Lampson Leung, inventor and founder of Clipmatic

Lampson Leung is the inventor and founder of Clipmatic.  Clipmatic is a company that specialises in spiral notebook accessories. The company consists of myself, a sales coordinator and a graphic designer.

What is your background? What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?

My background is in Architecture. I started off as an inventor and turned into an entrepreneur to sell my invention.

What is your definition of entrepreneurship?
Turning passion into value.

How and when did you know your idea was good enough to develop it?

Usually, you believe your idea is good, and continue developing it until it is good enough to be critiqued by others. Getting criticism from others can be a double-edged sword, killing an idea too. Entering into tradeshows and exhibitions is also a good indicator of how good your idea is, and whether to continue pursuing it or not.

What would you say are the top 3 skills that needed to be a successful entrepreneur? Why?

Interpersonal skills, self-discipline, passion

What is your favourite part of being an entrepreneur?

Being entrepreneur can be extremely busy, and some days not so. I enjoy the flexibility in working hours.

What individual, company or organization inspires you most? Why?

Buckminster Fuller for his futuristic vision.

If you had 5 minutes with the above indiv/company/org, what would you want to ask or discuss?

I’d like to present him my vision for sustainable high rise buildings for the 21st century and get his insights.

What would you say have been some of your mistakes, failures or lessons learned as an entrepreneur?

Making your invention your ugly baby. You must know when to let go of an idea even though it may seem to be the best idea to you.

How have you funded your ideas?

Savings, family members, competition funds

Are there any sector-specific awards/grants/competitions that have helped you?

London Stationery Show Launch Pad Competition, Oxford Enterprise Award.

What is good about being an entrepreneur in Oxfordshire? Bad?

It’s a very expensive place to live, which is not that great for a start-up entrepreneur struggling to meet their ends. It needs more co-working spaces for entrepreneurs and networking events.

If a new entrepreneur or startup came to you looking for entrepreneurship resources, where would you send them? (Anything Oxfordshire especially!)

Apply for an Entrepreneur boot camp. There are many free programmes out there. One of them is organized by Entrepreneur Spark. It helps to bridge the knowledge gap for anyone without a business background.

Any last words of advice?

Work hard. Take care of your family, and follow your passion whenever possible.