Ioan Tomos Morgan

INTRODUCTION

What do you do when you really want something but don’t have the money to buy it? For Ioan, this is what inspired him to start his brownie baking business, and although he achieved his goal quite quickly, he’s continued with the business and even has plans for expansion once he’s sat his GCSEs. Find out more about Ioan’s story here…

Why did you decide to start a business while still at school?

Ioan wanted a Virtual Reality headset so he could join in with his friends who were already using them, but knew he’d have to save up to buy one. He thought about how he and his Mam loved baking and looked for something a little bit different to what was already available, and came up with the idea of baking and selling brownies to raise money. All That Sweet Stuff was born and even though he’d made and sold enough brownies to buy his VR headset quite quickly, he continued with the baking and is really enjoying running the business, selling brownies in his local area.

What support have you received from family or others when starting out?

Ioan’s Mum has been so helpful to him – they bake the brownies together, and she manages his Facebook page. His other family and close friends are all really supportive too – his Nan will try out new recipes and let him know what she thinks of them. His friends are some of his best customers and think it’s interesting and pretty cool that he runs a business!

What plans do you have for the future?

Being in Year 10 now, Ioan knows that it will get harder to keep the business running at certain times when he needs to put extra work in for school tests and exams, but his plan is to keep baking and selling when he can. His next goal is to be able to buy a coffee trailer by the time he has finished Year 11 at school, and although he knows it’s not easy running a business, at some point in the future he would like to do this full-time.

What advice would you give to a young person thinking of starting a business while still at school?

Ioan knew there were quite a few people making cakes where he lived, but no-one was selling brownies so that’s why he decided on those. Offering something different to your competitors is his top tip:

“It can be challenging going up against another business, so try to find something different, and something people will like.”

Closing paragraph: 

Running a business can sometimes feel a bit lonely, so having someone alongside to help out and support you can make a real difference. Ioan loves that running the business means he gets to spend fun time with his Mam, and there’s no doubt they make a great team! His next goal of buying a coffee trailer is definitely achievable, and we wish him all the best when he takes his brownie bakes out on the road.