Meet Local Entrepreneur Amy Knight - Director of Must Have Ideas

In 2018 Amy graduated with a Law degree from the University of Kent, working as a warehouse manager during her studies at Ecoegg, a company making innovative, environmentally friendly household, laundry, and cleaning products.

On completing her degree, Amy remained at Ecoegg, moving into the position of Head of Supply Chain Management, where she worked for five months.

It didn’t take long for Amy’s entrepreneurial spirit to take over when she decided to do things her own way within the world of household and cleaning products.

Teaching herself digital marketing and all there is to know about social media, Amy took her first entrepreneurial steps into the realms of e-commerce - selling household goods and cleaning products by setting up Must Have Ideas with her two co-founders Rob Knight and Chris Finch.

From starting the business with an initial investment of £3,000 (£1,000 from each founder), today the business is generating an annual turnover of £65 million.

Let’s get into it…

Tell us the story of how your business idea first came about – was it a slow build or a lightning bolt moment?

The idea for our business was sparked during a holiday in America. My husband Rob and I came across a reusable antibacterial silicone sponge, a simple yet clever alternative to short-life traditional sponges. We brought the idea home, named it Hygiene Hero and it became the basis of our product range.

At first, I imagined we were creating a lifestyle business, but that quickly evolved. We soon realised there was a real appetite for products that say, “Here’s a problem, and here’s the solution.”

What’s a typical day like for you?

As the business has grown, I’ve been able to take a step back from the day-to-day operations now that we have a second tier of management in place. That said, I’m very much still involved with new product development and shaping our marketing strategy. My focus is ensuring that everything we do aligns with the broader vision and direction of the company.

What does your company do? What products or services do you sell?

At Must Have Ideas, we specialise in unique, problem-solving home and garden products that you won’t typically find at your local supermarket. We’re passionate about making everyday life easier with smart, practical, affordable solutions. As a family-run business, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service. Our motto is really simple, treat every single customer the way we’d want to be treated ourselves.

What motivates you to keep going during the tough days?

Every business has tough days, which is why it’s so important to hire a great team with the right attitude. Our team is truly aligned with our business philosophy, making things much easier when challenges arise. But what motivates me most of all is being a good role model to my two young daughters.

Why do you think your customers choose you over your competitors?

Alongside the uniqueness of our products, delivering top class customer service has been key to gaining and retaining customers. Customers can easily reach us through live chat, email, phone, or even by post. In a world where person-to-person interaction is increasingly rare - particularly in e-commerce, being able to talk to a real person has helped us stand out.

We know it can be daunting buying from an online company you’ve never purchased from before, that’s why we introduced our three key promises; delivery within two days or the order is free, a 100-day money-back, no questions asked guarantee and a simple returns policy.

We also try as much as we can, to give back to our customers through discounts, freebies, and giveaways - this has helped us build a strong online community, keeping our customers engaged between purchases.

What qualities do you look for when hiring team members?

We always say that skills can be taught, but attitude and shared vision can’t. We look for people who genuinely believe in our mission and want to help us achieve our goals. As our team grows - we now have 200 staff - we continue to prioritise hiring people who align with our values.

How do you foster a positive company culture?

Our team works incredibly hard, so we believe in giving back as the business grows - our success is their success. We’re an accredited Real Living Wage employer and offer staff benefits such as free breakfast, free EV charging, free products, staff discounts, flexible hours, paid social events and birthdays off. We’re working on delivering even more perks including private healthcare, electric car leasing, cycle to work schemes, season ticket loans and increasing the duration of maternity and paternity pay.

As founders raising young children ourselves, we’ve built a family-friendly working environment with flexibility for working parents.

We also actively welcome and act on feedback from our team - our suggestions box isn’t just for decoration.

What’s your vision or plan for the future of your business?

We have some really exciting plans for the next stage of growth – we’ve just launched our TV shopping channel on Freeview, so we hope to reap the benefits that come with that. We’ll also continue to grow both our product range and our fantastic team. We’re also exploring opportunities to expand the business beyond the UK into US and European markets.

How has being based in Kent been positive for your business?

Being based in Kent has been a huge positive for us. I grew up and live here, so it’s amazing to grow the business within our own community. We've also been able to tap into local talent and create skilled job opportunities - something that can be limited in smaller towns.

Does your business support any local charities or causes?

We proudly partner with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH). People from Kent and all over the UK have been touched by GOSH’s work and we want to do our part to support their research into childhood illnesses and to help them continue delivering their life-saving care. We have even launched a limited-edition product in partnership with GOSH with a portion of sales going to them - plus, our team also takes part in various fundraising activities throughout the year.

You can find out more about Must Have Idea’s and Amy here:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-knight-0b0822151/

Must Have Ideas website

Instagram - @musthaveideasuk

Facebook - Must Have Ideas UK

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