Bermudian businessman Anthony Easton yesterday had a potentially fruitful exchange of ideas with the co-founder of a young British apparel company.

Mr Easton, owner of Anthony's, the men's formal wear hire store on Church Street, Hamilton, met with David Hathiramani, of A Suit That Fits, at the UK company's offices in Bermondsey, south London.

The meeting came about as the result of Mr. Easton being one of the six Bermudian entrepreneurs who won a trip to London in the Face-2-Face contest, sponsored by British Airways and backed by the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation.

A Suit That Fits, which was set up four-and-a-half years ago by Mr Hathiramani and business partner Warren Bennett has grown rapidly after setting up as a retailer of tailored suits. They have been able to sell at "off-the-rack" prices, by minimising their costs.

For example they see customers by appointment only, rather than trying to attract them off the street through retail stores. The company has also set up a team of 110 tailors in Nepal who make the suits to order. They then transport them to the UK to be delivered to the customer, usually within three or four weeks. The system cuts out the need for holding inventory.

A Suit That Fits is now considering some joint initiatives with Anthony's following yesterday's meeting. One idea discussed was a member of the British firm's staff attending Mr. Easton's annual bridal show, to try to generate some business. For Mr Easton, it will broaden the choice of suits available through the show, create profit-sharing possibilities and sets up the opportunity for a more substantial ongoing relationship between the two companies.

"Meeting with David gave me a totally different picture of what I'm doing at Anthony's and what I can do to improve what we already offer," Mr Easton, a 51-year-old father of two, said.

"Having not known anything about these guys, meeting face to face was valuable."

The meeting was set up by Richard Strudwick, of non-profit organisation Enterprise UK, who helped several of the Face2-Face winners to set up useful meetings.

Mr Easton started out in business 22 years ago, when he had a full-time job with elevator company Otis. He began by selling tuxedoes out of his living room. Despite the help of Thomas Wall of the BSBDC in drawing up a business plan, his applications for a loan were repeatedly turned down by all local banks. He even remembers being told: "You'll be out of business in a week."

He initially set up his store in the Bermuda Industrial Union building, where the business stayed for four years, before outgrowing the premises, leading to the move to the company's current home in Church Street.

Mr Easton said Anthony's has felt the impact of the economic downturn. Much of his business comes from wedding parties hiring tuxedoes and those groups have been growing smaller as couples tying the knot scale down their celebrations.

"The average wedding party size has gone from six to 12 people, to three to five people," he said. "If you're doing 300 weddings, then that adds up to a big drop in business."

Asked about the key ingredients for successful entrepreneurship, Mr Easton said: "You have to know exactly what you want to offer. Then you need to be able to raise the capital.Then it's location, location, location - that can make or break an idea. You have to have the right place or the capital does not go anywhere.

"When you have all that done, then it's about great customer service to get people coming back."

His mission statement, summing up what he wants to do for customers, is "making special events memorable".

Mr Easton's business has been bolstered by his annual bridal show which attracts almost 50 vendors. His 14th show will be staged at the Fairmont Southampton hotel on January 30 next year.