Question

How did Fraser Doherty decide to start his company?

What does your company do?

We make a range of 100% fruit jams and supply all of the major supermarkets in the United Kingdom: Walmart®, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose.



How did you decide to start your company?

My grandmother taught me to make jam at the age of fourteen, and I took an interest in it. I began making jam in the kitchen at home, selling it to the neighbours and at farmers' markets.



What made you think your business idea would be successful?

I came up with a way of making jam entirely from fruit and fruit juice, which was healthier than regular jam. It seemed like a great idea, and so I set myself the ambition of getting it into the major supermarket chains.



How do customers find out about your company?

We have had a huge amount of media coverage on TV shows, radio, and newspapers around the world. We also have printed about fifty million adverts (ads) in newspapers and magazines, and we employ people to hand out samples in grocery stores.



How did you decide on pricing for your products or services?

I wanted the products to be competitive with other kinds of "premium" jams.



What competitors does your company have, and why do your customers choose your company instead of your competitors?

Most of the other kinds of jam are made using sugar and additives. We're an all fruit, all natural alternative, which is why people pick SuperJam™.



If you have other people working for your company, how did you find those people?

Mostly they were people who got in touch to say that they were fans of the brand. Some of them volunteered at our charity "The SuperJam Tea Parties."

Did you get any investments from other people to start or expand your company? If so, how did you convince them that it was a good investment?

I got a loan from the Prince's Trust, which is a charity of Prince Charles. They help young people get their ideas off the ground and lent me money because I had a successful meeting with a supermarket chain.



What are the best things about working for yourself as an entrepreneur?

The sense of freedom and of being in control of your own life.



What are the hardest things about being an entrepreneur?

It is sometimes hard to motivate yourself to keep trying new ideas when they don't always work out how you had hoped they would.



What surprised you the most about being an entrepreneur?

How much help and support there is out there from successful business people.



What qualities does a successful entrepreneur need to have?

A willingness to give ideas a shot and keep trying new ones if they don't work out.



What are your future goals for your company?

SuperJam will launch in other countries, we'll make new flavours, and hopefully become one of the major premium jam brands in the world.



Do you have advice for teen entrepreneurs who are just starting out?

Give your ideas a shot, start out on a small scale in your local community, and try to find a mentor who can give you some good advice.

Answer 1

Here’s a concise profile based on Fraser Doherty’s answers:

What the company does
- SuperJam™ makes a range of 100% fruit jams (no added sugar or additives).
- The jams are sold through the major UK supermarket chains (Walmart, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose) and in other retail outlets.

How Fraser Doherty decided to start the company
- He learned to make jam from his grandmother at age 14 and started making jam at home.
- He began selling jars to neighbours and at farmers’ markets, which led him to develop the business idea.

Why he thought the idea would work
- He developed a method to make jam entirely from fruit and fruit juice, offering a healthier alternative to conventional, sugar-based jams.
- He set a clear ambition to get the product into major supermarket chains.

How customers find out about the brand
- Extensive media coverage (TV, radio, newspapers).
- Large-scale print advertising (about fifty million adverts in newspapers and magazines).
- In-store sampling campaigns.

Pricing strategy
- Priced to be competitive with other premium jam brands.

Competition and differentiation
- Competes with traditional jams that usually contain sugar and additives.
- Customers choose SuperJam because it’s an all-fruit, all-natural alternative.

Hiring and volunteers
- Many employees first contacted the company as brand fans; some volunteers came through charity initiatives like “The SuperJam Tea Parties.”

Funding
- Received a loan from the Prince’s Trust after a successful supermarket meeting.

Best and hardest things about entrepreneurship
- Best: freedom and control over one’s life.
- Hardest: staying motivated when ideas don’t always work out.

Surprises and required qualities
- Surprise: the amount of help and support available from successful business people.
- Key quality: willingness to try ideas and keep experimenting when things don’t work.

Future goals
- Expand into other countries, create new flavours, and become a leading premium jam brand worldwide.

Advice for teen entrepreneurs
- Try your ideas, start small in your community, and find a mentor for guidance.