Crowdfunding – it’s in the bag
 

It could be said that social responsibility and genuine ethics is the heart of crowdfunding, as ‘One To Watch’ designer brand, Beara Beara (www.bearabeara.co.uk) found out when it turned to CrowdCube to grow its business.  Since its first CrowdCube campaign in 2015, the small family-run Bolivian business has grown into a multi-national success story, and has seen revenues grow by 400%.  What began in 2012 as a unique collaboration between an Irish entrepreneur and a small family business in Bolivia, has now become renowned as a classic designer brand, and has earned a reputation for excellence and quality through its range of British vintage style leather bags, designed by founder Jake Bullough.
 
In many ways, Beara Beara, has quickly become a victim of its own success, with the ‘nice to have’ challenge of meeting the demand of its Asian market.  It is now launching a second crowdfunding campaign on CrowdCube in order to increase production capacity and meet this ever-growing demand.  The campaign will run from 12 June - 09 July 2017 and will raise the necessary capital to enable the brand to reach its full potential.  More details at https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/beara-beara-1/pitches/Z1EVgZ
 
With its Bolivian factory already at maximum output, a new second factory is now needed to enable Beara Beara to keep pace with the demand from its international customers, including from China and Taiwan.  So, what makes Beara Beara so special? 
 
Founder Jake Bullough happened across a small, family run business in La Paz who had been making leather bags by hand for generations.  Recognizing the amazing quality raw leather and the generations of expertise and experience in Bolivia, Bullough set about turning his designs – which take their influence from vintage British classics – into a collection of never seen before backpacks, satchels and handbags and so the project began.  With the Bolivian expertise and Bullough’s passion and ambition, Beara Beara quickly caught the eye with its almost effortlessly cool style.  The collaboration transformed the lives of the Bolivian manufacturers with their workforce increasing from five people working out of a cramped basement to 70, in a dedicated premises and in less than five years.
 
With a factory, improved working conditions and actual profits for their hard work – something they had barely generated prior to the creation of Beara Beara – this meant better lives for the skilled workers and a regular pay cheque.  The whole Beara Beara story is one of inspiration, ethics and passion. These values are reflected in a loyal and dedicated customer base who connect with the brand, its values and vision.  The dedication, effort and expertise that goes into every bag reflects this young business’ ambition and desire to become one of the world’s leading designer brands.
 
Founder Jake Bullough said: “We have plans to take people off the streets and train them to become skilled leather workers. Improving the lives of our employees is a key part of our company’s approach and we believe this has shaped the development of Beara Beara.   “We didn’t establish a business and try to make it ethical.  Rather, we established something ethical and it flourished as a business. We believe that business is not only a way to make money but is also an opportunity to make a positive difference in the world.”  Passionate and ethically-driven, Beara Beara began with a humble market stall in East London. Today it employs over 70 people, with shops in London and Shanghai, and with outlets in Taiwan and Hong Kong opening soon. 
 
Beara Beara is offering investment opportunities from as little as £100 up to £5000.  More details at https://bearabeara.co.uk/crowdfunding17/