The last time we checked in on James Middleton’s Instagram-printing marshmallow business, Boomf, the company had recorded a loss of £243,986 in less than two years of operation. But packaged in that story of tremendous losses, we also learned that James had gotten “investors” to pony up more than a million dollars, and that he was trying to expand Boomf. Now James has given an interview to the Daily Mail’s business/money section to defend his honor as a businessman and talk up Boomf’s success. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
James wants to be taken seriously: “As a businessman I am reported as a constant failure – and it’s exhausting.” He calls himself Boomf’s ‘Wonka-in-Chief’.
Boomf’s early failures, James’ early failures: Boomf lost £243,000 last year and his two previous companies closed down. All of which generated stories of failure – unfairly he argues. Boomf, he believes, demonstrates his business credentials. Turnover at the firm, of which he owns 35 per cent, will pass £2.5 million this year. The gross profit margin is a tasty 65 per cent. And a recent fundraising valued the group at £10 million.
James whines about the reporting of his failures: “How can you judge whether someone is a failure? I just do not feel it has been reported fairly or honestly. I can take flak about my beard or from someone not liking what I do. But when I have employees who read something in the gossip columns that is hurtful to them I become passionate. I want them to have confidence and feel safe and secure in their job…This is my third company. I had the Cake Kit Company and then Nice Cakes. But they did not fail. When you first go into a job, you start at the bottom and work your way up – you learn. With the Cake Kit Company, I had difficulty scaling it up. I learnt from that and applied the lessons at Nice Cakes. Then you find other issues. You can’t fit a cake through a letterbox, cakes are fragile and so on. So that developed into marshmallows. So those companies shut down, but I shut them down myself and did so with my head held high. I learnt so much from them. That is important. This company has taken off.”
James has already raised £1 million from new investors & he raising £1.25 million more: “This is not a business propped up by friends and family. That calibre of investors do not just give hand-outs. They are people who want us to make a return for them.”
Close to the family home in Berkshire: Though Party Pieces is literally next door, Middleton makes clear Boomf has no links to Party Pieces. If the family had invested it would have led some to the wrong conclusions, says Middleton, adding: ‘It is not about getting a hand-out.’
His typical day: “I get up at 7.30 to take the four dogs out. I’m at work by 9.30 and have lunch at my desk. I leave at 6 or 7 to beat the traffic. I drive to and from London as it’s faster than the train. But we are currently running night shifts, so tonight with 20-plus of the team I’ll work through the night. I’ll clock off at 5, find a corner for a power nap and bite to eat – then back to work.
Business tips from his parents: “Go with your gut. Let intuition make decisions. Don’t be too calculating.”
He gave an interview to the Daily Mail to basically say that he’s employing 27 people and he’s got real investors and he’s not trading on his connections to the royal family. Which is more of the same, although if you go and read the full Daily Mail story, there might be some confusion. I get that he’s talking about growing his business and how marshmallows are the future and he throws a lot of numbers at the DM… but I still don’t understand why he’s still raising capital to grow his business if it’s already profitable, which is what James is saying? Unless he’s actually just the well-connected face of the enterprise and he doesn’t actually have the business skills and that’s why true business professionals are starting to take over Boomf? I just can’t believe that printing Instagrams on marshmallows will be a great, profitable business long-term. It seems like a first-world trend, and a trend that will not last much longer than a year or two.
Photos courtesy of Instagram, Fame/Flynet and PCN.
He wants to be taken seriously for printing photos on marshmallows? Did I read that correctly? I was too distracted by his whining to get the details straight.
He is a serious businessman and he demands that you show some respect for his Instagram marsh mellows!!!
His head is held HIGH, you peons who don’t understand business!
Printed Marshmellows…don’t ya think he deserves a star?
Serious businessmen don’t go to the press to whine about not being taken seriously.
James reminds me of Robert Kardashian. A whiny little boy in a family dominated by a strong matriarch where the focus of the family is on the daughters and the mother.
The company’s name is Boomf?
Aaaw, poor little Middletons. They’re doing what any other kid with lots of mummy and daddy’s money would do, but the damned press always reports on them. Poor poor little rich kids
Also, not to be calculating when it comes to bussiness seems like a stupid advice.
Yeah, calculators are good for things like numbers. Also adding machines. Real business people like them. 😉
It would be annoying to constantly read untrue negative things about your company in the press, so I can feel for that. Especially since these articles wouldn’t be out there if his sister hadn’t married William. But I really think this is a dumb idea and can’t imagine that it has any long term potential. Maybe because I don’t like the thought of eating things with what looks like ink on them? I hate those cakes with pictures on them. They can be funny, but who wants to eat that? And I think the marshmallow fad sort of peaked five years ago. But anyway, good luck, I guess. I think he looks douchy, but he didn’t ask to be throw into the spotlight.
I agree. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. He isn’t Whatshisname Hilton doing nothing and getting thrown off of airplanes. He has a business and he’s trying and employing people, but he still gets smack talked. I suppose he could start with one product and expand into others, is that not just the craziest business idea? Give homey a chance- succeeding with an independent business is hard and the odds are always stacked against you.
I invested a little over $100 and can make my own with any picture I choose to print out on my rice paper. Anytime without waiting for shipping. I’ve repeated this so many times though. It’s just a business that has no purpose. If you have enough money to buy 3 boxes of 9 marshmallows from Boomf you have enough to do this yourself with more ease for years and years.
I was thinking the same thing. My sister in law has one of those printers and I know it wasn’t really expensive when she bought it. Why would anyone buy 3 boxes of marshmallows? That just seems like something I might order when drunk, but immediately cancel once I woke up sober.
@ GNAT
“Who wants to eat these?” Exactly. No one does. It’s one of those dumb fads that are meant to look good and be cool for rich people gifts, but have no actual food value. The marshmallow is likely poor quality — I didn’t read the whole article, so I don’t know – does he even talk about the quality of his supposed edible product? The product is stupid and I suspect he knows this and doesn’t care — what he cares about is that people are calling him out for his stupid product.
@GoodNames…great points you made. I can see why he gets frustrated with the press. But yeah, his business idea with boomf sucks.
But I do commend him on at least trying to have a career. And trying to make it due to his own hard work. Some will complain about him just soley because they don’t like his family and that is of course not fair but such is life. He at least has the luxury of doing a job he loves whereas some go to jobs they hate or have no job at all. So if dealing with the press and a struggle business is the height of his worries, then he is still doing better than most.
Well maybe that’s because you are. Some of the things he mentioned in the article like the cake box thing is something the he should have thought of from the outset not when it was up and running. Clearly he doesn’t think things through properly. And why does he come across as whinging in almost every interview he gives. Also if he wants to be taken seriously as a businessman don’t go to the Fail.
The article also talks about personalised bunting, partnering with his parents firm then. But at least he is trying to stand on his own unlike his other siblings. God loves a tryer.
THANK YOU!!! That quote about a cake and a mailbox is so stupid I can’t wrap my head around it. I mean if you don’t know that you would not be able to shove a whole cake through a maibox from the beginning than you are an idiot, not a businessman. Go back to preschool:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61AqR2UH41L._SL1500_.jpg
I don’t think he was making whole cakes. I think he tried some kind of trend where he was making cakes that COULD fit through a letter box but then he realized they would FIT but they don’t hold together — “I discovered they would fall apart”. Seriously, he sounds so dumb it’s like reading satire.
Sochan; this is just too silly for commentary. Start-ups, looking for venture capitalists, would never succeed in America, marketing marshmellows…
I think you are being overly harsh. He will be asking for further rounds of investment in order to expand and consolidate upon what he has already built. Businesses don’t grow by sitting still. I agree it does sound a bit gimmicky as a long term concept but good on him if he can make a living for nearly 30 people off it. I think it’s a case of he’s damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t with this one. I wonder how him and William get on? At least James knows what it’s like to clock in a day’s work!
For James a day is a few hours and that’s within a week. He’s also got 2 failed businesses under his belt that he walked away from in terrible debt his family cleaned up. By walking away I mean they had big opening because of his last name and when they couldn’t hold their own he created distance and didn’t bother dealing with it. This happened twice already within the same pastry related business model. If he was anyone else with this business history no one would be saying that’s too harsh or judging unfairly.
I am going to agree based on first hand knowledge of being married to a serial entrepreneur, which is a tough business by itself. He makes a few legitimate points about learning from his prior businesses. You start with a hypothesis and test it from there. There are always unanticipated problems and you need to decide quickly whether it will work or not. Also, totally agree that he is looking for growth capital. A 65% gross margin means nothing. What’s his net margin? He may not be all that profitable after his fixed costs are paid and is looking for capital to expand or try new things to boost his net margins. This happens all the time with companies that aren’t profitable at all (see the entire startup tech industry).
Now, would I buy Instagrammed marshmallows? Nope. But I’ve seen worse business ideas get funded. In fact, I’d bet on the guy with 2 prior failures any day over some Harvard business school newbie.
TEW
James said he learned after his 1st business crashed. With his 2nd he said he would not repeat those mistakes. He did. Now with his 3rd business he’s appearing to again show the same behavior that lead to the downfall of his last 2 businesses. It’s known behavior over an unknown? And the known is not good.
I think start ups and original ideas (and silly ones) are great. The thing with this though is it’s James. if not for his last name and connections no one would partner or invest with him without heavy safe guards.
Personally, if only given the option between newbie harvard grad and aformer owner of 2 failed businesses that went under for similar reasons. And same errors and pattern repeating on 3rd business. Well, it’s almost a fool my once, twice, thrice situation.
I do think he’s never really struggled like many who have tried start ups that failed have. It crushes them and things become more serious because of the extremely real risk of life ruining debt. James has not had that issue. A factor that motivates many to not repeat errors.
Thank you! Honestly I don’t read this as whining at all. I come from 3 generations of entrepreneurs, and married into one as well. NOTHING comes easily, and “failure” is a nessecary by product leading to success. It’s easy to be an outsider trolling along, until you’ve lIved it.
i don’t need to open a cake mail order business to learn that you can’t fit cakes through a letterbox.
even if he’s using that line as an analogy it’s a pretty stupid analogy.
on the other hand, if you’re Judy Dench, you so gift wrap dog poop very nicely and push it through a neighbor’s letterbox.
that’s why Dench is Dame and James is not.
There’s also the matter of James M being the wrong sex to be a Dame……………………..
What a complete and utter cockwomble. Cockwomble, I say.
Sixlet Major is doing better than this making chopping boards from wood offcuts with the Young Enterprise Tenner Bank.*
(I realise this may a bit Britisher for some, but it’s just a cool school programme in which kids get given £10 and have to try to simultaneously make a profit and be socially useful).
Is cockwomble in the public domain or did you just invent that one yourself? If the former, I would like to immediately start screaming it at every other person I encounter starting now.
I also would like to start yelling this at people! I encountered a few cockwombles on the train this morning…
Haha. No, I didn’t make it up – or at least, I don’t think I did. It’s just my favourite Britisher sweary insult du jour. Being a sweary Britisher, I’ll have a new one next week. Stay tuned!
That’s a cute idea! And thank you for the translation! It was needed.
Cockwomble!!! Love it!
I almost spewed coffee out my nose when I read that 😀
Who the heck is buying all those stupid marshmallows? And since when is the Daily Fail the epitome of a business newspaper? The Midds are all such try- hard leeches and everything they do is calculating. Ugh! I think Jimmy’s even keeping the beard because he resembles Czar Nicholas with it and thus must be considered almost royalty.
The same people who buy personalized M&M’s and anything else like that.
Yes and No.
The mark up Boomf does is obscene. M&M is reasonable and you’re getting candy.. Who eats marshmallows by themselves and pays so highly for them not even including shipping.
@ Errin
I’ve been to enough parties and seen enough party favors and wedding favors to know that people don’t actually EAT crap with things printed on them. They sit around on a kitchen counter or the nice coffee table in the sitting room where people can see them and comment on how novel they are, then the items get hard and thrown out.
I bought personalized M&Ms for my wedding. They were a hit, 15 years ago.
That’s M&Ms. In an orbit all their own. I would probably eat M&Ms even if they fell in mud. I would wipe off the mud.
I was just going to post the Tsar Nicholas II comment myself. Who grows a beard like that today?
A LOT of men have beards nowadays – they’ve been a thing for several years now. Beards and flannel.
Hipsters
Mountain however have always had that.
Mustache March, No-Shave November… They make this stuff up just not to shave.
Sorry, I don’t understand what he does for living.
What James does for a living and what he does for work are 2 different things. His living like Pippa cannot be held on their income. There’s more covering expenses.
It seems like the royal family got stuck with the entire Middleton clan – and have to hide the fact of keeping them all afloat – for the sake of the darlin’ George. Poor Betty, just when she should be retiring from conundrums…
Correct me, if i’m wrong. But uncle Gary still is family, isn’t he?
Yeah, Uncle Gary has invested in James’ failing businesses and James is delusional if he thinks the articles and magazine cover wasn’t based on his sister marrying William.
James is the youngest Middleton. He’s had the least amount of struggle, openly talked himself up the most dating back to his reason for dropping out of Edinburgh, and has accomplished the least.
But his rich uncle is the trump card. Why marshmallows? I have no idea but I guess it’s working out better than socks.
@ agnes
Yup, you’re right. Uncle Gary is family and he’s been quoted by the DM saying that he gave money to James to help start the cake and marshmallow businesses.
This interview seems like yet another example of how the Middletons are eager to accept Uncle Gary’s money and other luxuries yet they scrub him out of the picture when it comes to public knowledge. I don’t know why it happened, but it’s been said that Uncle Gary wasn’t invited to Carole’s big b-day party when there were prominent guests attending.
It seems to be the Middleton way. The only use of other people is to use them.
I think the guy’s in a tough spot, based on his in-laws. He wouldn’t get nearly the heat if he wasn’t a Middleton. People can’t stand him – so he’s not going to be getting a ton of praise either way.
As far as his business goes – I wouldn’t do it. But you know what – a lot of people order personalized M&M’s for weddings, or whatever, so I don’t think the idea is completely terrible. It’s kind of cool – though it’s a very limited amount of people that you’re going to be appealing to. Is he a great business genius? Probably not. But I also don’t think this is the worst idea in the world – look at all the morons buying selfie-sticks, and snuggies, and other stupid inventions like that – there’s always a market for dumb things – and ALWAYS a market for personalized things.
He also wouldn’t get the investors.
There’s always a market for personalized things, but I posted to your other comment talking about this why that reasoning fails for Boomf.
Erinn and Florc do you think it’s a case of appealing to that younger expendable cash crowd? Teens and 20s who aren’t going to have the equipment or the interest in planning and just want someone to do it for them? I’d also wondered if maybe there was/is an Asian market for this I’m unfamiliar with.
@Paliokifaru – Asian’s can do it all for cheaper! The Middleton’s will never be a brand, I’m afraid…
I did a quick backround to who would go for this. It is exactly as I originally thought. James jumped on the “edible printer” craze. All those photos you have on cakes or any flat and sugary surface to absorb the rice paper image printed.
What set James and Boomf apart is he struck a deal with Instagram. Only instagram images that were public domain or photos from yours/your friends accounts could be used. Meaning it draws in more traffic to instagram and that’s a very cheap and very effective resource for advertising.
It’s also what shot him in the foot. People for far less can print any photos they want on anything last minute. He’s chained to instagram account locked photos.
And the equiptment looks expensive. I have no idea why considering it can all be handled with far less overhead. I hope it wasn’t a case of latest and greatest.
Ultimately it’s an item that is a novelty. Considering the price and shipping for amount it’s very expensive. If not for his last name he’d be on par with the people on etsy doing the same thing.
Don’t hate on the snuggies!!! Those things are awesome!
They sound odd to me too but a coworker tells me that a lot of parents bring marshmallows as a snack to birthday parties, etc at elementary schools because they are allergy-free. I saw the approved list of foods at a schools here in Georgetown and it was super restrictive re: nuts, gluten, etc and marshmallows were one of the few sweets allowed.
@Osgirl
I know about those lists, too. But the inclusion of marshmallows is fascinating given that they’re almost entirely made of processed white sugar — one of the most unhealthy edible creations since the dawn of man, and is more than 5 times more addictive that cocaine.
Then teach your kid to say “No THANK YOU.”
@MoochieMom
I don’t have a kid. I made a basic statement fact supported by science about marshmallows and processed white sugar. What is your problem?
Sochan, I agree with you, my first thought was seeing tooth enamel meeting marshmellows…(the marshmellows being comprised of sugar, corn syrup and a touch of vanilla).
You can refuse?! :O
James’ career choice isn’t that unusual for a certain segment of 20-30 somethings in society (usually upper to upper-middle class). You want to be your own boss but have enough of a safety net from your parents to make mistakes and not starve. Nothing wrong with it, and a bunch of entrepreneurs have multiple failed businesses before they become successful – that’s why they’re start-ups. He seems like your standard guy in the start-up industry, which just went through another round of funding for expansion, so God bless. I honestly don’t see the appeal of printed marshmallows, but I hate them in general and if working in retail has taught me anything, it’s that people buy the weirdest shit. If you can make a profit out of it, why the hell not? Really, the only truly cringeworthy part is the name of the company, but the product is actually cute/dumb enough to justify it (though I still think he could’ve come up with something better).
He’s trying to grow a business and he doesn’t get into the office until 9:30a???? This isn’t exactly how i’ve heard successful entrepreneurs talk about their days – the only guys who get in at 9:30a are the ones who run restaurants and stay until 1-2a. Coming in at 9:30a and leaving at 6p isn’t exactly sacrificing for success or leading by example.
This could be different for Europeans. I’ve had friends from both Italy, France, and Spain who said getting up around 8 or 9 in the morning is normal because in their culture they go to bed way later than Americans. In other words, their general wake/sleep schedule is a few hours behind Americans but everything balances out to roughly the same in terms of work hours.
But they also work later than 6 or 7pm. Most employees I know who work salary jobs work longer hours than that. 9.30am – 6pm is basic hours here in Australia and when I last worked in Europe (all over the EU) 6pm was considered leaving on time for most office jobs, it certainly isn’t boss type hours. That he quotes those hours suggest he *thinks* they make him look like someone who puts in a hard slog, which just goes to show how pampered, delusional and divorced from reality he is.
I have a full time job and have had some side businessses, and I’m at work at 6AM on my days off, and even days I work my full time job, I am at my business until 11PM. Easily 18 hour days, 7 days a week. Exhausting.
I laughed at his hours too. That is a slow day for most people in white collar jobs and he is making it sound like he is chained to his desk.
ETA: this was supposed to be a reply to NCBOUDICCA
Ugh. So many Gems in this!
He’s expanding too quickly if it’s profitable and he still needs investors to give that much.
He must have forgotten how his parents and Uncle with their friends have invested more in his businesses than anyone else.
And he’s shown pattern behavior with all 3 businesses a trait that is heavily frowned upon, by successful entrepreneurs. He leaves for vacations when his businesses file bankruptcy. Or just before. That reads as if he’s over it and ready for it to be done. Move onto the next.
I can produce the exact same products he does on any flat or frosted surface with my printer that prints edible ink on rice paper. Where James fumbled is he linked exclusively with Instagram. Meaning people could only use the photos they uploaded or a friend uploaded. So to get your photo on a marshmallow you had to 1st give it to instagram.
Now they need to expand to survive. Not to thrive.
IMO of James as not a Middleton, but a business man is an extreme risk. 2 failed businesses that he left with massive debt taken care of by his family. 2 failed businesses that left you with millions in the red would make you the last person any investor would want to touch. He has investors now because of his sister and brother in law. Not because of any business factors.
Florc – Perhaps that’s how the RF will handle the Middleton brother – with friends of friends of friends investing. They are sunk into a quagmire of the “Middle-Class”. I really don’t like the Middleton’s bring them low like this – Wm should have just married a nice aristocratic girl who knew the job. It will be interesting to watch them All playing chess behind closed doors. Shakespeare would make such great copy of these royal family in-law events.
I think there’s a typo in the first para. Surely he’s Boomf’s “Wanka-in Chief”. LOL
It’s been said many times that James is an absolute failure of a businessman, and everything he started out with was handed to him by his mummy (and his royal connections). But I’m curious about one thing: precisely how successful are the Middleton parents in their own right? The DM was reporting on Party Pieces’s Christmas tips (which could have come straight out of #pippatips) and looking at their website, I only see overpriced tat. Granted, some people manage to spin a lot of money out of things like that, but overall Party Pieces doesn’t seem to be the rags-to-riches vehicle that it was touted as at the time of the wedding. Plus, I’ve read comments here about the Middletons being in debt before William gave them the case to buy their own place as well as requesting freebies during the girlfriend years.
So how precisely was Kate supported all those years without a job, running in those very affluent circles and attending a pricey boarding school with Pippa? Was it Uncle Gary, and if so, when did it start? I mean, I’m willing to concede that Kate had her eye on William already when applying for universities, but surely Gary wasn’t financing all of their luxuries from when Kate was in secondary school with the aim that she’d eventually secure royal connections that he’d benefit from? Can anyone with more knowledge about their financial situation fill me in?
-There was Middleton family money for their education and Pippa had a scholarship.
-There was a double mortgage on their previous home
-I wouldn’t be suprised if Uncle Garry set up a small trust fund for each of his nieces and his nephew.
-Kate and Pippa had jobs in college so I think the real financial support for Kate started after that.
-Kate shopped the sales racks and sample sales. Buy a few expensive accessories and then pad it with freebies, sales items, rented and borrowed things.
Well, Kate played off her relationship with William. Like the Audi discount.
She rented and borrowed clothes to make her wardrobe appear larger. And we know she has used Uncle Gary’s boat and vacation house to entertain William and his friends. The house he was caught on camera selling drugs that he had secret hiding places to store.
PP books are closed. I suspect they do ok, but their worth is not what many would assume given the lifestyle flaunted. We only got sneak peek at the Midd finances they double mortgaged their last home when applying for a loan for their current home. Thought to be from the expense of the wedding the bride’s family had to do.
A business in debt is 1 thing. A double mortgage with consistent and large spending while trying to buy an estate? That level of private debt makes no sense if you have the cash to buy the estate outright. Things don’t add up.
That’s interesting about the wedding expense and I don’t recall it being mentioned at the time. Or maybe I didn’t notice. What did the Middletons have to pay for?
I have always wondered how they pulled off the new money explanation that was splashed everywhere when it seemed their lifestyle, or at least Kate’s, was more extravagant than what the party company brought in. Uncle Gary is often offered up as the explanation but even then his wealth isn’t explained.
The Midds paid for the wedding dress and it’s still privately owned by them. When you see it on display at a museum it’s because it’s on loan from the Midds. Kate’s earrings that were custom made for her as a gift from her parents. And so pretty too.
And they purchased a block of rooms at a hotel that I can’t remember the name of. That also was with a hosting dinner. This was their time to impress the Royals. It was said no expense was spared.
Maybe other costs too regarding the wedding with little things left like outfits, hair, etc…
I had no idea they paid for the dress nd earrings. How interesting. And yes just going to weddings is expensive with the rooms and clothes. And of course they’d have hair and makeup done given the media attention. I also didn’t know they hosted a dinner. So is that where the second mortgage came in or is that from earlier?
All we know of the 2nd mortgage is that it was there. And to clarify I’m not sure if it was a 2nd mortgage or a double mortgage. Instinct was to say Double, but unsure.
It was thought because they had to over extend themselves so much they needed the money.
And Uncle Gary was not an appropriate outlet as his money is from terrible acts. If he wasn’t so sketchy i’d love his refreshing honesty and unfiltered opinions.
The earrings were sort of a big deal as the symbolism was of an acorn. Meaning old money. Given that they’re new money and same timeframe as signet rings/CoArms it got some major side eye.
It’s the Mirror, butt there were many other articles if you type in Middleton wedding cost.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/royal-wedding-bill-of-250000-for-kate-126105
Florc,
The hotel they stayed at the night before the wedding is The Goring. When I was in London in October I had tea there. It is lovely, but *very* expensive. I know because I thought I might stay there, but when I saw the room rates… Lol. I ended up staying at The Ampersand (which was very nice; excellent staff!).
Thanks Florc. I can’t even wrap my mind around those sums. Interesting that they weren’t playing up the normal middle class lifestyle then.
Those wedding costs were astounding!!! 40K for that McQueen gown?? It looked exactly like the gown my mother wore in her 1953 wedding. And 20K for Pippa’s gown? Please. It had $4.95 worth of fabric. Why are rich people so stupid about how they spend their money – or at least most of them!!
The Goring! Thank you! Nothing wrong with less expensive hotels. If it’s clean and people are helpful I can’t ask for more.
Jib
The gown looks near identical to a few wedding gowns in royal weddings. It’s not a bad style imo. Classic. And considering the time put into making the lace by hand. Every hour (i think) washing your hands to reduce any oils from the skin to stain the lace. Just intensive!
Pippa’s gown. I’d say the fabric was atleast 80 considering quality if we talk by the yard. Then tailoring is what can cost the most. Still, that’s way too much.
Everything else, I get it. High profile wedding. They went all Bucket on this given the 1st chance.
And once Burton took over McQueen I’ve stopped calling her designs McQueen. It’s burton. Her tailoring and her designs. Makes me grit my teeth like William.
He is very, very, very goodlooking. I would like to invest some time with him, even though I might be old enough to be his mother.
And I like marshmallows, especially square ones.
You know what? He IS very good-looking. For that reason I have often wondered if these stupid businesses were always really about public exposure for James that would lead to something else — acting maybe or being a spokesmodel for some high end fashion house? This has always been my theory. And when the public exposure haven’t led to anything he’s stuck with the businesses which he doesn’t have the talent or passion for. So they crash and he starts another one. Stilling holding out that his youth and looks will lead to something.
All I see when I look at him is a younger Jude Law with a better hair line.
Giving a business interview to the daily Mail does not reek of credibility ….I guess the financial times refused to write about him huh
It’s an informercial to his customer base.
“As a businessman I am reported as a constant failure”….but as a Prince Albert impersonator, I am top notch. He looks just like the dude on the can.
LOL
More stuff from the article:
– What is your worst business mistake and what did you learn?
Trying to do everything myself. Sharing responsibility allows you to do what you do best really well.
– What are your best skills?
That’s more for somebody else to say. But product innovation is one of my skills. And the practical element of the business, getting 4,000 boxes out the door all personalised, to the right people all in less than 12 hours.
– How often do you trim the beard?
I trim it every couple of months, but I wash it most days.
He washes his beard only most days yet the DM has had articles with photos of him not wearing a beard net in the Boomf production room. Such a thing exists.
Does ‘share responsibility’ and skill in ‘product innovation’ mean that he just comes up with the ideas (and Uncle Gary’s money) and other people do most of the work?
This 12 hours thing and the existence of a night shift. Is there really that much demand for marshmallow and orders at night?
Oh. And also, they spelled Wanker wrong.
Sort of a defense.
The night time orders… He ships outside his timezone so that can make sense. And at their height i’d imagine it was about that much.
And yes beard covers exist. What’s funny is the mustache guards! Just little strips.
The 12 hour part made me laugh a bit. 9am to 6pm isn’t 12 hours 😛 And as far as shipping that’s mostly software stuff. His staff would package or he subcontracts out to a warehouse that gets his product and processes orders.
For all the people I know in their own business or working for a small company of similar structure he works very little.
Speaking of the company staff…are they just his friends? I’m horrified by the idea of his taking a vacation as the business goes under. So does he really not understand working for a living or is his staff the same or both?
I dont think so. If the company I worked for was in trouble and my boss left for a vacation with known company debt piling up i’d lose my mind.
It take the average business five years to become sucessfull and almost ten to turn a profit … Just a thought
Oh, James. Bless your serial entrepreneurial heart. I guess it’s a good thing you have the Middleton name and connections to fund these multiple failures. And to give you a voice in the media. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have investors lined up for the next foolhardy venture and no one would want to print your musings on the unfairness of the business world.
No one can convince me that printed marshmallows are a long term product. They will go the way of the cupcake store in a few years. But good on ya, James, for employing folks in the meantime, and I am entirely serious about that.
I don’t know what cupcake stores are in your area, but here (Beverly Hills) we have a place called “Sprinkles” which has been open for about 4 years (and *still* has lines out the door and down about 1/2 a block). It now has 13 locations in the US (I looked it up lol ☺️). They’re not cheap either, and they are good! 😋
The cupcakes must be very good.
Every cupcake store that opened here circa 2006 has been closed for years.
East Coast we have Magnolia among a TON of cupcake stores. I have 3 on my Main Street in my town. They have all ben around for several years and continue to thrive and expand.
Best is when they give the tiny sample cupcakes at the end of races 😀 next to the bananas and granola bars ofcourse.
Suze
It’s not entirely the cup”cake”, but the frosting and flavors. The cake itself can be hit and miss imo.
He says that the first two businesses he owned were a profitable success, but they ended because he couldn’t scale them up. If that were even remotely true, he’d keep operating both of those (cough cough) *profitable* businesses, albeit at a small scale, while he worked on the new one. If those first two were actually successful, he could have used those profits to start Boomf instead of repeatedly begging investors for money. I just don’t buy his narrative of what went wrong with his first attempts.
Wonder who his investors are? Do their names start with “Mom” and “Dad”? Or perhaps their first names are “William and Kate” and last names “Windsor”?
You know what you do with profitable businesses you can no longer justify running? You sell them for a profit.
His statement to close down something that makes a profit entirely because he couldn’t scale is BS. People lost jobs. That he admits to the 20k+ in debt he was with 1 of those and needed help to pay that back on top of over draft fees also says he did 1 of 2 things. Didn’t invest his personal money into his business. Or didn’t have enough profits to cover that to his name.
Sochan
He had friends of the family also invest. I know Gary was said to invest with the 1st and 2nd business.
And to your comment below. People on Etsy do this all the time. They print out on rice paper the photos and sizes you want them in. Ship you the printed rice paper in the mail. And You lay the paper flat and easily on where you want the design. They’re sometimes called “cake toppers”.
He loses me where he cannot appear to admit he’s messed up. Saying you learned from mistakes is not the same as the realization of mistakes and how to improve yourself for next time. 1 is words. The other action.
I said it somewhere else, but what makes most great business leaders is to be without a safety net. That James goes on vacations when his businesses suffer is poor leadership skills.
I wonder how deep the royal family’s investment is, into keeping James looking good for appearance’s sake. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if George ended up more snobbish than the rest? Perhaps the RF can throw a few medals in James’s direction.
He should try to get some apprenticeship in the family business. The Royals could offer him all sorts of positions: cook, something with horses, or forest ranger.
But nope, one business failure after the next.
As far as I can see: edible photos on rice paper or on some kind of “sugar paper” are more a jokey cake and tart topper. No serious business. Nearly every tart maker over here offers such services or is connected to somebody who offers that.
It is the same business category as printing names and jokes and company logos on cups and biros and stuff. I doubt people get rich in that business lane. And it is a lot about having contacts and businesses who buy from you. I doubt that James has lots of contacts there. He has never really worked in that area.
He should start in his parents’ company.
He’s brimming with arrogance and entitlement. They didn’t fail, they were simply “learning opportunities”. The TWO businesses didn’t fold. HE shut them down. No big deal! It’s not failure, it’s PRIDE. HIS head is held high, you see? He had to start a business to learn that cakes won’t fit through a mail slot. But no big deal! He had to get investors to cover the losses of his marshmallow business because there is not a market for his nonsense. No big deal!
See how his arrogance works? No mention of how hard it must be for the people he hires for sport to then be rendered unemployed and job-hunting in a tough economy while he himself never directly suffers. He is repulsive and narcissistic, and that is why he’s written about in the gossips. Not because of his beard or his company failures. It’s HIMSELF.
It’s the Middleton self-confidence. If they could package and sell that, they’d make millions.
I wonder how much he owes those who lost their jobs …
Debts were all settled with them. Not by him. It’s noted he was bailed out.
How were they settled? Did they get it all what he owed?
Most people I know who are in any way dedicated to running a business get to work before 9:30!
He’s not saying the business is profitable; he’s hoping you’ll make that mistake. He’s saying the profit margin is huge…which means sales are low.
Exactly.
By the way I’ve seen adverts for Boomf on UK TV (for the first time ever- I assume they’re thinking Xmas). Considering the market they are aiming for and the price of their products those ads were very…. cheap. And uninspiring. And amateur.
Just like the boss then….
I doubt his marshmallow print service is anywhere near profitable.
I have checked edible printed photos: you can get them for like 10€+delivery for a DIN A4 page, that is about the size of a magazine single page.
Whereas two of his Boomf marshmallow prints cost about 15 Pounds+delivery for something half that size.
How can that ever be profitable?
so as a new company that not as HOT and riding the wave and trend… you will take a lost…
but if anything…. just keep chugging along… you’ll be ok
…. unless James everything you’re saying is horse ish…. then well… HEY how about those royal handouts and press pap walks
I was going to say that he should hang with Princess Madeleine’s husband, Chris O’Neill to learn from a true bussiness person but then I i realized he has two great business examples in his own freaking parents! Say what you want about Micharl and Carole but they created a very profitable business from the bottom up.
I guess he wants to do it without his parent’s help but I don’t see why he couldn’t ask for business input.
He should ask for input considering this.
His parents have helped him out financially with his last 2 failed businesses.
I find it so odd he’s claiming he couldn’t scale either business up. What he’s doing exclusively is exactly how he could have scaled up. He made cakes. Why not print on them?
As it turns out this is what he’s doing now. Expanding to cakes with prints. He’s really late to the trend though and doing it worse than others.
What an idiot. His fortune is literally all over his face. This guy was born to teach the world how to maintain perfect facial hair.
The only thing that keeps this out of hilarity territory is the thought that his ridiculous puffed sugar business is supporting 27 households. For their sakes, I hope he can keep the business going.