MEET THE FOUNDER OF BASIC BOOCH
With many people now choosing to cut down, or even stop drinking alcohol altogether, there has been an increasing demand for more non alcoholic drink options. One company that’s bringing out a new drink to cater to this growing number of people is Basic Booch. In this Q&A we asked founder Ben Wood what the driving force was behind him starting Basic Booch, and how he manages setbacks. Here’s what he had to say…

Tell us about your business.
What was the driving force behind your business?
There is also a personal driving force behind setting up the business. Like many people who feel entrepreneurial urges, I have spent years having good ideas that I’ve written down and forgotten about. And then someone else comes along and does them! I was fed up of this pattern, so a year ago I challenged myself to take action and start taking Basic Booch seriously. It’s been my dream to work for myself, so I’ve got a lot of motivation to make this a successful, sustainable and profitable business.
What are your core business values?



How do you overcome setbacks?
But of course it isn’t that easy. The emotional highs and lows you get when you start a business can be tiring. I know that getting exercise helps me, so I focus on going out for a run or a walk in the countryside. It’s not easy in Covid times, but I find that getting out of my environment when things get tough is really refreshing and can make all the difference.
If you had one piece of advice for students setting out their own business what would it be?
Your focus should be on “minimum viable product” (MVP). This is a term often used in the tech industry, but it is applicable to any business, even if you’re not selling products. If you try to conquer the world from day one, you may never actually get to day one because the challenge is not practical. So, work out what the MVP is for your business and initially aim for that. When you reach it, you can continue to build, develop, and innovate to achieve your world-beating vision, and by that point you will have people around you – partners, customers, suppliers – who will help you drive the business forward. But in order to actually start, you need to have an achievable idea of where to start from.
Are there any other brands outside of your sector that you are following at the moment?
What has been your biggest achievement so far?
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