Help us to develop our own unique custom sweets

Hi,

My name is Simon,

I guess you are wondering why i have set up a Gofundme?

Well a few years ago i decided i wanted to start a business as i am an autistic man and get treated quite poorly by my employers.

I wanted to start a Confectionery company eventually getting to the point where i can make my own products and get them into supermarkets. I have seen a million sweet shops doing pizza boxes and pick’n’mix boxes etc on instagram and facebook marketplace and have ordered many to assertain the competition and not one of them has been up to my standard of quality!!!  Unfortunately due to my chequered past i am very low on what could be regarded as the socio-economic scale and have been for all my life.

After being declared homeless a few years ago i was put onto the Princes trust business enterprise scheme with a view to getting a loan. They support me so much but i was not eligible for a loan due to my credit rating, they did however help me with a small grant which i used to get my first stock.

After getting myself back on my feet and getting off benefits and into a full time job once more i applied for EVERY business loan/grant or angel investment  possible (even tried dragons den) but was told again due to my credit score i was not eligible.

For the past few years i have worked full time to pay the bills and the very little i have had left over i have sacrificed into growing my brand. I have chosen to forgo fancy clothes and eating out due to pure determination and instead have been spending my weekends photographing sweets and building a website.

I am now at the point where i have converted a room in my flat and dedicated it solely to sweets (smells amazing when you walk in by the way) but i am in a position now where orders are starting to trickle in and financially i cannot keep up investing my money (as im on minimum wage) nor can i jeopardise myself by going full time into business as i will lose everything i have struggled for IF it were to fail.

I now have a wonderful website, facebook page and instagram which i have poured my soul into making. I have taken every photo myself with no photography experience and have carefully curated what sweets i would like to sell including a fantastic sugar free range and a ever expanding vegan range too as i feel its only right that everybody can enjoy a little sweetness in their lives.

So i guess you're asking what i need the funds for?.... good question,

The largest part is for me to move my business into a clean secure unit where everything can be stored in tip top condition and can be used a base of operation and a interim shop to boost sales.

The next largest part is for fixtures and fittings including racking, tables, storage etc.

And the rest is to build my online presence. I have already started editing the pages for an ordering app which id like to get made aswel as finding an artist to breathe life into my teddy (the logo) and animate him for increased online interaction as i have a narrative to turn him into a fully fledged character with his own sugar coated universe. I have even designed artworks for 2 games which i have put over 100 hours into so far and would LOVE to get made in the future☺️

I am a very capable guy and have gotten so far already. The next step is the most crucial as i have laid the foundations so to speak and am now starting to build the house.

I hope although long winded this brief description will have inspired you and allow me the opportunity to show other people with disabilities and learning difficulties that we are not defined by our labels and can succeed with a push in the right direction.

If you would like to see where I'm up to so far...

my website is BONNEBON.CO.UK

my facebook...FB.com/teddybonnebon

my Instagram @teddy_bonnebon

please feel free to have a look and also share this story,

Thanks for reading,

Simon