Eleanor Ocock: My Entrepreneurship Story

Posted on: 16 November 2022 by Samantha Riella in Enterprise

Find out more about Eleanor Ocock who has created a small business alongside studying Zoology at the University of Liverpool.

When Potato Cellar first started, I never saw it becoming a viable business, to me it was merely a hobby to keep myself entertained during one of the many lockdowns. I started by screen printing tote bags myself in my little flat in Liverpool and selling them on Etsy.

With the help and support of the University of Liverpool, and the various enterprise opportunities they offer, including the Design Your Future programme and pitching competition, The Enterprise Fund and LCR Founders coaching, Potato Cellar has gone from strength to strength. We now have our own website, we source bags from manufacturers who focus on sustainability, and we’ve expanded our license with Moomin Characters Ltd to include new products.

When I'm not working on new designs for tote bags, I'm busy studying for a degree in Zoology at the University of Liverpool.

The support I received through one-to-one coaching allowed me to build a strong business plan, something I had no experience doing previously (I’m a Zoologist after all, not a business student!). That business plan secured me a grant through the Enterprise Fund, which allowed me to start a new line of tote bags, supporting ten different charities. I was then shortlisted for the DYF pitching competition, participating in which gave me the confidence to start pitching wholesale proposals to potential stockists.

In March 2022 we then secured a grant from the University of Liverpool, this helped us launch a line of charity linked tote bags which we are constantly expanding!

All the support and encouragement I received from the University of Liverpool has given me the confidence to really invest my everything in Potato Cellar and see it for what it really is, an exciting career opportunity! If you are interested in finding similar opportunities and meeting like-minded students and grads from across the University, I would recommend joining The Green Room to be first to find out about everything happening.

You can find out more about Potato Cellar here.

Inspired?

If you are looking to start a new enterprise or build entrepreneurial skills to be used in employment, we can help you along the way. You can find out more about what enterprise is, how to set up a business or pitch an idea, hear from inspiring speakers at our enterprise programmes, and careers events, and be on the lookout for enterprise competitions and challenges to help you turn your ideas into reality.