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spacer Think Drink

www.think-drink.com

Ed Biden started his energy drink business in March 2008, trading under the name of Aqua Botanica. In April 2009, he relaunched the business with £150,000 of new finance and a brand new name - Think Drink.

Ed Think Drink is a unique mix of botanical extracts which boost mental energy. It comes in three flavours: apple and elderflower; orange and grapefruit; and cranberry and raspberry. Unlike other energy drinks, it has no artificial ingredients and it's low in calories.

Before he set up his own business, Ed worked as a consultant for McKinsey for two years on their graduate programme and he also worked in venture capital for six months.

'I spotted what I believe is a gap in the market for an invigorating drink which doesn't give you a high followed by a lull like the other energy drinks,? says Ed. 'There?s a shortage of non-alcoholic drinks for adults on the market - most soft drinks are oversweet and full of additives.'

Soon after he started his business, he hit a couple of setbacks. A major bank had offered him loan finance but it got cold feet and backed out of the deal. A distribution deal he had made collapsed when the company's managing director died suddenly. Even so, Ed managed to raise £35,000 to get his new company off the ground.

'I started working on the business idea in 2007 and that's when I first went to the Portobello Business Centre, 'Ed recalls. ?I already had a business plan but my adviser, Helene Panzarino, helped me to strengthen it significantly. 'She also helped me to create a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation based on the plan. I now had confidence in my material, and I knew I could present a good pitch.'

In 2008, Ed won the Esquire/Philips New Business Challenge Award which came with a prize of £15,000 and some free publicity. 'Obviously that was a real boost for me and for the business,' Ed continues. 'The pitch I gave to the competition judges was the very one that I had refined with the help of the Business Centre.'

'The fact that I was able to get high-quality one-on-one support for no charge makes the Business Centre unique. The Centre also helped to point me in the right direction to find finance - and as a result I now have the £150,000 I need to relaunch the business as Think Drink. I'll be using the money to take on an outsourced sales force and to run a smart guerrilla marketing campaign.'

'I'm planning to expand sales into offices, convenience stores, and forecourts. If things go to plan, within five years the company will have a turnover of £5 to £6 million and will be a household name.'
     


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