At the age of 25 Oliver Tress, inspired by his love of design and worldwide peregrination, opened his first Oliver Bonas store on Fulham Road dealing beautiful homeware and jewelry.

Now with 45 stores in London, Bristol, Brighton, Cambridge, Oxford, Reading, Tunbridge Wells & Scotland,( as well as an online store) the brand is bigger than ever. Oliver continues to work with his platoon and live by the company aphorisms work hard, play hard & be kind.

We asked him some questions ahead of his forthcoming appearance at the British Library on 18 November.

Where did the idea for your business come from?

The idea for my business came to me whilst at university. I was going on leaves to Hong Kong where my parents were living and I would bring presents back for musketeers- and so it grew from there.

What way did you take to get started?

It was all veritably ad hoc. originally I just brought further products with me and vended them on to musketeers. Next, I started dealing at charity events and also opened the first shop in Fulham. I bought an alternate hand till for£ 60, painted the shop white, and opened the door.

How do you decide what products and designs are vended by Oliver Bonas?

We’re relaxed about the type of product we vend – whatever feels right at the time. We want to make sure we love the product. It must be special in some way that differentiates it from products available away. We passionately believe in the power of good design, so every product must really earn its shelf space.

What has been the topmost price of retaining your own business?

The sense of achieving commodity entirely on your own terms. I measure success in terms of freedom and occasion. The more successful the business is, the lesser the instigative the openings and the freedom to express yourself.

What advice would you give to contrivers trying to get their products vended by retail stores?

They must understand their request in terms of the retailer and end stoner. Is the product instigative enough and good enough quality to move a client to buy it and tell their musketeers about it? And they need to be marketable – is the price right, and can the retailer make enough periphery to make it worth their while?

Oliver Tress will be at the British Library during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2015 to partake his expert business knowledge with you. Joining Oliver on the event panel are Deborah Meaden( Dragons’ Den), Emma Bridgewater( Emma Bridgewater Crockery), and Lord Karan Bilimoria( author of Cobra Beer). Get your tickets then.