A young entrepreneur who turned his university business idea into a successful career is now growing his company and creating jobs.
Paul Stewart from Belfast set up his first business, Uni Baggage in 2009 and has just launched his latest online venture, NIParcels.com.
“We were able to take on additional staff a number of months ago with help from InvestNI and we are planning on taking on further staff as the company grows due to this new website in Northern Ireland”said Paul.
This new site gives business customers wishing to send parcels within Northern Ireland the chance to compare and book major couriers at up to 50% cheaper than going directly to the supplier. Turnover projections look set to hit £1m within three years.
It all began for Paul when he was studying at Edinburgh University and paying for excess baggage fees and courier services to transport his belongings back and forth from Northern Ireland. He spotted the business opportunity and created Uni Baggage, a door-to-door service that can deliver a 30kg bag from Northern Ireland to the anywhere in the UK for as little as £18.99.
He said: “I have always been interested in business and found myself creating and pitching ideas from an early age. I tested the water for the first year with Uni Baggage while continuing my degree, but when the business started to take off I knew there was an appetite.”
“Being online meant that set up costs were relatively low as I didn’t need premises or staff in the early days. Some of my university friends thought I was mad not looking for a steady job but I had confidence in the idea and it is paying off.”
“I believe the key to business success is having an understanding of the market and creating a product or service that customers need. Due to the growth of Uni Baggage I was able to set up NI Parcels and have been able to hit the ground running as many of the processes and procedures are the same.”
Their web address is www.niparcels.com