⚡ How this Start-Up Created a Luxury Suitcase Brand After Struggling with Software

Morning Innovators ⚡ In less than 5 minutes, we’ll cover…

🥳 The best funding opportunities, events and jobs in the Start-Up world this week
📰 This week’s biggest news stories in the Start-Up world
🧳 How this Start-Up created a luxury suitcase brand after struggling with software
⛔️ How saying no to customers can rocket your revenue
🕸 A tool that enables you to optimise your website in minutes

✨ Last weeks most clicked link was this link taking you through to apply to Google’s Female Founder Start-Up accelerator.

Happy hustling,

Rich

🎤 Events/Opportunities

📣 London’s Largest Demo is back! Want to pitch your Start-Up to 400+ of the best investors in the UK? Apply here!

💸 Swizzle Ventures has raised a $5m inaugural fund addressing women’s health and wealth, keep updated with their launch here.

🦅 Barclays Eagle Labs have opened applications for their Funding Readiness Programme, you can apply here.

💼 Start-Up Jobs

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Founder’s Associate, Founder Coach
✍️ Product Engineer, Alguna
🧑‍💻 Fullstack Engineer, Lightdash

💼 Bosses at coworking company Second Home buy out investors and give it new life. Sifted

🚛 Uber CEO resigns from board of self-driving truck Start-Up. TechCrunch

✋Toyota’s Woven City is open for business and looking for Start-Ups. TechCrunch

📱Smartphone maker Nothing in £30m debt raise after losses widen. UKTN

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How could publicly turning customers away lead to an increase in revenue? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Equinox Fitness Club when they publicly announced that they weren’t taking on any new members who were just there for their New Year’s resolution.

It may seem counterintuitive to turn customers away in the most fruitful period of the year for gyms, but Equinox did this to solidify their brand. By telling everyone that Equinox isn’t for people who just want to work out a few times in January, but it is in fact for the hardcore athletes that really want to push themselves, they very clearly address their target market, and become the go-to gym for this exact type of gym attendee.

Hardcore gym goers queued up to join Equinox, and they’ve established themselves as the best in the market for their niche.

How can you say no to customers and have it lead to an increase in revenue?

Each week we highlight our favourite tools - either something we’ve been using in our businesses, or tools that our innovator community have recommended.

Sitelifter is an AI-powered tool that helps you optimise website pages for better design, messaging, user flow, and conversions. Get actionable insights tailored to your target audience, reduce errors upfront, and improve performance without guesswork.

FORTE TRVL: Redefining Premium Luggage for the Modern Traveller

The Mission: Timeless Design, Built to Last
FORTE TRVL is a premium luggage brand specialising in high-quality aluminium luggage designed for modern professionals and discerning travellers. Combining timeless aesthetics with exceptional durability and functionality, FORTE TRVL offers products with interchangeable parts, allowing customers to repair and reuse their luggage for a lifetime. This approach not only ensures longevity but also minimises luggage waste, aligning with a sustainable and thoughtful ethos.

Solo Founder Journey: A Vision Rooted in Passion
FORTE TRVL was founded as a solo venture, driven by the Founder’s personal vision and a deep connection to the product. Inspired by childhood memories of their late mother’s monogrammed Louis Vuitton luggage, the Founder, Harris Cole, sought to create a global brand that balances style, practicality, and sustainability.

Having previously run a software-based startup that enabled university students go find local deals in nearby stores, there had been plenty of learnings. The Founder intentionally decided against taking on a Co-Founder. This decision allowed them to maintain clarity of vision while channeling their passion into every aspect of the brand.

First Customers: Scrappy, Creative Beginnings
FORTE TRVL’s early sales story is all about being aware of your skills, and knowing how to use them. Armed with a passion for videography and photography, the Founder leveraged their skills to create homemade ads using a white bedsheet from eBay and a freezing cold unit as the backdrop.

The first customer was a former boss, but true sales momentum began with Meta ads a week later. Learning on the fly, the Founder embraced a scrappy, “figure-it-out-as-you-go” approach, staying agile and flexible - a hallmark of startup life.

Scaling the Business: Focus on What Works
FORTE TRVL’s scaling strategy is refreshingly straightforward: double down on what’s working and optimise it. Rather than spreading resources thin across multiple channels, the Founder focused on refining ad spend efficiency, testing creative angles, improving conversion rates, and increasing customer lifetime value.

By staying laser-focused and avoiding over-complication, the team has been able to scale effectively without unnecessary distractions.

Key Lessons and What They’d Do Differently

1. Website Matters: In the high-end market segment, a polished and functional website is crucial. The Founder realised that even the best ads won’t convert if the website isn’t optimised for a seamless shopping experience.

2. Remove Emotional Attachment: Advertising requires patience and a data-driven mindset. Optimising for Return on Ad Spend is critical, with secondary metrics taking a backseat.

3. Trust the Process: The Founder emphasises not comparing one’s early-stage journey to others who are far ahead, staying focused on personal progress and goals.

Bootstrapped Success: Funding Through Personal Savings
FORTE TRVL was bootstrapped using savings from the Founder’s previous role in Wealth Management. While it felt like a significant risk at the time, trusting their gut proved worthwhile. The Founder has intentionally chosen to grow the business without seeking external investment, focusing instead on maximising the resources at hand.

Biggest Challenges: Growing Pains
One of the most significant challenges has been managing inventory and meeting demand during peak seasons. In Q4, the busiest time for retail and e-commerce, stock shortages prevented the brand from capitalising fully on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday rush.

Next week I’ll be highlighting another awesome Start-Up, as well as sharing all the usuals including funding opportunities, Start-Up news, plus plenty of awesome tips, tricks and tools.

P.S. Connect with me on LinkedIn…