Hemel Hempstead entrepreneur plans to launch 12 start-up businesses over the next 12 months

An entrepreneur from Hemel Hempstead plans to launch 12 start-up businesses and employ 50 people directly over the next 12 months, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Lisa Davies, 39, who studied accountancy, is looking to launch 12 businesses, a mix of products and tech from healthy chocolate spread, cleaning agents and baby clothes to cigars, branded water and digital platforms.

She focused her finance career in supporting multi-million pound bids in the rail sector, working for tech companies like Atos Origin and FMCG company Premier Foods.

The entrepreneur, fed up of the giants controlling the market and not tackling issues like obesity has sought to be a market entrant across various sectors.

Lisa founded her first company - a finance turned innovation consultancy - in 2007, the company suffered from COVID-19 with little opportunity to gain new clients.

The 39-year-old is looking to outsource graphic design, marketing and illustrations to local agencies and freelancers before bringing them in-house and building teams across the start-ups.

By the end of the year, the group will employ video marketing co-ordinators, a health and safety manager and quality control managers as well as a PR team.

She said: “It may seem like a difficult time to start a business right now, yet there is talent out there as well as investors and companies looking for opportunities.

"I have gone through some health challenges this year but now I’m in a stronger place, I’m determined to set my sights high and see what teams and success can be built.”

Lisa has been developing some of the products and has identified a clear target market for each brand.

In the tech area, Lisa aims to develop digital platforms to enable consistent innovation and increase access to knowledge.

Each start-up seeks to disrupt the market, such as the branded water, designed to take on Coca-Cola and Nestle with their Smart Water and Pure Life brands.

With the opportunity in contract manufacturing and importing post Brexit, the entrepreneur has forecast annualised sales of £100m by the end of 2021.

With demand in healthy food alternatives, a baby boom and changing consumer tastes, the sales targets aims to capitalise on the changing markets.

Lisa added: “Debenhams failure has been due to the company not meeting the consumer demands and keeping pace with consumer behaviour."

Whilst Lisa is not going into the fashion industry just yet, she is keeping an eye on the market, with a focus on the success of these 12 start-ups for now.

Lisa is looking to develop partnerships, collaborate and reach out to suppliers and investors to achieve the sales and employment targets.

Those interested in further information or the future job opportunities should email [email protected].