Bristol-based brain power makes its mark abroad

A world-beating Bristol company is working with UK Trade and Industry (UKTI) to achieve international success with a range of unique products.

Founded by Chartered Psychologist Sam Kotadia in 2008, Mindsport Ltd. produces innovative and accessible tools that help people improve their performance and wellbeing by harnessing the power of positive psychology.

The company started with the release of a series of Mindcards, including ‘52 Ways to beat stress’, ‘52 Ways to improve motivation in sport’, ‘52 Ways to mentally prepare for exams’ and ‘52 Ways to improve public speaking technique’.

From the beginning, Mindsport has been eager to grow its business overseas and UKTI has helped them access sources of funding which have allowed them to break into important international markets.

Now, as well as being distributed in most English speaking countries, many of their positive psychology tools have been translated into different languages and are sold across the world. Mindsport have been particularly successful in Italy, where their products are now available in more than 10,000 different outlets.

The smart-phone market has become increasingly important for Mindsport and they are now able to distribute and sell digital positive psychology flash-cards on the iPhone and Android platforms. The Mindcard series has grown to include 20 titles and the company also provides a range of other products and services, including psychology training, educational seminars and an extensive library of psychology articles.

Commenting on the company’s export success,

“When I first met Sam Kotadia in 2009 it was clear Mindsport was a company that was ‘born to be global’, offering a unique range of products with the potential to appeal to many markets. Since then UKTI has worked with Mindsport as an impartial business advisor, helping them with market intelligence and business planning.

“Sam wanted a business model that was flexible and low cost, so he focussed on products that could be sold via international distribution rights agreements. By building on that model, Mindsport has continued to develop, selling new products to established customers as well as to new ones.

“UKTI has also helped Sam to access good market research, something that is essential prior to entering a new market, and this has contributed significantly to Mindsport’s success.”

Mindsport’s Managing Director, Sam Kotadia said:

“To do well in any market, you need to offer something with real value. Using my expertise as a psychologist, I have developed a range of physical and digital tools- ranging from card decks to goal-setting diaries- to help people achieve their personal development goals. All of our positive psychology tools are designed to be practical, accessible, easy to use and effective.

“UKTI’s advice, mentoring and expertise has really made a positive difference to our sales abroad, helping us to do business at international trade events like the Frankfurt book fair, where we have made many lucrative contacts. We have developed a process of packaging content and selling it to the international market which has proved very effective.

“More recently, UKTI’s support enabled us to take part in a trade mission to India, which through hard work and dedication is now really paying off. We had to research this market and find out where the specific demand was. By delivering a series of seminars to teachers, we identified a need for a number of different diary products aimed at both students and teachers. India is now developing into one of our most important markets, something that wouldn’t have happened without UKTI’s input.”

Contacts

If you are based in the South West region and are interested in developing your business overseas please contact.

UKTI South West International trade Team

Tel: +44 (0) 845 60 60 969

Email: [email protected]

http://mindsportlive.com/

Sectors: Education & Training
Countries: South West England
Export Action Plan