How does this sound? Its going in the mail shot
Your thoughts on facebook please
Cheers Dan
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Hi
Approved Food celebrates being two this weekend. Celebrate with us with a 10% discount code, just enter
------------------ Birthday ----------------
It's only valid for this week and ends on Wednesday 18th of August.
The Approved Food story so far
Nic (the wife) and I had been working on the markets selling food since 2001. We had built a sound business selling the same goods as we do now but on the markets in Hull and Doncaster.
Prior to the markets I had worked for Sony Ericsson where I had worked in engineering. As dull as it sounds, software was "my thing".
At 21 I wasn't really doing anything or going anywhere until I enrolled on a 3 year computer programming course. I sort of found my vocation in life when I completed the 3 year course in record time. Following this I took a degree in software engineering. The software element was the other skill that I would require to set up Approved Food.
Back on the markets: week in, week out, rain, sleet or snow we would set out our stall and the same customers would come and buy the bargains of the day. We only sold short dated or out of date food and drink. I checked every product to make sure it was quality (not the pet food!) and sold the goods with confidence.
The principles of the business we have now are based on what we learnt on the markets. Between us, Nic and I would serve thousands of returning customers per week many of whom soon became our friends. The markets were a great place to learn a trade, but it was hard work and when Luke (our first child) was born in 2005 the markets became even harder. His arrival brought all sorts of changes and we started looking at expanding what we had started on the markets.
Fast forward to 2007 we still worked the markets, had two shops and a wholesale food business supplying market traders. It was around this time I got the idea that what we had on the markets could be taken to the internet and the Approved Food idea was conceived.
Skip forward to August the 14th 2009 and we make our first sale. At that point we are the only on line sellers of clearance food and drink in the world!
Skip forward again to the present and we have a new warehouse the size of two football pitches; about 40 staff; 93k registered customers; we ship all over Europe; and work directly with the some of the biggest brand owners in the world.
I know along the way we have made every mistake in the book and that we are not there yet. Incidentally I could write a book about the mistakes I've made!
As I write this now, my main role in the company is buying, selling and systems development. The program I started back in 2007 stands now at just under 1 million lines of code and still counting.
As I look back at what's changed since our first birthday I realise that before our third birthday arrives, we will see all sorts of new changes, developments and achievements.
Thanks Dan
Your thoughts on facebook please
Cheers Dan
**************************************************************************************************************
Hi
Approved Food celebrates being two this weekend. Celebrate with us with a 10% discount code, just enter
------------------ Birthday ----------------
It's only valid for this week and ends on Wednesday 18th of August.
The Approved Food story so far
Nic (the wife) and I had been working on the markets selling food since 2001. We had built a sound business selling the same goods as we do now but on the markets in Hull and Doncaster.
Prior to the markets I had worked for Sony Ericsson where I had worked in engineering. As dull as it sounds, software was "my thing".
At 21 I wasn't really doing anything or going anywhere until I enrolled on a 3 year computer programming course. I sort of found my vocation in life when I completed the 3 year course in record time. Following this I took a degree in software engineering. The software element was the other skill that I would require to set up Approved Food.
Back on the markets: week in, week out, rain, sleet or snow we would set out our stall and the same customers would come and buy the bargains of the day. We only sold short dated or out of date food and drink. I checked every product to make sure it was quality (not the pet food!) and sold the goods with confidence.
The principles of the business we have now are based on what we learnt on the markets. Between us, Nic and I would serve thousands of returning customers per week many of whom soon became our friends. The markets were a great place to learn a trade, but it was hard work and when Luke (our first child) was born in 2005 the markets became even harder. His arrival brought all sorts of changes and we started looking at expanding what we had started on the markets.
Fast forward to 2007 we still worked the markets, had two shops and a wholesale food business supplying market traders. It was around this time I got the idea that what we had on the markets could be taken to the internet and the Approved Food idea was conceived.
Skip forward to August the 14th 2009 and we make our first sale. At that point we are the only on line sellers of clearance food and drink in the world!
Skip forward again to the present and we have a new warehouse the size of two football pitches; about 40 staff; 93k registered customers; we ship all over Europe; and work directly with the some of the biggest brand owners in the world.
I know along the way we have made every mistake in the book and that we are not there yet. Incidentally I could write a book about the mistakes I've made!
As I write this now, my main role in the company is buying, selling and systems development. The program I started back in 2007 stands now at just under 1 million lines of code and still counting.
As I look back at what's changed since our first birthday I realise that before our third birthday arrives, we will see all sorts of new changes, developments and achievements.
Thanks Dan