US Edition 
Socks means success for Lions Rampant
Sometimes it is the most simple products that sell best. Take socks. The steady supply of feet-friendly black socks forms the bedrock of Marks & Spencer's relationship with its male customers.
From such humble transactions bunches of Valentines Day roses are bought at £20 a pop.
One internet business even removes the need to venture onto the high street – sign up to Sockrush.com and you can receive four pairs of black socks (calf or knee length) anywhere in the world up to 12 times a year.
At the other end of the spectrum, socks are a fashion statement. Richard Hurtley noticed as much after admiring a fellow student's legs while studying at Exeter University. She always wore emerald green, knee length rugby socks with shocking pink stripes. The combination made such an impression on Hurtley that he went into business.
Finding a factory in Leicestershire willing to make a small batch rugby socks to his own designs, he started out by selling to his friends and peers at university.
Then he finished his history degree and paused. "I thought I could go down the corporate route, the proper route, or give this a crack," says the 24 year-old. "I thought if I don't do it someone else will. Socks are easy to overlook. People see them as an add on. But there will always be demand."
A rugby lover – at 6' 7'' he plays second row for Esher RFC in Surrey – he could see that his peers were wearing smarter sports clothing, both in the gym and out in the evening. But the mainstream sports brands did not sit well. So Hurtley set about creating a brand that played to Britishness without taking itself too seriously: Lions Rampant was born.
The founders of Innocent Smoothies tell how their big break came when showcasing their kitchen table-made smoothies at a festival on Clapham Common in south London. The summer country sports show in 2008, the 'CLA Game Fair', proved Lions Rampant's defining moment. A trickle of online orders at the start of last year turned into a flood after the stock was showcased at the fair. A successful stand at the Spirit of Christmas exhibition at Olympia London maintained the momentum and by Christmas, Hurtley was selling 3,000 pairs a month.
He's reinvested the money and expanded his range of socks, moving from the original 'Collinson' green and pink that sell for £18 a pair to cover everything from old school colours of Charterhouse to black and gold ones inspired by the 17th century pirate Samuel 'Black' Bellamy. The company is targeting 13 to 30 year-olds but its wool shooting socks seem in demand at the moment – "the wool we are using is Italian and it's less itchy than normal," says Hurtley.
In May he expanded his stock further with clothing, positioning women's rugby shorts as summer wear as well as adding polo and T-shirts. Then two weeks ago Lions Rampant took its opened its first physical presence on the high street – a concession in Cranleigh, Surrey – and by the end of the year the website will be ready to take international orders.
Hurtley already has an agent in Japan, who has secured shelf space in two boutique chains in Tokyo. He is hoping more will sign up as Lions Rampant raises its profile online. Advice from Business Link has helped on the basics and investor K4 Creative are pushing the branding so that Lions Rampant can stand alongside much more established brands like Jack Wills and Abercrombie.
If he has a problem it is financing the expansion. A take it or leave it unsecured loan from Barclays in March came with an almost criminal 22pc rate of interest because of the risk – "looking back it makes me feel sick," admits Hurtley. "We will pay it back within a year rather than five they are creaming so much off."
The plan looks possible because Lions Rampant is now washing its face after 18 months of trading. "Soon I will be able to take something out," says Hurtley.
"A lot of my money and resources have gone into the company. It's getting to the stage where we are breaking even. Hopefully it will be a more liquid future."
"And whatever happens I have learnt far more than I could in any other kind of job. I have learnt every single aspect of the company: accounting; credit control; and marketing. It's exciting... and daunting at times."