BROTHERS Christian and Ross Laing have successfully snared a pair of dragons to invest in their Warrington-based Stand Out Socks business after appearing on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den.
Appearing on the show with Christian’s long time fiancée Natalie Dixon, the team attracted four potential investors, deciding two heads were better than one. They accepted an offer from sock fan Peter Jones, CBE, one of Britain’s leading and best-known entrepreneurs along with Steven Bartlett, who joined the Den in Series 19 and became the youngest ever Dragon at just 28 years old.
With Christian, Ross and Natalie seeking £30k for a 25 per cent stake in their Stockton Heath-based business, the two entrepreneurs agreed to invest £15k apiece in return for a 12.5 per cent stake each. Touker Suleyman with 50 years’ retail and manufacturing experience and Sara Davies who founded Crafter’s Companion, a retail business specialising in crafting, also both made offers of £30k for a 25 per cent stake. The only dragon to withdraw was Deborah Meaden.
Peter owns a portfolio of businesses ranging from technology and fashion to food and publishing. He is also the longest-serving Dragon in the world having been in the Den since the very first UK series in 2005. Steven is a British Entrepreneur, speaker, investor, author and the host of the UK’s No.1 podcast The Diary of a CEO – an unfiltered journey into the remarkable stories and untold dimensions of the world’s most influential people, experts and thinkers.
After a confident pitch, stating they aim to become a leading employer for people with learning difficulties, it didn’t take the enthusiastic trio long to convince the normally hard-hearted dragons they were worth investing in, highlighting their achievements, including selling their Stand Out Socks at Manchester United’s Mega Store.
Christian launched the Stand Out Socks business with his brother Ross in 2021 on National Down Syndrome Day. The business expanded last October when they welcomed two new colleagues with Down Syndrome to the business.
Their business was founded on the principles of quality and inclusivity. Stand Out Socks understands that socks are more than just fashion accessories – they serve as catalysts to open discussions on disability inclusion and raise Down Syndrome awareness.
Beyond offering stylish and comfortable socks, each purchase contributes directly to creating meaningful job opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities.
After agreeing to invest, Peter, well-known for his love of socks said: “They are not quite there yet, but we will make the story happen!”