Business venture taking its first steps in market

Usman Manzoor is hoping to wow people with Indian ballerina shoes.

Usman Manzoor, from Bradford, has launched a distribution business for traditional Indian ballerina pumps called Juttis.

He tripped over the idea one day last year when searching for the footwear as a gift for his wife.

Mr Manzoor told The Yorkshire Post: “That’s where the inspiration for the idea came from. I saw it on social media.

“Initially, I just saw it as a gift for my wife. Then I had a lightbulb moment and I realised there’s actually a market for these shoes in the UK.”

The entrepreneur went on to make contact with the brand, called Fizzy Goblet, and pitched the idea of acting as a distributor for them in the UK.

After landing the deal with Fizzy Goblet, Mr Manzoor secured an agreement to supply 800 pairs of Juttis to 30 of high street retailer Monsoon’s stores.

“I approached the likes of Monsoon who are now stocking it in 30 of their flagship stores across the country,” he said.

The Fizzy Goblet brand combines contemporary design with tradition says Mr Manzoor, adding that a lot of traditional Juttis are overly embellished and can seem outdated.

His background before launching Wow Brands was in business support and mentoring. Mr Manzoor worked for the BBC Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones as a business and enterprise manager at his academy.

“Without opportunities working for people like him and rubbing shoulders with people like that I don’t think I would be where I am today,” said Mr Manzoor.

It’s one thing supporting businesses and it’s another thing running your own. Mr Manzoor said it was a “scary decision” striking out on his own.

He added: “It took me a number of years to finally set up my own business and take that step. Being in this position where I’ve got to self sustain is quite scary.”

However, Mr Manzoor is already looking at extending his product portfolio by adding Peshawari ladies sandals.

Mr Manzoor is based at the Entrepreneurial Spark Leeds Hatchery which he says has provided “amazing” networking opportunities allowing him to network with other fashion industry entrepreneurs.