Up-cycling start-up
Laying the groundwork for a purpose-led start-up
The
brief
Helping first-time founders turn passion into a viable brand and business
A family was thinking of setting up a new business venture born from a shared passion for upcycling and restoring furniture. As first-time founders, they needed clarity and structure to shape their thinking into a strong and sustainable business model.
The client asked us to facilitate explorative conversations and elicit insights that would help shape the foundations of the business and brand. We were also tasked with supporting due diligence and informed decision-making through researched intel, turning early ideas into a clear strategic direction, and providing a practical foundation for brand development and long-term business growth.
To facilitate meaningful conversations and elicit insights that would help shape the foundations of the business and brand. Our role included:
– Supporting due diligence and informed decision-making
– Turning early ideas into a clear strategy
– Providing a practical foundation for brand development and long-term business growth
What we
did
Built strategic clarity through research, workshops, and collaborative tools
We began with a collaborative briefing session to align on goals and priorities. We then led a structured process to shape the development of the business and brand. This included desk research and competitor analysis, examining market trends, consumer behaviours, and the evolving upcycling landscape.
To capture individual perspectives, we conducted in-depth one-to-one interviews with each of the four team members. These interviews offered valuable insights that fed directly into our strategic discussions. We also ran an online survey designed to uncover shared values, personality traits, and long-term aspirations for the business. Together, these inputs informed a strategy workshop where we defined the business fundamentals – including values, vision, mission, purpose, and value proposition.
A second workshop focused on developing the brand foundations. We shaped the brand story, clarified positioning, and explored an initial direction for the visual identity and tone of voice. Throughout the process, we used an interactive tool (Niro) to share progress, provide updates, and invite real-time contributions from the core team. This ensured full transparency and engagement, with everyone able to access and build on the thinking as it developed.
The
result
A confident starting point with a clear sense of purpose and direction
The team, new to business, described the process as empowering, educational, and inspiring. They left with clarity, confidence, and a structured toolkit to move forward, whether they chose to launch immediately or refine their direction further.