Rising star: Sue Scott-Horne
Jul 08 2009
Sue with Dragons' Den star Peter Jones
Grandmother of four, Sue Scott-Horne decided to start educational resources company Egar after a broken ankle ended her 25-year career – with a little encouragement from Dragons' Den Peter Jones.
Where did you get the idea?
I was recuperating from a fall for three years when I decided to start the company. We make non-judgemental and self-empowering cards to help teenagers talk through various social issues. But it was Peter Jones who really inspired me to carry on.
How has Peter Jones helped?
I presented the idea to him at an event. In order to grasp it he role played being a teenager and was actually a very good actor. Afterwards, he said he liked it a lot. I met him again recently and he said he’d be able to help. Hopefully he can introduce me to people and get the company noticed.
How did you fund it?
I used £30,000 of my own savings to fund the business. When that ran out, I also got grants through Camden and Islington Councils. But I’m still looking for more.
What marketing have you used?
We have been profiled by organisations such as the Business & IP Centre the British Library. We’ve also managed to sell a lot through road shows. Our customers are schools, life skills coaches, youth workers and colleges. Although, we still haven’t marketed enough yet to let everybody know we are out here.
Where next?
In five years time I want to be the market leader in educational resources. There are social problems like knife crime that our products could really help young people to address. Particularly as they cover all age ranges from year six to sixteen plus.
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