About Custom Plugs
Custom Plugs started as a Leeds based company. We now have three depots across the globe (UK,EU and US) each one paving the way for the future of plugs, specialising in the design and manufacture of Acrylic, Wooden, Stone & Silicone body jewellery.
Our exceptional team work hard to bring you the best quality products.
From sketch, to production, to the item that arrives on your doorstep.
Every detail has been considered and refined for you to receive the best plugs and overall experience possible.
Using years of experience we ensure that all of our products are guided through each stage of their development.
From choosing the best artists and materials through to quality checking and providing great customer service each step of the way to ensure everything meets your needs.
Our plugs are designed by plug wearers for plug wearers, No longer will you have to settle for mediocre plugs with clipart style designs.
No expense is spared and this shows throughout our product range.
We're always on the lookout for great ideas and you know exactly what you want, so why not tell us?
Head over to our social media pages to keep up to date with the latest news and have your say on what you'd like to see from Custom Plugs!
http://facebook.com/
http://twitter.com/customplugs
http://ukcustomplugs.tumblr.
Instagram: @ukcustomplugs
Our story
The story of Custom Plugs starts not through the need to make money or be successful, but through a simple idea and a great friendship.
Chris and Matt met each other whilst both working a regular 9-5 restaurant job. Through shared interests and working together they became great friends, and started hanging out, outside of work.
People speak of a Eureka moment when they explain the origins of their business idea.
Custom Plugs has a similar story but it is far from glamorous. One evening whilst playing Xbox and having a few drinks, Matt mentioned that he had lost one of his plugs on a night out and needed to buy a new pair.
We joked about the fact nowhere sold anything that was half decent. Flaming 8 balls and skulls with top hats were about as exciting as the designs got and plain plugs seemed a bit "boring".
We thought to ourselves, why doesn't someone get a great tattoo artist or illustrator to make some amazing plug designs, as they would be received better, than what’s currently on offer in local shops & piercers.
And that was it, the idea, the spark that lit the fire under our feet. An idea that was conceived through a need for a product that we felt didn't exist.
We got to work straight away thinking of who could design the plugs, what we wanted on them and a name for our new project to be called. It wasn't long before we were spending every night brainstorming and researching about everything to do with plugs and the manufacturing process.
There was just one thing stopping us….. Money. We both had none. It was at this point we turned into professional beggars and part time risk takers. Maxing out a £1,200 credit card and selling our souls to family and friends Custom Plugs was born.
The next step was to sell the product, we stocked up a holdall and headed to Manchester. Speaking to the owner of a successful body jewellery shop we transfer our passion for the product into our first sale. It was at this precise point that we realised we had something special and of course around £83 less debt.
We took this holdall from Manchester, to Liverpool, Stoke on Trent, Brighton, London and many more places. Along the way we had rejection, arguments, stress, and sleepless nights but most importantly we came back with no stock and less debt.
From then we had a foundation and knew our idea could work. We watched Christmas go by with no stock and we’re both itching to get back on the road. Our Facebook page had reached over 1,000 likes and was full of customers wanting products that we didn’t have. We worked our 9-5 jobs in the day and tirelessly at Custom Plugs on a night.
Mum and Dad’s dining room was now the headquarters for our growing business and eventually the work from Custom Plugs outweighed our daytime jobs. It was at this point we had to make one of the biggest decisions of our life, to quit our jobs and make a go of this fulltime.
Handing in our notices we met up to discuss what we’d just done. Worried that we might lose our entire business from taking £50 a week wage, we couldn’t fail.
As failure wasn’t an option the headquarters spilled over into the living room, the Facebook page grew to 50,000 likes and even with Mum and Dad’s helping hand we needed another staff member to keep up with the work.
Since then we haven’t looked back. Taking more risks, moving into our first office, buying new machinery and hiring more staff. We’re now in our second office and the next chapter of our story. We’ve overcome many hurdles that have defined us as a business, learnt countless amounts and wouldn’t change anything. The experiences we’ve had, the customers we’ve met, the great artists we’ve worked alongside and everyone who’s been involved to make this a success we owe it all to you.
The dream continues!
