James Murray Wells
Encyclopedia
James Murray Wells is an English entrepreneur
and founder, owner and executive chairman of Prescription Eyewear Limited (trading as Glasses Direct), London, which he started whilst at university.
before attending the University of the West of England
to read English, with the intention of studying Law subsequently.
His father is an investment analyst and his maternal grandfather, Wendell Clough, helped bring Ford and Chrysler
to the UK
.
, he contacted first manufacturers and then individual workers until a technician told him that a pair of glasses selling for £150 costs only £7 to make. Inspired by this, he created a website selling spectacles directly to the public, initially funding his business using the remains of his student loan, he joined the small existing group of online spectacles retailers in the UK's traditionally highly controlled, arguably monopolistic spectacles market. (See the article UK Opticians (retailers)
for a discussion of industry structure.)
In its first year of business, Murray Wells' new company Glasses Direct sold 22,000 pairs of glasses, and had an annual turnover of £1m. In 2009 Glasses Direct had 70 employees and sold a pair of glasses every three minutes.
When starting Glasses Direct, Murray Wells adopted a dog as an office mascot called Sapphie, who he loved for "her quiet discreet nature." He later named a pair of spectacles frames after her.
based chain Specsavers
. These attempts have to date failed, and now seem to be abandoned, with Specsavers itself now attempting to sell spectacles online.
When Specsavers tried to stop Glasses Direct from trading, Murray-Wells published their lawyers' letters on his website, where they remained until the embarrassed lawyers used copyright to force their removal. Murray Wells then replaced the letters with a note explaining why they were no longer there. Murray-Wells also sent out men dressed as sheep to Newcastle city centre to hand leaflets explaining how much cheaper his products were than those of high street opticians, suggesting that spectacle wearers were being "fleeced". Specsavers threatened and then abandoned legal action.
award for entrepreneurship, the 2005 Startup Award, the 2005 Wales and West Country Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 2005 Natwest Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the 2006 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Young Entrepreneur Award.
In 2009, he was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion, becoming the youngest person to receive the award.
annual conference and has taken part in events aimed at promoting entrepreneurship to school children. More recently he has performed as a mentor in entrepreneurship schemes run by Channel 4
and the Times
, as well as investing his own funds in start-ups.
government and the then Conservative Party
opposition. As a member of the New Enterprise Council he was an advisor for the then Shadow Chancellor, George Osbourne.
.
and disruptive technologies
and business models. He took part in organizing a Flash Crowd
event as part of the taper relief campaign, and his website Idea Volcano is designed to promote collaborative open source
problem solving between entrepreneurs.
Murray Wells seems to make a habit of searching for blogs that refer to Glasses Direct on the Internet, replying to them and occasionally adopting customer suggestions.
Murray Wells also briefly dated Michelle Dewberry
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and founder, owner and executive chairman of Prescription Eyewear Limited (trading as Glasses Direct), London, which he started whilst at university.
Early life
Murray Wells attended Harrow SchoolHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
before attending the University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
to read English, with the intention of studying Law subsequently.
His father is an investment analyst and his maternal grandfather, Wendell Clough, helped bring Ford and Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Glasses Direct
While studying for his final university examinations, Murray Wells discovered that he needed to start wearing spectacles. Surprised by the high price quoted by an opticianOptician
An optician is a person who is trained to fill prescriptions for eye correction in the field of medicine, also known as a dispensing optician or optician, dispensing...
, he contacted first manufacturers and then individual workers until a technician told him that a pair of glasses selling for £150 costs only £7 to make. Inspired by this, he created a website selling spectacles directly to the public, initially funding his business using the remains of his student loan, he joined the small existing group of online spectacles retailers in the UK's traditionally highly controlled, arguably monopolistic spectacles market. (See the article UK Opticians (retailers)
UK Opticians (retailers)
In the United Kingdom, businesses that sell prescription spectacles and contact lenses are referred to as 'opticians', after the profession of that name...
for a discussion of industry structure.)
In its first year of business, Murray Wells' new company Glasses Direct sold 22,000 pairs of glasses, and had an annual turnover of £1m. In 2009 Glasses Direct had 70 employees and sold a pair of glasses every three minutes.
When starting Glasses Direct, Murray Wells adopted a dog as an office mascot called Sapphie, who he loved for "her quiet discreet nature." He later named a pair of spectacles frames after her.
Feud with Specsavers
Several established chains of conventional bricks and mortar opticians attempted to close down Glasses Direct with legal and regulatory threats, leading to a particularly bitter feud between Murray Wells and the offshoreOffshore company
The term offshore company is ambiguous. It may refer to either:# A company which is incorporated outside the jurisdiction of its primary operations regardless of whether that jurisdiction is an offshore financial centre i.e...
based chain Specsavers
Specsavers
Specsavers Optical Group Ltd is the biggest optical retailer in the UK and Ireland. It is also the biggest of the four major opticians that control 70% of the British market for spectacles and contact lenses, with Specsavers having a 39% share of the market...
. These attempts have to date failed, and now seem to be abandoned, with Specsavers itself now attempting to sell spectacles online.
When Specsavers tried to stop Glasses Direct from trading, Murray-Wells published their lawyers' letters on his website, where they remained until the embarrassed lawyers used copyright to force their removal. Murray Wells then replaced the letters with a note explaining why they were no longer there. Murray-Wells also sent out men dressed as sheep to Newcastle city centre to hand leaflets explaining how much cheaper his products were than those of high street opticians, suggesting that spectacle wearers were being "fleeced". Specsavers threatened and then abandoned legal action.
Hearing Direct
In February 2010, Jamie Murray Wells set up hearingdirect.com, mirroring the business model of Glasses Direct, by selling digital hearing aids online at a fraction of the price of those offered by high street retailers. Aimed at the 8 million people in the UK with mild to moderate hearing loss, customers complete a short online hearing check devised by audiology experts, before choosing a hearing aid.Awards
Murray-Wells won the 2005 Shell LiveWIREShell LiveWIRE
Shell LiveWIRE is a UK-wide enterprise scheme to help support young entrepreneurs into business.Shell Livewire is a Shell Social Investment programme and , was launched in the Strathclyde area of Scotland in 1982, before being rolled out across the rest of the UK in 1985. offers two business...
award for entrepreneurship, the 2005 Startup Award, the 2005 Wales and West Country Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 2005 Natwest Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the 2006 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Young Entrepreneur Award.
In 2009, he was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion, becoming the youngest person to receive the award.
Promoting entrepreneurship
In addition to his involvement with the taper relief campaign, Murray Wells has been a keynote speaker at the Federation of Small BusinessesFederation of Small Businesses
The Federation of Small Businesses was formed in 1974 and is the UK's leading business organisation representing small and medium sized businesses.- About the FSB :...
annual conference and has taken part in events aimed at promoting entrepreneurship to school children. More recently he has performed as a mentor in entrepreneurship schemes run by Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and the Times
Times
The Times is a UK daily newspaper, the original English language newspaper titled "Times". Times may also refer to:In newspapers:*The Times , went defunct in 2005*The Times *The Times of Northwest Indiana...
, as well as investing his own funds in start-ups.
Political advisory roles
Murray Wells has served as an advisor on business and enterprise to both the UK's then Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government and the then Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
opposition. As a member of the New Enterprise Council he was an advisor for the then Shadow Chancellor, George Osbourne.
Taper relief
Murray Wells has taken part in the campaign by UK entrepreneurs against the changing of UK taxation laws to end taper relief, arguing that this change will damage the prospects of future entrepreneurs and start-up companiesStartup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
.
Likely new political career
It currently (June 2009) seems likely that Murray Wells will run for Parliament as a Conservative candidate.Internet
Murray Wells has expressed a strong interest in Web 2.0Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
and disruptive technologies
Disruptive technology
A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network , displacing an earlier technology there...
and business models. He took part in organizing a Flash Crowd
Flash Crowd
"Flash Crowd" is a 1973 English language novella by science fiction author Larry Niven, one of a series about the social consequence of inventing an instantaneous, practically free transfer booth that could take one anywhere on Earth in milliseconds....
event as part of the taper relief campaign, and his website Idea Volcano is designed to promote collaborative open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
problem solving between entrepreneurs.
Murray Wells seems to make a habit of searching for blogs that refer to Glasses Direct on the Internet, replying to them and occasionally adopting customer suggestions.
Wikipedia
Murray-Wells asked customers to write about Glasses Direct on Wikipedia, somewhat to the irritation of some Wikipedia editors - although no attempt seems to have been made to suggest what contributors should write. (See the history of Talk:Glassesdirect.)Social life
Murray Wells is a close friend of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (née Catherine Middleton), and was involved in advising Middleton with her own potential fashion business.Murray Wells also briefly dated Michelle Dewberry