Started Black Cat because I fancied it really. It's a bit more complicated than that but that's for another time... I thought it would be fun/interesting/rewarding, and it is all of those things and more.
I was frustrated with the fact that so-called English quality brands were in fact importing a large chunk, if not all, of their bats from overseas. Before you ask, I'm not a racist- I just think there is a big demand for a quality English brand that is honest in the fact that all the bats are made in England. I conducted surveys and the level of ignorance (not by people with the knowledge of the typical CBF user, but normal people) about where/how bats are made was staggering- so I decided to push the 100% handmade in England aspect.
I decided that it was going to be a sustainable business, and have got thus far having spend £0 of my own money, mainly because I wanted to show that anyone can do it, and money really isn't a factor.
I don't manufacture my own bats, and there are good reasons for this:
1. I'm not a batmaker- to get to the level of the batmaker I currently use would take years of practice. To employ a batmaker would be very expensive, and a big risk if the venture doesn't work.
2. I was able to try out all sorts of manufacturers, most of whom were very keen to contract make bats for me (including some big names), so you can be sure that Black Cat bats are some of the very best anywhere.
3. If the quality falls below my high standards, I can quickly and easily resurrect this problem by changing supplier (I don't have to hire another batmaker etc.). That said, I don't see this happening at this rate- the bats my maker produces continue to surpass my high standards.
4. I can personally focus on the business side of things. For me, cricket bat businesses should have different people managing the manufacturing and everything else, from a business perspective. There are countless examples of cricket brands under-performing because the batmaker is/was in charge of the whole business. All batmakers want to do is make bats, and they should be left to do this, leaving the managing of then business to someone else.
I was also frustrated by my customer service experience on a few occasions, and I'm a firm believer that a quality product and good customer service are not mutually exclusive!
Loving every minute of running my own cricket brand, and am particularly enjoying my involvement at the different levels of production, from planting/growing/felling the willow, to deciding what shapes etc the bats are, to designing the stickers and running the website.
One final thought to finish: I sold a bat to a man the other day, which was going to be his son's birthday present. He replied to me saying his son was so pleased with his bat, and it had really made his day. THAT is why I do it...
Author
Topic: CUSTOM MADE COMPANIES (Read 6931 times)