G: Tell us about your business: What do you do? What did inspire you to start?
We are a brand new technology start-up looking to manufacture the next-generation of notebooks. The notebooks are reusable, with whiteboard features. High quality materials the notebooks are made form ensure that they are durable and reliable for users who do a lot of note making, drawing or sketching.
With two co-founders being freshly graduated and the other two being in their last year of studies, we knew that we will have to do something. We decided to organise a meeting to discuss various entrepreneurial ideas ranging from multi-language tales book for kids to boats manufacturing. However, we decided to stick with the Reusable Notebook idea because we knew how handy such a tool would have been throughout out 4 years of studying.
G: What is innovative about this product?
What makes the Esquoia notebook unique and deliver a different writing experience is a combination of a special dry-erase ink and coated paper. The ink dries in seconds, at the time of writing. When dry, it holds very strong. Many people have asked us about smudging, so we can assure that the special ink does not smudge and one can safely put hands of the working surface or close the notebook. The information inside is safe and can be later erased using special erasers. Our team is consisting of two Lithuanians, one French and one Russian. We strongly believe that being a unique diverse team we can achieve a huge success.
G: What were the biggest obstacles launching the start-up and how did you overcome them?
We had to open our own website (www.esquoia.com) and prepare our first Kickstarter campaign. A significant ammount of IT skills and knowledge was neccessary to acquire fast, so we invited an IT student to join the start-up and introduce us with the basics of computer coding.
G: What would you say has been your most memorable experience while developing your startup?
We have started the development at the new entrepreneurship centre in Bradford where we received so much advice and support with our ideas we were really fascinated and happy about our acknowledgment.
G: What does the future has in store for your company?
We are looking to improve the current notebooks and introduce more different formats in the near future. We believe that Esquoia notebooks will spread the world across offices, universities and boardrooms. Reducing the overall wood pulp paper waste will establish ourselves as entrepreneurs looking forward into the green new world.
Social links:
Website: www.esquoia.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Esquoia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esquoia
Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1299389325/esquoia-reusable-notebook
