William Cotton, Founder and Managing Director of TrustonTap Ltd

William Cotton, founder and Managing Director of TrustonTap Ltd., is an experienced Managing Director in health, beauty and care sectors. He has extensive commercial experience and particular understanding of retail and marketing. He has recently been involved in a number of venture capital backed health and beauty product businesses and founded Canary Care Ltd in 2012. Previously, William spent 23 years within Boots, most recently as MD of Boots International.

TrustonTap provides high quality, affordable trusted care services to the elderly in their own homes. TrustonTap is an early stage business which has been trading in the Thames Valley since summer 2016.

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

My background has been in Health, Beauty and Care. Over the last 7 years, I have become particularly focused on the needs of older people and ways in which innovation can assist them to stay living independently at home. This is what led me to found my two businesses.

What is your definition of entrepreneurship?

The ability to identify market needs/opportunities and to create propositions that can successfully meet those needs in a sustainable way.

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

Four months after working on the original scoping of TrustonTap, I had gathered sufficient feedback from potential customers and carers that gave me the confidence that the idea was one that could be developed and delivered.

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

Strategy
Resilience

What is your favourite part of being an entrepreneur?

Satisfying customers

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

Right now, I am immersed in the world of Care and Carers. I am most inspired by the brilliant work of so many voluntary organisations around the UK who are championing the causes of carers. I am particularly inspired by Carers UK.

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

I would want to discuss how we can transform the public’s perception of carers to ensure that the brilliant people who look after our elderly relatives are given the recognition, the respect and the rewards that they deserve.

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

Raising investment is a trying, difficult process that has consumed so much of my time and has distracted me from the main focus of driving the business forward

How have you funded your ideas?

Savings/ Borrowings and 2 angel investors

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

Southern Oxfordshire New business competition 2017- TrustonTap was the winner
Nesta ShareLab fund grant in 2017

What is good about being an entrepreneur in Oxfordshire? Bad?
Lots of inspiring people and brilliant ideas

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

Try to get them on the waiting list for Oxfordshire Entrepreneurs network

Any last words of advice?

Listen to customers.
See this 1 minute video on a TrustonTap customer, Melanie