Business: Dr Jackson’s
Location: Bristol
Dr Simon Jackson created Dr Jackson’s, a natural range of products based on Pharmacognosy principles focusing on using the best from nature. Learning from traditional healers, Dr Jackson’s products use techniques which mimic, as closely as possible, the way that these natural ingredients are harvested and extracted at source.
Dr Jackson researched traditional medicines from the rainforests of the Amazon to the rainforests of Indonesial and Sub-Saharan Africa, learning from traditional healers, shamans and working with indigenous plants. It was on arrival back from one of these trips that Dr Jackson thought about turning what he had learnt into a business.
“I had arrived back from an expedition to Africa with a seed of an idea and Sarah and Andrew (from SWIG) were invaluable to me as I had just moved to the Bristol area. The funds we received helped with setting up my business, we could afford to rent office space and most importantly start to market and produce our products.”
Dr Jackson was approved for the South West Loans Fund, European Regional Development Fund finance aimed at businesses with growth potential.
Dr Jackson’s products are now stocked in Harvey Nichols, Beauty Mart, Droog, Libery and Celestine Eleven and have appeared in Vogue, Elle Decoration and Red magazines and many beauty blogs. “If it wasn’t for SWIG, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”