How UK Solopreneurs Build Brands in “Boring” Markets

Most saturated markets aren’t actually saturated. They’re same-y.

That’s the lesson I take from Olly Hiscocks’ jump from a medical track to building OLLY’S Olives—a snack brand that took a product many people treat as a side dish and turned it into an on-the-go purchase with real shelf presence.

For this UK Solopreneur Business Growth series, the point isn’t “follow your passion.” It’s more practical than that: finding an overlooked gap, proving it with real customers, then marketing the difference in a way supermarkets (and busy shoppers) can understand in three seconds. If you’re building a one-person business in the UK, that sequence matters more than your niche.

Saturated markets aren’t the enemy—bland positioning is

Here’s the direct answer: you can break into a crowded category when you sell a clearly different job to be done, not a slightly different product.

Olives in the UK already existed on shelves. But Olly noticed what many founders miss because they’re hunting for shiny new categories: the products were largely undifferentiated. Limited flavour excitement. Limited brand personality. A lot of “fine, I guess.”

That’s a marketing problem hiding inside a product category.

If you’re a solopreneur, this is good news. You don’t need to invent something no one’s ever seen. You need to:

• Identify where the current options feel generic
• Choose one sharp angle (format, flavour, convenience, values, audience)
• Build proof with customers before you scale spend

Snippet-worthy truth: A crowded market with weak brands is easier than a “blue ocean” where you also have to educate customers.

How to spot an under-served gap (even when shelves look full)

A simple three-part test I’ve found works:

1. Walk the aisle with a stopwatch: can you describe the difference between brands in under 10 seconds?
2. Look for format friction: what’s annoying about buying/using this product (mess, storage, portioning, freshness)?
3. Listen for “I wish…” language: customers will tell you the product roadmap for free.

Olly’s gap wasn’t “olives don’t exist.” It was: “Why isn’t there a bold, convenient, snackable olive brand with real flavour?”

That’s a positioning wedge.

Market stalls beat spreadsheets for early-stage marketing

The fastest route to strong startup marketing isn’t a 30-page brand strategy deck. It’s a Saturday market.

Olly’s early growth came from marinating olives at home and selling them at West London markets while working at a GP surgery. That detail matters because it shows a repeatable method for solopreneurs: offline validation creates online clarity.

When you’re face-to-face, you learn quickly:

• Which flavour names make people stop
• What objections come up first (price, taste, storage, “are they messy?”)
• Whether customers buy once or come back
• How they describe your product in their words

Those words become your landing page copy, your first paid ad angles, and your social content themes.

Turn customer feedback into content (the loop most founders skip)

If you want practical steps, here’s a simple feedback-to-content loop you can run as a one-person business:

1. Collect: ask every buyer one question: “What made you choose this today?”
2. Pattern match: after 30–50 responses, highlight repeated phrases.
3. Ship content: turn each phrase into:
   • A short video hook
   • A homepage headline
   • A product page FAQ
4. Prove: publish screenshots, quotes, or short testimonials (with permission).

This is brand awareness built from reality, not guesswork.

“Real customer reactions are better than a thousand internal opinions.”

Product format is marketing (and “on-the-go” is a growth engine)

One line from the original story sticks: after stepping back, Olly realised the format needed rethinking.

That’s the move.

Changing the format can create a new buying moment, even when the core product is familiar. Olly chose an on-the-go olive pouch aimed at the healthy snacking category.

For solopreneurs, format shifts are powerful because they:

• Create an immediate point of difference
• Give you a crisp message (“snack olives” is clearer than “better olives”)
• Open new channels (travel, gyms, offices, meal deals)
• Make pricing easier to justify (convenience sells)

A quick positioning template you can steal

If you’re trying to make your product easier to market, write a one-sentence positioning statement:

• For: (specific buyer)
• Who want: (specific outcome)
• This is: (category + format)
• Unlike: (main alternative)
• Because: (your proof)

Example inspired by the case:

• For commuters who want a savoury snack, this is an unpasteurised olive pouch, unlike jars and deli tubs, because it keeps fresh texture and flavour with zero mess.

You don’t need to use those exact words—just get the structure.

The scary part: minimum orders, cash risk, and smart distribution

At some point, most product businesses hit the same wall: suppliers.

Olly found a supplier—but faced a minimum order of £12,000 per flavour. That’s the kind of moment that separates “nice idea” from “real business.” You don’t get to A/B test your way out of it forever.

Here’s the direct takeaway for founders: risk is unavoidable, but you can choose which risk you take.

• Risk 1: place the order and hope demand follows
• Risk 2: stay small and never become easy to buy

The smarter play is to reduce the chance of Risk 1 going wrong by tightening your pre-work.

How to de-risk a big stock commitment (practical checklist)

Before you place a painful PO, aim to have:

• Channel proof: repeat sales at markets, online, or wholesale samples
• Message proof: the top 2–3 reasons people buy, in their wording
• Unit economics draft: rough margin after production, fulfilment, promos
• Distribution plan: where the first 500–2,000 units will go

Olly also partnered with a fulfilment provider (Fodabox) to handle orders. For a solopreneur, this is more than convenience—it’s a growth tactic. Time saved on packing becomes time spent on marketing and sales.

If you’re building a one-person business, ask yourself:

• Am I trying to “earn” fulfilment automation instead of using it to grow?
• What would I ship if I had 5 extra hours each week?

Brand awareness happens when your product fits a buyer’s routine

The story highlights listings with Sainsbury’s, Eurostar, and BrewDog. What connects those channels? They’re all places where people are already in “snack mode.”

That’s the core marketing insight: distribution is part of brand strategy.

A lot of early-stage founders treat brand awareness like something you buy through ads. Ads help, but physical or digital placement in a routine does something ads can’t: it creates repetition.

“People also ask” answers (useful for founders)

How do I build brand awareness with a small budget in the UK?

Start with channels that force conversations and feedback: markets, pop-ups, local retailers, TikTok/Instagram DMs, small wholesale. Then use what you learn to build a repeatable online funnel.

What’s the fastest way to validate a product idea?

Sell it. Even in an imperfect form. A landing page helps, but nothing beats customers paying and then coming back.

Do I need a big brand identity early on?

You need clarity, not complexity: one promise, one audience, one reason to believe. Brand “polish” comes later.

What to copy from this case study (even if you don’t sell food)

If you’re growing a UK solopreneur business—whether you sell SaaS, coaching, DTC, or a local service—this case maps to a repeatable startup marketing approach:

1. Start with an under-loved category where customers settle for “fine.”
2. Validate in the real world to collect honest messaging.
3. Make a format or delivery shift that creates a new buying moment.
4. Systemise operations early so marketing doesn’t get squeezed out.
5. Choose distribution that matches the routine you’re trying to win.

If you want a simple north star: build something people can describe to a friend without thinking. That’s how word-of-mouth starts. That’s how content performs. That’s how ads become affordable.

If you’re building right now, what’s your version of the “olive pouch”—the format change or positioning wedge that turns a normal product into an obvious choice?