The Flip-Flop Philanthropist

Rob Forkan has been on an incredible journey. With younger brother Paul he runs Gandys, which uses some of its profits to help orphans in India – just one reason this fast-growing flip-flop brand continues to win admirers. Rob’s amazing story, which includes surviving the 2004 tsunami that claimed his parents’ lives, as told to Mark Williams, proves that some good can come out of the most terrible tragedy.

Rob Forkan (pictured above right) was born in 1987 in Carshalton and grew up in Croydon. “Our upbringing wasn’t unconventional,” he says, “but mum and dad always encouraged us to go outside and play. Being a couch potato wasn’t an option.”

Kevin and Sandra Forkan were compassionate, fun loving, generous parents

Kevin and Sandra Forkan were compassionate, fun loving, generous parents. “Mum was creative; dad was good at business. They met while working for a car dealership. Later, they ran their own business, selling end-of-line clothes via fashion shows at universities, schools and hospitals. They’d donate back money raised from ticket sales and raffles.”

Rob didn’t have any career ambitions as a child, but showed some entrepreneurial instinct. “I remember earning money from washing people’s cars,” he smiles.

Humanitarian projects

The Forkans had six children – Marie, Joanne, Rob, Paul, Matty and Rosie. They enjoyed travelling and wanted their children to experience other cultures, so, in 2001, after selling their house, Kevin and Sandra took their youngest children out of school and headed for India, a place they’d fallen in love with on a previous holiday. The plan was to volunteer for humanitarian projects. “I was 13, Paul was 11, Matty was nine and Rosie just five,” Rob remembers. “Marie and Joanne were older and stayed in the UK.”

Despite the extreme hardship they witnessed, the Forkans loved India and enjoyed mixing with local people. “We received a ‘social education’,” says Rob. “We were learning communication and negotiating skills and became very confident because we were mainly mixing with adults. There are many life skills that you’re not going to learn from a school text book or classroom in the UK.”

The full force of the tsunami hit Weligama, with a 20-foot wave devastating the hotel, sending water raging through every room

Asian tsunami

Shortly before Christmas 2004, the Forkans flew south to Sri Lanka, their destination, the Neptune Hotel in the small fishing village of Weligama. After a hugely enjoyable Christmas Day on the beach, horror followed on Boxing Day.

“Paul and I were sharing a room and it was just after 8.30am that I heard screams outside,” Rob recalls. On seeing water trickling under the door, he shouted to Paul. Then, the full force of the tsunami hit Weligama, with a 20-foot wave devastating the hotel, sending water raging through every room. “We had to fight for our lives,” says Rob.

He managed to get out of the room and onto the roof, dragging Paul with him. Nearby, while making sure Matty and Rosie got to safety, Rob’s parents were swept away by the water’s force. That was the last time he saw them alive. Kevin was 54 years old; his wife Sandra, just 40.

Mercifully, all four children survived. And while bruised, battered, hungry, exhausted, barefoot and traumatised by what had happened, they managed to hitchhike 120 miles to the international airport in Colombo. “Because we’d been out there doing what we were doing, we’d toughened up a lot,” reflects Rob.

Rob’s parents were swept away by the water’s force. That was the last time he saw them alive

Free spirits

Some time after flying back to the UK, eldest sister Marie (then 21) adopted her three youngest siblings (Rob was too old for adoption) and they went to live in Hampshire. Rob worked briefly as a lifeguard on Bournemouth Beach, before moving back to Farnborough and finding jobs in customer service and advertising/marketing account management.

Neither Rob nor Paul had lost their wanderlust and they explored many countries in South East Asia, as well India, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Most of the time they wore flip-flops – a symbol of their freedom. Having trained to be a plumber, Paul ended up in Australia, doing various jobs to get by. But inspired by their parents, Rob and Paul remained free spirits.

I wanted to start my own business and create a brand that reflected our upbringing and the outlook our parents gave us

“Despite everything, I still wanted to make a difference,” Rob explains. “I wanted to start my own business and create a brand that reflected our upbringing and the outlook our parents gave us. Many families were devastated by the Tsunami, and many children, like us, were left orphaned. They didn’t have the support we had. I wanted to help.”

After a heavy night at a music festival, Rob woke up with a terrible hangover. “I remember saying I had a ‘mouth like Gandhi’s flip-flop’… That was it! Not only did I have my business idea, but also the beginnings of a brand name. Later I rang Paul and he loved the idea. Soon he returned to the UK and in late 2011 we launched the business – Gandys – from my flat in Brixton. We changed the name because we didn’t want to cause any offence.”

Passion, change, hope and inspire are key words for us

Orphans for Orphans

From the start, the Forkan brothers decided to give a percentage of their profits over to building orphanages in India as part of their ‘Orphans for Orphans’ campaign. “The idea is to improve children’s health and access to education,” explains Rob. “Passion, change, hope and inspire are key words for us.”

2016 was a watershed year for Gandys. They collaborated with Liberty London, the V&A museum and the Rolling Stones on limited edition flip flops – which are now being worn by over 250,000 ‘brand ambassadors’. They also extended the brand further by launching their first clothing range – which included jumpers, jeans and swimwear – and they opened their first stores. The Forkan brothers have ambitious plans for the year ahead too! In addition to their Kids’ Campus in Sri Lanka, they will be building a second campus in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Final question: would mum and dad be proud? Rob replies: “I get asked that a lot and always struggle to answer… I feel like we’ve only just started, so I’m not ready to step back and assess things. We have great products and a great brand, and I’m very proud that our success will help to improve the lives of children who really need that help. Our parents remain a great inspiration for us, too…. Would they be proud of what we’re doing? Yes, I think they would…”

• This profile appeared originally on the Start Up Donut website. Since it was written, profits generated by Gandys sales have helped to build four kids campuses worldwide. The Forkans' good work continues.

Business ideas – the good, the bad and the crazy

One expert and three business owners discuss business ideas and how success can sometimes come from seemingly foolish thoughts.

Although a few businesses ideas are unique, many involve what Kevin Duncan describes as “conceptual blending”, which is taking an idea and applying it in a new context. “Add the delivery mechanism of a biro to stick deodorant and you invent roll-on deodorant,” he explains.

Duncan is a business adviser, marketing expert and author of more than 20 books for small businesses, including The Ideas Book: 50 Ways to Generate Ideas Visually. “Anyone can have a business idea,” he continues. “But if enough people aren’t willing to buy it to cover your costs and generate enough profit – you have no business.”

Asking potential customers as early as possible what they think of your business idea – and how much they would pay for it – is essential. “Before starting up, the founders of Innocent set up a stall at a jazz festival with ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bins. All people had to do was lob their empty smoothie container into one bin or the other. Easy, fast, reliable market research.”

“Many advisers say you should ‘always be in beta’, but I disagree. Get it right at the beginning and get on with it.”

Promising ideas can be refined, says Duncan, who believes you should test fast, then decide. “Many advisers say you should ‘always be in beta’, but I disagree. Get it right at the beginning and then get on with it.”

Duncan also believes in speaking to experts if you lack technical knowledge, because their input can make a big difference. “When testing business ideas you must be brutally honest,” Duncan stresses. “If it’s rubbish, start again. And again. If your ideas are never good enough, admit it and give up. It could save you a lot of time, money and grief.”

Recipe for success

“I came up with the idea while sitting at home thinking there had to be a better way to cook great meals without all the hard work,” recalls Timo Boldt. “Having to find recipes, go shopping, and weigh ingredients was painful, while inevitably you end up wasting food. I thought if someone could fix this for less than the supermarkets charge, it would be insanely amazing.”

Boldt started London-based Gousto in 2012 with friend James Carter. Customers can visit the website, pick recipes and then order pre-measured ingredients to ensure no waste, which soon arrive at their door. “We made many small changes before launching, but our first real customer feedback triggered much bigger changes,’ Schmidt confesses.

“Customer feedback is vital. We still obsess about listening to our customers – they drive our product roadmap.”

Soon they were testing their recipes from market stalls, where reaction was overwhelmingly positive, but they were still able to learn. Boldt says it’s essential to test a business idea thoroughly before committing time and money. “Customer feedback is vital. We still obsess about listening to our customers – they drive our entire product roadmap,” he says.

In less than four years Gousto has scaled to now support more than 200 jobs, selling millions of meals per year. It has attracted £20m of investment, while ex-LOVEFILM CEO, Simon Calver, now sits on the company’s board. Always seeking new ideas, Gousto has launched apps to make ordering even more convenient, while introducing more choice to the menu (which now features dishes created by Theo Randall and Mary Berry, as well as wine and desserts). “You must take time to develop ideas – but sometimes it does take a leap of faith,” Boldt smiles.

“While enjoying food and drink with friends, Kahana lifted up his feet. He wondered why most socks looked so boring.”

Socks appeal

Gil Kahana and Humberto De Sousa became friends while studying communication design at Central Saint Martins. One day they were enjoying food and drink with friends and as Kahana relaxed he lifted up his feet. He wondered why most socks looked so boring. Then he got around to thinking how much better socks could be if animated with characters (“almost like wearing sock puppets on your feet”).

“I suggested the idea to Humberto and asked if he would like to collaborate. Then we started to meet up once a week to progress the idea, because we both had full-time jobs,” he says. “We drew quirky faces onto white socks, to see what worked best. At first we didn’t really have any business ambitions, but it grew. We then asked people on the street in London for their views on personal expression through clothing. It confirmed our thinking: the characters on our socks should only become visible when shoes were taken off.”

Chatty Feet launched in 2012 and feedback was mostly positive, says Kahana. “One blog made a negative comment, but it didn’t stop us,” he adds. Now with such characters as Kate Middle-Toe, Prof Brian Sox, Andy Sock-Hole, they sell socks in 27 designs in nine countries. “Last year we doubled our unit sales and we’re currently looking to open up new overseas markets,” Kahana reveals.

When seeking feedback, Kahana recommends having a prototype. “Then people can see exactly what you’re talking about. Also carry out research to make sure someone hasn’t already got there. Discussing your ideas with others can be beneficial, but make sure you’re in a stimulating environment. You should feel able to express your thoughts. Some people see the world in strict paradigms; they struggle with new ideas. Don’t listen to them,” he advises.

“The Dragons abused me in their typical style – even saying that my product was dangerous. Afterwards I was angry, but determined to show them.”

Buoyant sales

Kevin Moseley was a swimming instructor in Lancashire in the late-1980s. For a fun way to end lessons he would pretend to be a shark and swim around the pool wearing a fin made from two polystyrene kickboards. One day a child asked if he could try the fin, because it looked fun. Moseley experienced his own eureka moment, realising the commercial potential.

“Over some years I created, tested and improved prototypes,” he remembers. “I’d taken out a trade mark and had patents pending when I was invited to appear on Dragons’ Den in 2006. The Dragons abused me in their typical style – even saying that my product was dangerous. Afterwards I was angry, but determined to show them.”

Kevin remortgaged his home, borrowed from the bank, cashed in his life savings and sold his swimming school business to raise start-up capital. “It was a huge gamble, risking everything on an idea seeking to change the way swimming is taught around the world. I could never have been 100 per cent sure it would succeed,’ he confesses.

Moseley modified his product, had it tested rigorously against international safety standards. “I spent 18 months on R&D. You can’t launch a swimming aid without thorough testing – parents must be able to trust your products.” Then he found a manufacturer and launched Northampton-based SwimFin in 2008, running the business from his garage.

“In our first year we sold about 70,000 units in 46 countries overseas – a promising start. Now we export to more than 100 countries, have 44 exclusive international distributors and in the next year we hope to sell our one millionth SwimFin. We have a range of products, but the pioneering SwimFin is still the bestseller. I’m very proud of my idea and the business.”

• Written for The Guardian Small Business Network by Dead Good Content founder, Mark Williams.

My biggest leap of faith

Taking risks is part and parcel of being in business, but some are particularly significant. Mark Williams asks five entrepreneurs to look back to a time when they took a leap of faith.

Wendy Tan White’s first major leap of faith wasn’t, as you might expect, when she started Moonfruit with Joe White and Eirik Pettersen during the first dotcom boom. It was carrying on when the dotcom bubble burst in 2001, she reveals.

“Funding ran out, so we had to cut the team from 60, to 10, then two, which was very tough,” she says. “But we totally believed in our mission to enable small firms to build their own websites.” By 2012, when the business was sold to the Yell Group for £23m, seven million websites had been built using the pioneering Moonfruit platform.

Tan White admits that leaps of faith still “bring the same vertigo and butterflies”, even after years in business. Her latest, 18 months ago, saw Tan White and husband Joe join Entrepreneur First (EF), the London tech accelerator started by Matt Clifford and Alice Bentinck in 2011. “We joined because we want to help the best talent to build world-class startups from scratch. We were also looking for something that was worth betting our time and money on,” she says. “Matt and Alice are exceptional people.”

In May, Entrepreneur First had its first major exit, when Twitter acquired AI start-up Magic Pony for $150m. “We’ve raised £40m to extend EF’s company-building programme from six months to two years, and invest further in companies. We’ve personally invested in 12 businesses in our portfolio of 20 – and mentor many more. Becoming investors has been a totally different leap of faith.”

I was continually being told people wouldn’t buy online, but the business grew to be worth £250m – Chris Barling

Software solutions

Tech entrepreneur Chris Barling was 40 when he took a life-changing chance to set up his own business. “I left a well-paid job with Cable & Wireless to set up [ecommerce software provider] Actinic in 1996,” he says. “My co-founder and I funded the launch and my family of five had to live on £8,000 in that first year.”

Software development involves considerable investment before any revenue comes in, he adds, often leaving owners short of cash. “It was a major leap of faith. I was continually being told people wouldn’t buy online, but the business grew to be worth £250m.”

Barling estimates £10bn of sales went through Actinic-powered websites before he moved on in 2014. He now sits on the board of a FTSE 100 company and two high-growth tech startups. And he has started Powered Now, a provider of invoice, estimating and scheduling mobile software for small trade businesses, such as plumbers, electricians and builders.

“Again, I’m told trades people will never be keen on technology to run their business. [But] they will, because now it’s mobile, like them, and simpler. It’s taken personal investment, but now we have more than 1,100 paying customers and 60,000 trade businesses have downloaded our app. Entrepreneurs must sometimes take leaps of faith. It’s hard, but can bring the biggest rewards. It should never be an [unconsidered one] though.”

Space man

“In 2012, after Airbnb started to take off, it just came to me and stayed in my head,” says 24-year-old Ross Bailey of starting his business Appear Here. “Maybe something similar could help fill the huge number of empty UK retail premises.”

To test this theory, Bailey and a friend took a short-term let on premises near Carnaby Street and sold T-shirts to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Others showed interest and the viability of the pop-up shop concept became clear. The company launched in February 2013 and is now a leading online marketplace that connects landlords with brands and businesses seeking short-term retail space in the UK.

My leap of faith was simply telling others about my idea. Some said it was rubbish, but one person said I shouldn’t over-think it – Ross Bailey

“My leap of faith was simply telling others about my idea,” Bailey reveals. “Some said it was rubbish, but one person said I shouldn’t over-think it. Try it out and if it fails, it fails.

“There’s something powerful about telling people about your idea. Many people want you to succeed. Ultimately, you win or you lose, but the initial momentum begins.” Appear Here now has offices in London and Paris and more than 40 employees, having raised some £5m in funding.

Growth platform

Saurav Chopra took a chance in 2014 when he cofounded Perkbox, a platform employers pay to use to provide employees with “access to more than 200 perks, an online reward and recognition system and a wellness hub”.

Chopra explains: “Parent company Huddlebuy was a highly profitable lead-generation business, turning over £1m-plus, but we wanted to build something we could scale worldwide. [Starting a new business] that wasn’t generating any revenue required a huge leap of faith.”

Justifying the idea to his board, investors and employees was incredibly hard, admits Chopra, and Perkbox was one year in the making before launching in 2015. “Just two years after deciding to pivot, revenue has grown by 13 times, and we’ve gone from 15 employees to 100, without any external funding.”

Chopra believes that entrepreneurs must regularly take leaps of faith – these are mostly small, but occasionally very significant. “They key is to minimise risk,” he says. “Evaluate as much data as possible; get input from key team members; and feedback from potential customers. Once the decision’s been made, you must communicate your rationale and plan to the rest of the team.”

I’m a passionate Liverpool FC fan and the thought of a short drive to Anfield was too much to resist – Steve McGauley

Mersey paradise

Steve McGauley’s leap of faith involved relocating his marketing agency from London to Liverpool. “I started Liquid in 2000. Three years later, after growing steadily, moving to the north west seemed the next natural step.

“I’m Yorkshire born, but my dad’s a Scouser and my family live in the north – it’s where I feel most comfortable. I considered Manchester and Leeds, but I’m a passionate Liverpool FC fan and the thought of a short drive to Anfield was too much to resist,” he laughs.

While it was a big move, McGauley says agencies don’t need a London postcode to compete. “We have a high success rate of winning work against agencies regionally and in London,” he adds. “We have the same work ethic and creativity, but charge less usually.” Liquid now has 17 employees and an impressive client list that includes Levis, Warburtons and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The main reason for relocating was better quality of life, he says, particularly at a time when he and his wife wanted to start a family. “London consumes you; working very long hours is expected. Personally, I never had any doubts. I believed in my business and in Liverpool.

Moving to Liverpool has been one of my best decisions. The talent and drive here reminds me of London, but the people in Liverpool tend to do things with a smile on their face – Steve McGauley

“I’m thankful for my time in London,” he adds, “but moving to Liverpool has been one of my best decisions ever. The talent and drive here reminds me of London, but the people in Liverpool tend to do things with a smile on their face.”

While leaps of faith can be terrifying, when they’re taken with careful consideration of the risks and benefits on the line, they can be the push that a business needs to grow and thrive. What will your next leap of faith be?

• Written by Dead Good Content founder, Mark Williams, this feature appeared originally on the Small Business Network pages of The Guardian website in 2016.