Bride2Bride was created by John and Sophie Trinick; John is responsible for all of the clever workings of the site, whilst Sophie looks after the content (and came up with the initial idea too!)
Last summer, when John and Sophie were planning their wedding they spent hours (and a small fortune!) searching the Internet to try and track everything down…
But, quite apart from the cost, they started worrying about what they were going to do with all this wedding-specific gear after the big day: After just one day’s use they’re usually still in perfect condition… yet you’ll never have any use for them again.
They thought about selling their wedding goods on eBay, but came up with a better idea:
Bride2Bride
They set up their own unique online sales platform specifically for buying and selling used wedding goods… anything and everything from clothing to decorations for the reception.
Here’s their website: http://www.bride2bride.co.uk
Bride2Bride is a really clever but simple little idea for several reasons:
- It’s a niche business that bigger competitors don’t (and probably won’t ever) dominate.
- It’s a classic link-up-supply-and-demand concept – the basis of most sound businesses.
- It’s perfect for cashing in on today’s crunch culture… millions of people would like to raise some extra cash by selling off their unwanted goods. (And some people are getting a bit grumpy with the cost of selling on eBay too.)
Well done John and Sophie for not only coming up with a great idea but putting it into practice too. WBO is really impressed with your entrepreneurial spirit!
Of course, you might not have the slightest interest in wedding accessories…
But you could use much the same principle to set up your own alternative sales platform for lots of other specific niches. For example… how about setting up an ASP for baby clothes and equipment? Or toys the kids have got bored of? Or console games? Or bits and pieces of hobby equipment? Or fitness equipment… things that people tend to use once and then leave to gather dust.
Who knows, one day niche sites just like this could really give eBay a run for its money!