Success stories
‘Tri-namic’ Yasmin is dynamic in business
Thursday 22nd April
A Blackburn business-woman will be making the most of world cup fever, with a little help from No Limits.
Yasmin Hussain, 28, established her business, Tri-Namic Balls, in February 2010 with help from the No Limits programme.
Tri-Namic balls are novelty football and rugby balls which carry a club crest or national flag and can be used as a conventional ball, an in-car or desktop accessory or corporate gift.
Tapping into the nations’s love of sport, and in the run up to the World Cup 2010, Yasmin, from Blackburn, decided that the sale of promotional football and rugby products would make a good business proposition.
She says: “I’d always wanted to start my own business and thought that taking a chance was better than not trying at all. The country as a whole is sport mad, especially here in the North West, so I did my research and decided that was definitely the way to go.”
In progressing her business, Yasmin wanted to approach Premier League football clubs to try and secure the use of their official club crests, but with no experience of licensing or intellectual property Yasmin consulted the Eureka innovation and technology project for their advice and support.
She says: “Eureka’s help has been invaluable. My advisor, Paul White, has come with me to all the meetings with the clubs, which has been a massive help because I wanted them to take me seriously. He’s acted as a mediator negotiating license fees and helping me to progress things.
Having already struck deals with Bolton Wanderers FC, who sell her products through their online and official club stores, and Burnley FC, Yasmin is currently also in talks with Blackburn Rovers and Accrington Stanley.
She also has a range of balls with the national flags of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Yasmin has also attended networking events organised by the Women Mean Business project, and has attended the International Women’s Day event.
She has also been utilising the grant support received by the No Limits Get Set programme for further marketing of her product and is about to launch a website.
Yasmin is now looking to forge links with the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce to help grow her business.
Adds Yasmin: “The No Limits programme has provided an invaluable service. I’ve had help every step of the way, from putting together a business and work plan to help with my accounts.
“I’ve also been invited to loads of workshops and networking opportunities. I’m very grateful for the help I’ve received. Initially you don’t know what support’s out there but then you do your research and it’s fantastic to find out just how much help there is available.
“I fully recommend anyone looking to start a new business to get involved with No Limits. I had an idea which I believed in and I didn’t want to regret not following it through. No Limits believed in it too and I’m really grateful for that.”
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