Tui B-The
newkid
Dynamic Kiwi back, JamesWilsonhas carveda
great deal of success sincemoving toNorthampton
Saints in the summer of 2012, however it’s his new
venturewhich is really starting to takeoff.With
help fromhis fiancé Emma, James recently started
Tui B, auniquedesigner babywear company.
Firstly James can yougiveus an ideaofwhat
Tui B actually is?
We are an online babywear store that has
brought brandswe love from the Southern
Hemisphere here to theUK and Europe.We stock
products from footwear tobeanies, onesies,
sleepwear andmuchmore that are all uniquely
designed and cannot be found anywhere else in
theUK or Europe.
Whatmakes your styleof babywear so
appealing?
Style, uniqueness and quality.We have hand
selected the brands that we sell based on this
mantra. The rangewe offer on Tui-B.com is
for the parent whowants the fashion forward
baby, appreciates high quality organicmaterials
and unique stylish designs. Pluswe are the only
stockists of these brands in theUK.
Wheredid the idea to start ababywear
business come from?
Well my fiancé and I have been looking into
different business ventures for awhile now.We
both love fashion and after extensive research
we found therewas a gap in themarket for a
business to come along such as Tui B.Wewanted
to be able to offer these amazing products that
come from the other side of theworld to people
living here in theUK and Europe.We currently
cater from zero to 18months but due to the great
feedback and support we have receivedwe have
just decided to expand to cater up to three years.
How longhas thebusiness been in
operation for?
After researching themarket, building supplier
relationships, setting up the company structure
and the development of thewebsitewe kicked-off
the business at the end of October last year. Our
intentionwas to build a strong cliental base over
theChristmas period. It has been hardwork but
we have developed a lot of skills and knowledge
along theway.
Howhas business been so far?
It’s been really positive andwe are slowly
building the brand and getting our business out
to thewider public.We don’t have the biggest
marketing budget, sowemake themost of the
different social media outlets available.We push
our brand through the common avenues such
as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
We have also collaboratedwith some fantastic
bloggers all helping to get the Tui B brand and
products out there.
Can you explainhow you’ve found the
transitionof comingover to theUK toplay
rugby?
It’s been superb and I wish I made themove
earlier inmy career. At first it was tough, moving
from the other side of theworld and setting up
a life here in theUK, but we’re enjoying life here
immensely. Northampton’s a great place to live
andwe’ve got a really strong group of guys at the
clubwho are all determined to succeed and build
on our recent success.
As aKiwi, how are youfinding your everyday
life in England?
Obviously it’s a bit too cold aroundwinter time
(laughs). Howevermy fiancé and I are adapting
reallywell andmaking some great friends
over here. I’m enjoying the club, it’s a fantastic
environment to play in, there’s awinning culture
andwe’re really looking forward to building on
our success.
How important do you feel it is for players to
beprepared for life after rugby?
It’s a huge, huge thing and something all
players should beworking towards. I’m recently
engaged tomy partner, whichmeanswe’re
starting to plan ahead and look to the future
and thatmeans building on the stepswe’ve
made already. Tui B is a perfect opportunity to
experience something that could potentially
become a full-time job after rugby and thankfully
we’ve started the process early, we’re fivemonths
in and already I can see the amazing progress
we’vemade.
Do youhave any advice for other players
looking to start their ownbusiness?
I think you just need to research and gain asmuch
information as you possibly can about the avenue
inwhich you intend on exploring. Be prepared to
put a lot of time and effort in and embrace all the
valuable help, advice and support that’s out there
waiting for you.We’ve received support and help
from a range of sources, including the RPA and
that’s really pushed us in the right direction.
Finally,with theRugbyWorldCup fast
approaching, can you see anyoneother
than theAll Blackswinning?
Forme personallymy heart obviously always
lieswithNew Zealand and I would love to see
them take home theWorldCup especially at
a tournament away from home. However now
my heart is split as some ofmy teammates at
Saintswill be representing England and have
been playing some cracking rugby lately and it
would be great to see them rewarded for all
their success.Whatever way it goes, it’s going
to be one hell of a tournament!
jameswilson
James is delighted tooffer adiscount to all RPAMembers,
so visitwww.therpa.co.uk/player-services/member-offers/ for
more information.
on the
block
If youwould like anymore information in regard to Tui Bplease
visit theirwebsitewww.tui-b.com/ or follow themon Twitter
or Facebook.
Wewanted
somethingthat
wouldprovidea
reallystylishand
competitiveedge
andthisseemedlike
thebestmarketto
tap into
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RPA
.co.uk
RPA
.co.uk
