Brothers set off on an Advanture, following Business Gateway support
A business that specialises in campervan gifts have been able to expand their product offering and increase orders by 900%, following support from Business Gateway.
Founded in August 2020, The Advanture is the brainchild of two brothers, Dylan and Luke McConnell. After initially offering customers a limited range of products and campervan designs, the team approached Business Gateway for advice and support as they looked to scale up their business activities.
Working with Business Gateway, the team were able to access support through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) where they accessed three days specialist support from a graphic design expert.
This allowed the team to cater to a much wider audience as the graphic designer was able to create 60 new campervan designs. This in turn meant the team could invest in more stock, as well as offer new ranges.
This support has resulted in a dramatic increase in sales, with orders up over 900% per month. The team has also been able to further develop their offering and include over 60 new van illustrations that have been added to their range of keyrings, clothing, travel mugs, thermal bottles, wall art, key holders and chopping boards.
Dylan McConnell, co-founder, The Advanture said: “What started as a side project for both of us turned into a business opportunity that we knew we had to pursue. The campervan gift market is niche but growing and there is no one like us on the market.
“Thanks to the clear advice and direction given by our adviser, Simon, the whole experience with Business Gateway has been incredibly simple. The funding we received allowed us to scale-up our offering much quicker, dramatically increasing our range and in turn allowing us to target more customers and drive sales.”
Simon Orr, adviser, Business Gateway, said: “A business often requires a varied mix of support as it grows from a start-up to a more established operation. Dylan and Luke make a great team and have unique skillsets that complement each other. Their passion, high quality product and drive is why the business is going from strength to strength.
“They made strategic use of the diverse support provided by the Business Gateway services, and for others in a similar position I would encourage reaching out to see how we can help.”
