A former Navywoman and recruitment professional has turned her attention to other people’s lost property as an entrepreneurial opportunity.
County Durham-based Clare Owen founded Lostbox less than a year ago after finding a ring on matchday, outside Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, and embarking on a quest to find its owner.
Determined in her search, Clare realised the need for a dedicated lost property platform that used the power of social media to connect people with their belongings and pets.
Her answer was Lostbox; a website and several regional social media feeds that aims to help those searching for their lost items.
Clare, a former director at North East-based graduate recruitment specialists Gradvert, is now focussing full time on the venture which she hopes to build into a thriving business through advertising and premium courier services.
She said: “Demand is huge. We’ve just been involved in a couple of big stories in the national media which has helped drive a lot of traffic to the site. A few celebrities have used it - Rufus Hound and Sunderland footballers are just a couple of examples.
“There’s really nothing else like it in the UK. I’ve never done my own business before so this was a bit of a challenge but it’s really a passion of mine.”
Lostbox is attracting around 400 new followers every day, and Clare says she has nearly reached the 40,000 mark, spread across her regional twitter accounts.
Clare added: “A lot of people ask me whether people really do come forward with items they’ve found, and they’re surprised when I tell them we get lots of mobile phones, tablets and laptops - a lot of high value things.”
The idea is now on the edge of major expansion as Clare has enlisted an ex-colleague to work on Lostbox as well as invest a significant sum in its development.
Teddybears have become a particular focus for Lostbox users since Clare took over ‘Teddy Bear Lost and Found’ - a similar niche service founded in Canada.
Clare is hoping to leverage this element to attract partners in the toy and gift sectors who are keen to connect with a younger audience.
Recently the story of ‘Roar’, a lost Teddybear photographed in various North East locations by a twitter user, received considerable media attention and Clare aims to capitalise on the exposure.
Clare added: "Lostbox has been the starting point for a number of stories which have gone viral. For instance, one lost lion toy sparked activity that reached 140,000 facebook users - which is pretty phenomenal.
"You can never tell what will be the next big hit."
Lostbox was incorporated in December 2012 and the website launched in February 2013.