From bedroom to boardroom: three UK businesses that started small

BBC Bitesize profiles three UK companies that began in modest home settings and later grew to national or international businesses; one example is Classic Football Shirts, which started in a student house in Manchester in 2006.

BBC Bitesize looks at firms that began in bedrooms, student houses and on kitchen tables before expanding. The piece profiles three UK businesses that later achieved national or international scale. One example is Classic Football Shirts, which began in 2006 in a student house in Fallowfield, Manchester. The founder, Doug Bierton, traced the idea to a fancy dress party and a charity-shop find of a 1990 England shirt. Key facts: - BBC Bitesize profiles three UK businesses that began in modest home settings and later expanded nationally or internationally. - Classic Football Shirts began in 2006 in a student house in Fallowfield, Manchester. - Founder Doug Bierton started after dressing as Paul Gascoigne and finding a 1990 England shirt in a charity shop. - The company is reported as having grown to be worth tens of millions of pounds, received investment from a Hollywood star, and collaborated with David Beckham and Ian Wright. Summary: The article illustrates how small, home-based beginnings can lead to larger businesses with wider reach. Classic Football Shirts is presented as a clear example of that path, with reported growth and high-profile partnerships. Undetermined at this time.