About the Company

Ticket Tailor, founded in 2010 by Jonny White, is a ticketing platform designed to help event creators manage and sell tickets online. The company is headquartered in London and has expanded its reach to over 5 million tickets sold annually across the globe. The platform is known for its affordability, simplicity, and excellent customer support. With a team of 12 people, Ticket Tailor offers a range of services, including integration with popular website builders like Wix and WordPress. Unlike larger competitors, Ticket Tailor emphasizes flexibility with a pay-as-you-go model and provides full access to all features regardless of pricing plans.

Idea Behind Company

The idea for Ticket Tailor originated from Jonny White’s own experiences as a student and freelancer. In 2005, while studying at Birmingham University, White created a local events listing website called “What’s On in Brum?” to share information about local happenings. His freelance web development work led him to create ticketing systems for clients, but he realized many event organizers were frustrated by high fees from traditional ticketing agencies. This frustration, coupled with his background as a software developer, sparked the idea of building a simple, affordable ticketing platform. Ticket Tailor would provide a better alternative, allowing creators to retain full control over their data and avoid exorbitant fees.

Creating the Company

White initially developed Ticket Tailor alongside his freelance work, which proved to be a challenging juggling act. He spent months coding the platform in his spare time, battling motivation and occasional doubts about the viability of his project. However, his decision to invest in branding—specifically a logo and mascot—helped solidify the project’s identity and keep him motivated. The first breakthrough came when he landed a paying customer, a cabaret venue called The Brickhouse, after cold calling music venues in the area. With this first sale, White gained the confidence to officially launch the platform in 2011. He focused on creating a seamless user experience and prioritized customer feedback, which helped guide future improvements.

Launching the Business

Ticket Tailor officially launched in 2011, with White aiming for a modest $1,000/month in revenue. At the time, the company was based in Shoreditch, London, which was becoming a hub for tech startups. White used a mix of cold emails and Google ads to attract his first customers, and also participated in local startup meetups, where he pitched the platform and networked with other entrepreneurs. Despite initial struggles, such as the challenge of gaining customers and the pressure to secure investment, the business began to gain traction. White eventually realized that bootstrapping, rather than relying on investors, was the right path for Ticket Tailor. By 2014, the platform was growing steadily, and White hired a marketing assistant to help scale efforts.

Earnings

Ticket Tailor’s earnings grew steadily over the years, eventually reaching $150K per month by 2020. Initially, revenue came from local venues and event organizers, but as the business expanded, Ticket Tailor attracted a wider range of customers from across the globe. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily halted ticket sales, the company managed to maintain a stable financial position by cutting back on growth spending and prioritizing survival. White’s philosophy of customer-centric business practices, including excellent support and flexible pricing, helped retain customers and attract new ones through word of mouth. By 2021, Ticket Tailor was poised to continue growing, with plans to expand further into international markets and support the resurgence of live events.