a few friends, but unfortunately they had double booked themselves. I didn’t want to waste the tickets (and my money!) or rip anyone off, so I looked for a way to sell the tickets for face value to real fans who perhaps missed out when the tickets were released. Seeing that there wasn’t a free option available at the time, Vibe Tickets was born. I put my tickets on twitter and ended up selling them – making a fan and my pocket happy!
You started your business journey at the tender age of 17, what was it like being a young entrepreneur?
At the time I didn’t think of myself as an en- trepreneur, I just spotted a gap in the market and acted upon it. I suppose looking back now, not many 17 year olds would have saved the money with the aim of opening a call centre, they would probably be saving for the latest pair of trainers or holiday with their mates, but for me it made business sense.
Did you find that people were comfort- able dealing with a young business- man… staff, suppliers etc? To be completely honest I had to fib a little about my age in order to get the call centre space because I was too young at the time. Me and the owner of that space are still in contact and we laugh about it now! That was probably the main hurdle I faced, I didn’t have to deal with a set of suppliers neces- sarily for that business.
Were you always entrepreneurial? Where did you get it from?
I wouldn’t say I had an entrepreneurial flare from a young age, my parents aren’t entrepreneurs. My dad’s a salesman which I suppose could have contributed to my ambitious personality. What really drives me is the recognition I get from successful business decisions. I would say that natural feeling is what led me to starting my own businesses as opposed to the money.
You founded Vibe Tickets and identified a gap in the market… Tell us more about the business.
It all started with a personal experience in navigating the secondary ticketing market. I actually purchased gig tickets for me and
46 • ENTREPRENEUR •
Vibe Tickets is now a social and ethical solution for people who want to buy or sell tickets to the biggest live events in the UK. Tickets can only be sold at face value which means sellers receive the money they orig- inally spent and buyers are not left feeling ripped off.
How did you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
There are a few big players who facilitate the buying and selling of tickets, however Vibe Tickets is free and will always have a free service to its users and customer satis- faction is treated with utmost importance.
We are working on an exciting new plan to build on our existing offering which will set us apart from our competitors – watch this space!
You are familiar with the ‘dark side’ of the ticket industry… How did you prepare your business to counter ticket touts and black market sales? We have a dedicated team in place to sift through any new ‘viber’s’ accounts and flag any suspicious activity, but ultimately if tickets are being sold at face value there is no problem.
Do you feel there should be tighter regu- lation on ticket sales? Yes, currently anyone can sell tickets on the secondary market, even if they don’t actually have the tickets in their possession. I think you should only be able to sell tickets once you can prove you physically have them.
Sharon Hodgson, a Labour Party politician, has been leading a campaign in Parliament to regulate the secondary ticketing market to protect fans particularly from the worst practices of ticket touts. The stance Sharon takes is one Vibe Tickets agrees with be- cause it aligns with our ethical policies.
How do you utilise social media market- ing techniques?
Social media is king in this market, through word of mouth, Vibe Tickets has rapidly grown to a community of 140k followers. We’re looking to capitalise on this further and are currently exploring various partner- ship opportunities to expand on this follow- ing. Given our key focus is on millennials who have a culture of sharing content, we aim to create relevant and sharable content that will help expand our reach.
Which platforms are the most effective for your business? Definitely Twitter, but we are focusing on other platforms also. All will be revealed in the very near future!
You have discussed the topic of ethics in the past and how did it shape your business model?
The business model is based on peer to peer communication, growing this with a secure payments platform in the future.
Everyone should have fair access to tickets and that is why we are strict about face value sales. Ultimately, the power is in the people’s hands as the business model currently stands but we are certainly looking to develop this.
Do you think that every business should publish a code of ethics on their web- site?
Businesses in the peer to peer industry should absolutely publish a code of ethics on their website, Vibe Tickets certainly will be when finalised. This code is how a strong community is built. However, if you are a business selling a product or service then this may not apply as much, T&C’s would suffice.
You employ a team of interns at your business… what are the advantages and disadvantages of having an internship programme? To fully understand your business audience, you have to invest in like-minded people. With this in mind, Vibe Tickets started with around 12 interns who were all enthusiastic about attending gigs themselves and about the chance to help shape Vibe Tickets with the customer front of mind. Having started out at such a young age myself, I think it is important to give young people a chance –
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100