Omar Bahadur (2014) is looking to achieve global success with his caffeinated water concept, Faraday. He talks about his entrepreneurial journey and plans for 2021.

What led you into the energy drinks market?

My reservations with energy drinks were with their impractical packaging that couldn’t be resealed, artificial ingredients, and their high sugar content. My engineering background sparked my problem solving and creativity. I thought ‘what can I do to address these issues?’ The result was Faraday.

How did you build your brand?

After graduating in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bradford in 2018, my first job was a trainee car salesman (sales is a crucial part of entrepreneurship) prior to progressing to two further jobs before going full time on my business. I would work on Faraday in the evenings and weekends. One minute I’d be liaising with food scientists, refining the right flavour, and the next the graphic designer to perfect the packaging and branding. In July 2020, we had our first production run after two years of the R&D phase, investing countless hours in the lab. I named the brand Faraday paying homage to Michael Faraday, the great British inventor. In physics, the ‘Farad’ is a measure of the ability to store charge, it could be said: ‘Your ability to store charge is fulfilled with each serving of Faraday, helping you reach your potential!’

What challenges have you faced along the way?

I’ve faced challenges from all aspects: the recipe, packaging, supply chain, legal and sales. Our initial packaging iteration was a glass bottle, but while the focus groups appreciated the resealable merits, they disliked the fragile and cumbersome nature of it. We went back to the drawing board and ended up with an aluminium bottle. The recipe has taken more than 100 iterations to get right – masking the bitter caffeine while maintaining low sugar and natural ingredients was no small feat. Meanwhile, it took almost a year to register the US trademark for Faraday and countless emails to find the right suppliers. During our first production run in July with the Glasgow factory, our cap applying machine failed, causing us to fill less than expected. Sometimes you have to make the best of a situation!

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your business?

The pandemic has been fairly positive for us. We secured a bounce back loan and had a new website designed courtesy of a professional agency that donated the fees of building it to charity.

What advice would you give to other would-be entrepreneurs?

Working in a sales job will equip you with invaluable skills when launching your business while earning much needed money to be able to invest. A business can be very cash hungry, so try stay employed for as long as possible before going full time on the business. A brief business plan will force you to think about the many key aspects of starting your business. Don’t be afraid to fail, experiment or reach out for help. Know your strengths and weaknesses.

What did you take away from your time at BGS?

Focus, resilience and harnessing collaboration in a diverse atmosphere.

What plans do you have for the future of Faraday?

Faraday is currently in a proof of-concept phase. We’re selling the Faraday cases via our website faradaydrinks.com and offering free UK delivery. We’re also stocked in 10 independent stores throughout West Yorkshire including a couple of petrol stations in the south. For the future, we’re in the process of developing further flavours, filling our next run of Faraday into a resealable can and offering smaller pack sizes with free delivery. Watch this space!