Willsow’s Thomas Willday on Dragons’ Den, Shaun the Sheep – and growing a plantable books business

Tom, it’s great to talk. Firstly, can you give us a brief introduction to the Willsow brand.
Willsow are the first ever plantable children’s books!

Plantable as in…
You read the story, put the book in the ground and then grow the main character!

Brilliant.
All of our books are produced here at my family printing business Alfred Willday & Sons and have over 500 non-GMO seeds per book. Over the last four years, Willsow has grown – pardon the pun! – and now boasts seven books in the range – including our all-new book with Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep.

We have pens shaped like carrots, of course, and greetings cards made of elephant poo! We have also recently launched our first range of plantable greetings cards with 15 designs that can all be planted to grow your greetings into wildflowers!

Sticking with puns, where did the seed of this idea come from?
Truthfully, the lightbulb moment happened in the pub after being given a plantable business card. I wondered how we could combine my family’s printing business with the fairly bonkers concept of plantable paper… Then eureka! I had the idea to create children’s books that would encourage children to get outside and experience the magic of growing their own. I saw first-hand how much time family members were spending on screens and knew there must be a solution.

“You read the story, put the book in the ground and then grow the main character!”

Your product integrates seeds into the books and cards. I imagine this was quite a challenge from a design and logistical perspective.
The implanting of the seeds in the paper is much like a paper-mache process! Recycled paper is made into a paste and then the seeds are dropped in and dried. We trialled various versions of the book… We’ve gone from having every page seeded, to having one page with seeds, to now having the front and back cover be plantable!

In both those early stages and now we take on board consumer feedback. Creating and designing the books as the brand evolves is always a fun and creative process. We’re making print great again – it isn’t a dying trade as is commonly believed! Sadly, it’s the creativity dying in business owners.

You have launched a Shaun the Sheep plantable book. Why did you decide to add a licensed product to your range?
Working with Aardman felt like a no-brainer! They are such an iconic British brand and Shaun is a household name – plus he never takes life too seriously. We felt Shaun’s brand voice perfectly aligned with our non-corporate approach to business. That is not to say that we weren’t apprehensive and nervous about our first venture into licensing!

“Having such an iconic character on our books felt like a lot of pressure!”

We knew Shaun was a great fit with him being an outdoor character – and he aligns with the wildflowers in the paper as sheep eat flowers! We also went into it knowing the benefits of extending our product range, but it was nerve-racking to take onboard the responsibility of such a character and incorporate him into our format.

What was the design process like, working with Aardman?
Aardman were great and, alongside yourself Ian at Start Licensing, we were guided us through the process at every step. Having such an iconic character on our books felt like a lot of pressure. It was a lot of trial and error but we are so pleased with the end product. We knew Aardman wanted the best possible outcome and it was a really fun process looking at different design directions.

How would you ‘sell’ the benefits of licensing to companies who haven’t worked with a brand yet?
Working with a licensed brand is great for brand exposure and awareness – and it isn’t as daunting as it initially might seem! It’s also a great way to introduce a new product line that opens the door to new retailers and a new market. Since licensing, we have gained new accounts but have also been able to offer existing accounts something different and exciting that customers instantly recognise. Having a great idea is just the start… Having more SKUs gives retailers more options and licensing provides the platform to achieve this.

Great answer! Now, you successfully appeared on Dragons’ Den. Tell us about that process.
Dragons’ Den was a whirlwind! We went on with the aim to just give it a go… It came as a bit of a shock to receive not one offer, not two offers – but three! We were passionate and had every faith in the idea, but to portray that to Dragons while being filmed – and grilled! – is nerve-racking to say the least!

Got any tips for anyone considering applying?
Going in with the correct business figures and valuation is huge – we are there to get investment, but mostly a business partner. Alienating them with a huge valuation and offering a shocking percentage is not the way to do business – or attract the correct investor.

How has your Dragon – Sara Davies – helped you?
Sara’s advice and business acumen has been crucial in navigating us through the past couple of years. For example, Sara highly recommended trade shows and helped us understand and simplify the process. Trade shows were something we hadn’t really dipped into, and now these are a vital part of our working year and generate a significant amount of business for us.

“Working with a licensed brand is great for brand exposure and awareness – and it isn’t as daunting as it initially might seem!

We have also met some great people and companies through Sara who have helped us greatly along our journey. I believe mentors can be of great help to young businesses as their knowledge and experience can provide access to a network and advice that otherwise you wouldn’t have access too. Having Sara there when we need help has been invaluable – plus she has been giving us TV sales training… Watch this space!

As a start-up business, have there been some key learnings that you have picked up?
You have to try everything once! We have learnt – sometimes the hard way – that you have to put yourself out there and try new things, even if it may not work. For us, diving into the wholesale gift market and selling B2B has been very beneficial. On the flip side, doing B2C shows such as RHS Chelsea have been great for us. Some shows work and some don’t! Each brand is different but we find speaking to others in industry to get their feedback is great. You have to take advice where you can and learn as you go! Don’t sit on your Grandad’s chair thinking I wish I did this back in the day!

Where do you hope Willsow will be in a year’s time?
We hope we continue to be growing as a business and to have settled our feet firmly in the US market. There are plenty of new products in the making at this time, including some exciting updates to be announced at Spring Fair 2024.

Finally, if you were pitching Willsow to a retail buyer, why should they take your products?
Our books are the first and only of their kind! With Willsow books, you aren’t just selling a book but a moment shared between a child and their grandparent, parent or siblings. The end of the story is just beginning as it really is the gift that just keeps giving! Once the book has been read, there is an activity to be enjoyed. Then once it has grown, they can enjoy eating their home-grown vegetable or herbs!