A man who set up his own business with just £12 in the bank as a teenager in his bedroom now has a city centre store.
Charlie McDonough, a 26 year-old from Aigburth, runs The Block P, a clothing and trainer store on Renshaw Street in the city centre. He had been buying trainers and selling them out of “pure passion” for several years but after a car crash left him unable to work he decided to pursue it as a full-time career.
Charlie said: “I had a car accident when I was 18 which meant I couldn’t get a proper job. My back was too sore all the time to work. I had to quit my job in a call centre because of it. I was faced with choosing between doing nothing and trying to do something myself and it went from there.”
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The idea came from Charlie’s teenage years when he bought a pair of trainers which didn’t fit so he sold them on for profit. When he took the plunge and pursued the business full-time, Charlie set up his first office in his bedroom, then his dad’s study.
A successful pop-up in the Metquarter followed, and when that was successful he opened a shop on Renshaw Street . He now employs three members of staff - Joe Nicholson, Jonny Ward and Jude Tomkins - and he credits their hard work for The Block P’s growth.
Explaining his business philosophy, he said: “We wanted to create our own unique products. We have our own brand t-shirts and hoodies that we can sell unlimited amounts of. We do clocks and baby grows which are very popular.”
Charlie believes The Block P wouldn’t have taken off anywhere other than Liverpool. He said: “I don’t think the shop would work anywhere else in the country because there’s such a big demand for the products in Liverpool. It wouldn’t have done anywhere near as well.”
Such has been the brand's success that, after eight years, Charlie is now planning to take The Block P international with a new store in either Amsterdam or Milan. This development is all the more impressive given The Block P has not received outside funding unlike other businesses.
Charlie said: “I started the business by selling one pair of trainers. I had no investment or outside help. It genuinely came from nothing. I had like £12 in my bank account and now I’m looking to open up a second store.”
“It sounds cliché, but the position I’m in now is one I’ve dreamed of for years. I always knew I’d make it work no matter what happened but it’s crazy how fast it’s grown.” The Block P’s website can be found here.
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