able to travel to our manufactures to meet our workers and ensure they are in safe working environments. With the current COVID-19 we’re unsure what the situation will be, or if it’s wise at all to travel.
It also depends on our kickstarter goal being reached by July 5th.”
Bamb cutlery is so elegant, who is the visual creative behind the designs?
”Gillian Gainham is the visual communications specialist here at Bamb. She is responsible for the creative direction, photography, web design, advertising and graphics that makes Bamb brand so unique!
She is currently studying fashion communication with a minor in marketing. Gillian uses experience from her fashion background and combines it with graphic design. This unique combination lead us to produce elegant beautiful lifestyle shots of our bamboo products.
She uses storyboards and moodboards to plan out her photoshoots. This enables her to organize her thoughts and communicate an authentic visual story to the viewers. She keeps her fonts and colour pallets consistent with the brand which unifies the visual experience.”
Does Bamb do branded materials for businesses or individuals who'd love to make this their own business distributes?
”We can provide customization and laser printing for individual & business orders, if they purchase a bulk order through our wholesale page at bamb.ca ”
Can we expect to see Bamb in Amazon soon?
”Yes! We should be on amazon as soon as October 2020! We are so excited to expand our brand and make a difference to the world.”
Comments
Post a Comment