It’s no secret that Brighton is full of quirky creative types who have eschewed the long commute to London or the traditional 9-5 to build their own empire. As an independent business ourselves, we understand the struggles of starting something new and competing?against the giants in our respective industries so we’ve put our heads together to come up with 6 Brighton businesses that inspire and delight us!
Whoopsadaisy
Based in Preston Park, Brighton, Whoopsadaisy are a small charity working with children who have cerebral palsy and other motor conditions to help them reach their full potential. We’ve been working with Whoopsadaisy for a while now, and can’t help but be inspired by the enthusiasm of the staff and the great work they do in the local community.
Bagelman
Ahh the home of the Reuben, Funky Tuna, the Veggie Feast! Responsible for powering 45% of the Brighton population (this increases over the Christmas hangover season!) Bagelman is an inspiring tale of a Brighton University student, Julien who started a one-man Bagel delivery company in 1996 to fund his studies. Fast forward two decades and they now have shops in Hove, Brighton and the train station! Ever evolving, the company is keen to support local initiatives, and have recently teamed up with craft beer brewers, Franklins to produce bagels from surplus?hops. Beer and bread? Sounds good to us!
Platf9rm
Bursting on to the Brighton scene in a whirlwind of colour and cool and boasting the sort of offices fit for Google, Platf9rm have redefined the co-working scene and encourage a family-like atmosphere between members. Opening in Towerpoint?just over a year ago, husband and wife team, Seb and Jo didn’t lay low and enjoy their success but forged on and expanded, taking on a large chunk of Hove Town Hall – previously an auditorium. The events team at Platf9rm work hard to put on plenty of socials, talks and training days – bringing all sorts of community figures through the doors to enrich the working lives of freelancers and small businesses that work from the offices.
One Supper Club
Truly a tale to?pull those heartstrings, One Supper Club was born out of the want to connect with a couple’s local Hove community after co-founder Libby was rocked by a sudden heart problem which resulted in major surgery. Overwhelmed by the kindness and support from?near-strangers the couple set up a supper club in their?kitchen and invited those who had helped them through their tough year. After enjoying the experience and receiving great feedback from their guests they decided to expand and now run regular dates throughout the year, with all profits going to the Sussex Heart Charity.
Think Nation
Pioneers of forward-thinking young tech stars, Think Nation is making waves across Brighton, and globally for their mission to develop discussions about how technology will shape the world in the future. Encouraging big questions allows young people to become thought-leaders and develop skills that will propel them into rewarding careers and allow their voices to be heard. All hail the next generation of tech stars!
Bison Beers
Best mates Nick and Jack met at university and set their sights on taking over the Brighton Beer scene, crowdfunding their hearts out alongside 64 Degrees to take over the No. 80 East Street in a bid to provide a more ‘Brighton-friendly’ alternative to the branch of Burger King that was being planned for the same site. Successful in crowdfunding ?150k they have since opened the Bison Arms and also a bar and bottle shop in Hove. These guys have come a long way since pub-hopping their way around student night boozers and are a great example of starting small and using the power of community to achieve big things!
