Graduate: Ben Lawton
From: Leeds
Age: 21
Qualification: BA Business
About Ben
Ben is a Business graduate from Leeds Trinity University and the founder and Director of Custom Controllers UK Limited, the leading UK manufacturer for customised gaming controllers.
About Custom Controllers UK Limited
Ben was able to turn his idea into a reality as soon as it was clear there was a demand for the product he was offering. Ben realised the future of Customer Controllers was bright when he received positive reactions from online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon . Exposure was received from social media and an encouraging reaction returned from primary research and testing within the market.
In just three years, Custom Controllers UK Limited has become the leading UK Manufacturer for customised gaming controllers. In 2014, it increased sales by 1000% on the previous year and turned over £207,000+. For 2015, it has a projected turnover of £500,000 and is on track to hit this year’s sales target. Ben is extremely pleased at how far the business has come, however he still has a very long way to go with lots of plans ahead to take the company into bigger and better projects.
Inspiration behind the business
The idea came from Ben being a well-educated gamer in the gaming industry, and therefore knew this was a product desired by many. After in-depth market research, Ben found a gap in the market where nobody was offering this product in the UK.
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Leeds Trinity University helped Ben along the way, allowing him to run his business alongside his degree and also offered him tax advice and business support from various networking events held on campus. Ben also took advantage of the University’s Enterprise Centre, and used it as a base for his business, which helped him meet order demands during busy periods.
Ben now runs Custom Controllers UK Limited full-time as Director, alongside running an additional two businesses with the same team from his Leeds HQ.
