In The Hot Seat: Daniel Bamping

by Bhavna Mistry, Promotions & Incentives 01-Feb-07, 19:00

The BPMA Entrepreneur of the Year tells Bhavna Mistry saving the planet is as vital as making money.

In many ways, Daniel Bamping's is a classic rags-to-riches story. Five years ago, the man was on benefits; today he's the owner of five companies, with the most successful expected to show a £1 million turnover in its third year of operation. To boot, Bamping has beaten off stiff competition to win last month's inaugural BPMA Entrepreneur of the Year award, in association with P&I.

Bamping's path to success has been swift and varied - he's an accomplished diver, did a post grad in underwater imaging and combined the two to become a self-employed underwater cameraman for five years.

An injury led to a change in fortune and he found himself unable to work.

It was at this point that he started concentrating on building up his businesses, starting with FuturePlanet, which focuses on a subject close to Bamping's heart: the environment and conservation of the planet.

Bamping's fledgling empire has subsequently grown, and he now runs five companies under the holding umbrella of 23Acorns. But by far his most profitable venture, and the one for which he took the award, is Bedlam Puzzles. "I bought 2,300 cubes initially from Bruce Bedlam, the puzzle's inventor, in 2004. Now the business has grown to the extent that Bruce gets a five-figure royalty sum from me each month," says Bamping.

"Over the past three years, I've dedicated most of my energy into making this business what it is today. My drive, ambition, vision, energy and focus have enabled me to take it from selling a few cubes via a website from my basement, to taking it where it is today," he says.

Which could sound arrogant and boastful, only Bamping says it with a humility and conviction which makes it nothing more than a statement of fact. He's quick to credit his seven-strong team, without whom he says such success could not have been achieved.

The puzzle is sold around the world, and he says corporate sales account for between 20-25 per cent of his business.

The real turning point for Bedlam came with 32-year-old Bamping's appearance on the Dragon's Den TV show. He was offered four deals by the entrepreneurs, who put their own money into backing others' businesses which they think will be successful. He accepted the offers on screen, but rejected them when it came to due diligence, and raised finance through the bank.

Like a true entrepreneur, however, he milked the exposure for every single marketing drop. "Our approach and ideas have led us to carve a niche in the market and become the next Rubik's cube in the toy world," he claims.

But Bamping is no one-trick pony. He followed up the Bedlam Cube with a mini version, and is already marketing the Revolution puzzle.

And he hasn't forgotten his first love: "Making a profit is one thing, but we need to be careful of our impact on the environment. I make sure we set an example, so the Bedlam Cube has no packaging, the wooden versions are made from sustainable rubber wood, and the company car is a Toyota Prius Hybrid. And from next year, our plastic cubes will be made from recycled plastic, and some of them - especially our corporate cubes - will be made in the UK."

CV
2005-present: Chief executive, 23Acorns
2004-2005: Managing director, Bedlam Puzzles
2003-2004: Managing director, H2O TV
1999-2003: Managing director, Future Planet