Citric Design
Lucas Fordham
Final year product design student, Lucas Fordham, won third place in the University’s 2022 Business Plan competition, organised by Spark, for his bespoke house number design company. He says the £750 prize will allow him to expand his business over the coming months.
Citric Design produces and manufactures personalised house numbers, made out of a sustainable plastic derived from plants, as opposed to traditional fossil fuels, and delivers direct to customers via e-commerce platform Etsy. Lucas said, “The business competition, together with the support of the Spark team, gave me the confidence to really get my business off the ground.
"Access to a network of professional advisors, especially those specialising in finance and funding, were particularly valuable introductions. I learnt everything I needed to know about the UKs tax, self-employment and VAT schemes for new business owners through these connections."
Lucas Fordham
Director & Founder
Citric Design
Lucas also credits conversations with mentors about his entrepreneurial ideas, and the dedicated Spark team for the continuous stream of support and information through their online support platform.
He concluded, “Spark has offered so many opportunities, and even though I graduate this year, I’m really thankful I will still have access to the same high-quality support when I need it. I’m looking forward to working with the team again as I build a clear product roadmap for the future.”
