Kirsty Gillies (25) studied accounting and finance at Strathclyde before taking up a position at Ernst & Young but has now left her job as a chartered accountant to focus on her own business, Angelic Gluten Free.
Kirsty explained, "I've always had an ambition that one day I would work for myself, and after three years of experience in the accountancy profession, felt that this was the right time to make a move. In addition to my skills in accountancy, I am also a landscape artist, and through my business I can integrate my rational thought process with my creative outlet.
"I've been working on my business plans for over a year now, and have been working full time for just over two months. Every day is different and I learn something new each day, and that's what I love about what I do. I can spend a day visiting our partner bakery for production trials, meeting with bank advisers, or working with our packaging team to choose colours for designs."
Here in the video, Kirsty is seen making her pitch to Strathclyde 100 earlier this year. Strathclyde 100 is a network of the University's successful entrepreneurs. Its main activities include a mentoring programme for the new generation of businesses started by staff, students or alumni and a series of events at which new technologies and emerging business ideas are presented in Dragons Den style.
Since the Strathclyde 100 event, she has been a Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winner, which provided her with £1,000 to help pursue her business idea. For the last year, Kirsty, from Inverness, has been developing a range of reduced fat, gluten and dairy free cookies – even making over 160 batches of cookies to develop the perfect range, which would appeal to her target market of young women.
"We are currently undergoing production trals with a commercial bakery. This is a long process as when recipes are 'bulked' up, by nature they change from the kitchen recipe. We are also developing new product ranges including clusters, biscotti and a childen's range. If all goes to schedule, we are hoping to have final products available for sale towards the end of this year.
"The Shell award has been a great help, and has been used towards packaging costs. The award scheme has also provided me with a network of other young entrepreneurs going through similar experiences with starting a business."