{"id":574,"date":"2012-03-29T19:26:00","date_gmt":"2012-03-29T19:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scqa.hult.edu\/en\/news\/blogs\/2012\/march\/innocent-smoothies-co-founder-shows-hult-mba-students-how-to-start-a-healthy-business\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:21:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T10:21:42","slug":"innocent-smoothies-co-founder-shows-hult-mba-students-how-to-start-a-healthy-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/innocent-smoothies-co-founder-shows-hult-mba-students-how-to-start-a-healthy-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Innocent Smoothies Co-Founder Shows Hult MBA Students How to Start a Healthy Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

(LONDON \u2013 March 29th<\/sup>, 2012)<\/strong> \u00a0Richard Reed has come a long way since the age of 16, when he worked for \u00a32 per hour in a factory making dog biscuits. Now, the Innocent<\/a> co-founder runs a growing empire with a \u00a3200m a year turnover, and will soon be fronting a new BBC series called Be Your Own Boss. \u00a0<\/em>Speaking at Hult\u2019s<\/a> Executive Speaker Series, Reed mentioned the key ingredient for entrepreneurial success is having a clear purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour business has to have a mission,\u201d Reed said. \u201cYou have to be really clear on why you exist \u2013 for Google this is to organize the world’s information and for Innocent it is to get healthy food to people. That is what we care about.\u201d Consumers obviously care about healthy food too; today the company is thriving, with a presence in 13 European countries.<\/p>\n

After graduating, Reed and two university friends set out to start a business that would make life better for people.\u00a0 After many ideas the group decided to launch Innocent Smoothies.\u00a0 Like many start-ups in today\u2019s environment securing funding was a challenge however their perseverance paid off. \u00a0All three are now millionaires.<\/p>\n

When a Hult student asked Reed what advice he had for people eager to follow in his footsteps and start a business from scratch, Reed\u2019s answer was definitive: \u201cAbsolutely, do it.\u201d Reed also offered advice on how seemingly small details can make a big difference when it comes to competing against rival companies. \u201cIf you do lots of little things better than your competitors then it becomes harder for them to imitate you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Innocent built a valuable brand in this way, with \u2018enjoy by\u2019 dates on its plastic bottles instead of \u2018use by\u2019 dates, and delivery vans that are covered in grass or painted like cows. \u201cWhen you are building a brand, getting noticed is the most important thing,\u201d Reed said.<\/p>\n

Media Contact:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carolin Bachmann, +44 (798) 534-0179, carolin.bachmann@hult.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Kickstart your career in Europe’s biggest startup cluster by studying at Hult’s London business school<\/a>. To find out more, take a look at our blog Top 3 reasons why London is the best city on earth<\/a>. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(LONDON \u2013 March 29th, 2012) \u00a0Richard Reed has come a long way since the age of 16, when he worked for \u00a32 per hour in a factory making dog biscuits….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24],"tags":[175],"yoast_head":"\nInnocent Smoothies Co-Founder Shows Hult MBA Students How to Start a Healthy Business | Hult International Business School<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Richard Reed has come a long way since the age of 16, when he worked for \u00a32 per hour in a factory making dog biscuits. 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