A Manchester craftsman making luxury backgammon boards that sell for as much as £23,000 has secured funding for a new workshop and to expand into corporate events.
Guy Haslam makes custom backgammon boards through his business Bone Club Backgammon, with prices from £500 into the thousands.
Guy trained as a dentist before a career that included running a web design agency before training in joinery and furniture restoration. After moving back to his home area, he started playing backgammon again and started the Bone Club to meet fellow enthusiasts.
He began using his woodworking skills to design and make boards, and once he raised the demand decided to launch his own business.
Guy has now secured a £6,000 loan through the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, delivered by GC Business Finance (GCBF). That has allowed him to move into a larger workshop and to boost stock.
Guy is aiming to make 12 custom boards and 50 smaller custom boards each year, and is now looking to take on his first part-time employee. He currently runs three corporate events per month, along with exclusive games at private members clubs in Mayfair, and is hoping to run more high-end events.
He said: “I’ve played backgammon since I was seven with my Mum, so it’s long been a passion of mine. I’d just never considered I could make money from it. Through setting up Bone Club I saw the joy and fun it brought to people, and I wanted to take this joy and apply it to my work, so founding Bone Club Backgammon felt like the logical next step.”
He added: “I never expected for the business to take off quite in the way it has. To help it grow, I needed the right support, and I found this in the GCBF team. It was a straightforward and supportive process, allowing me to focus on how I could scale and grow Bone Club Backgammon.
“With the help of the funding, our expansion into corporate events and private members clubs has catapulted us forwards, so there’s plenty more to be excited about as we continue to grow.”
Alex Mearns, head of start-up lending at GC Business Finance, said: “Guy’s story is truly inspirational, turning his passion into a successful business. This is why having targeted support to new founders is so important, helping to turn these incredible personal stories and passions into a reality. With the help of our underwriter, Georgia, the impact the SUL funding had on Guy and Bone Club Backgammon is already clear, with plenty of exciting new developments to come in the future.”
Delyth Edwards, senior network manager for the North West at the British Business Bank, said: “The Start Up Loans programme was set up to help people just like Guy – someone who has a strong passion and skill to help them turn this into a viable business. The success of Bone Club Backgammon is testament to this, creating a unique product while offering the potential to provide more jobs in the local economy. Guy’s personal journey is inspirational, and I can’t wait to see what he achieves next.”
