Social Responsibility

Custom Visions are proud owners of the Future100 award. A prestigious award which certifies our business model containing extraordinary vision, meeting ethical business practise and corporate social responsibility.

Have a look below at our award – references are also included.

Have a look below at our award – references are also included.

Here were some of the questions and answers in the process of applying for the award – this was written in 2008

Overview of your business

CV was formed through the help of a grant from the Young Enterprise Scheme when it was called CV. It is a business that customises t shirts, Illusion Mugs®, carrier cases along with loads of other products (a product portfolio is available upon request). It is an asset orientated business that seeks to help its customers express their individuality through their own imaginative needs and wants of imagery. CV keeps close contact with each customer and prints the finished designs only when the designers exceeds customer satisfaction. We aim to be a flagship and representative of the young, creative minds Newham and all of London has to offer. We currently provide a service to the community of Newham by imparting both wisdom and knowledge acquired from this entrepreneurial venture. CV will never be matched or beaten in the quality of our products.

Industry

The industry we operate in is customised retail and gifts. It isn’t quite standardised retail since we offer customisation. It is the strengths of these two industries allowing CV to be worthwhile. On an occasional note however, we can design leaflets and flyers and have these emailed in case our customers’ like to consider the environment before printing.

Commercial strategy and success to date

Our commercial strategy involves trying to monopolise any niches that we discover while giving back to the community by teaching children how to design. The success of CV has primarily been due to the extent at which we delight customers and our average age. Adults and seniors of the business world always like to see those of teenage years show enthusiasm and a passion for enterprise. This has therefore led to them wanting to support us in all ways possible. We are currently working on a new strategy to allow CV to expand at a faster rate. This involves employing people who are available a lot of the time to manufacture, rather than at University and to have a majority of our sales shift over to our website. Finally we plan to bring out a new range of design brands which will enable us to pitch to shops and persuade them to purchase our brand, in full. This will allow us to save time on the manufacturing of clothes, sell them in markets and finally diverse into a market with satisfactory risk (according to Ansoff’s Matrix); bringing new products into existing markets (it is a new product as we are not customising).

We hope to maintain our margins. We have already increased prices (due to the wonders of inflation) and are looking for new investors for private equity as we hope to purchase new state of the art equipment to increase the rate and efficiency of production.

Commitment to society and evidence of your impact to date

As mentioned earlier we like to train children into designing for the future. The school we work with, Forest Gate School, regularly hold competitions in designing work and CV are usually the examining body. As our design team collectively have 8 years of experience, it is a good way of assessing children’s work as unbiased as possible. We have also been part of the Choice FM’s plea to stop street crime and have mentored and made presentations on behalf of the Young Enterprise. We believe that giving up free time and doing some voluntary work helps us to be seen as a role model not just for people younger than us, but to peers and adults as well. Michael & Sanjog have also represented Havering Sixth Form College, at an event held at the IoD in Pall Mall (Institute of Directors) during Enterprise Week.

What we believe is innovative about our business model

What is innovative about it? Well the innovation aspects in it. The fact that dreams can become actual reality helps us differentiate ourselves from the usual brands. The design team are always being pushed and tested to develop ideas, usually the ones I present them. Thanks CV, people can order what they would like to display rather than be stuck with options that other retailers provide them with.

What we would you like to achieve as entrepreneurs in 5 and 10 years time

We would like to have an opportunity to successfully run a business that specialises in the sustained development of technology that provides infinite fuel. This has been a recent dream which requires huge financial investment and the start up could take a while. It would take the right networks and connections in order for that start up to be successful.

Local to global economic, social and environmental impact

We have had a social impact more than anything. Through our customisation we have been able to allow those who cannot always express themselves to society through words, but to express themselves through their clothing. We are able to supply those who are partially blind since our Illusion Mugs® light up when hot. In terms of an environmental impact, we have not sufficiently contributed to the current pollution, which in itself provides support for a greener Earth. Macroeconomics doesn’t affect our products much however we do hope to incorporate CV and float it on the stock exchange.