This week’s #BusinessSpotlight is none other than James Middleton, a regular diner at TableCrowd who’s currently working on two startups, Street Stream and Kerbi. The two services go hand in hand, so with Kerbi launching this spring we thought we’d find out more about its big brother, Street Stream.

What’s the elevator pitch for your startup?
Street Stream is a bit like Über for couriers. We make arranging a delivery or shipment as easy as hailing a cab is now, thanks to Über and Hailo. You simply enter the pick up address, delivery address and package details on the website and submit it. An alert goes out to nearby independent couriers (on bikes, motorbikes and in vans) and they submit quotes. You can rank the couriers on prices, proximity to pick-up point and customer rating. You can “favourite” your preferred couriers.

The market for deliveries in London is huge and many small businesses are badly served by the large courier companies. The aim is to de-mystify the world of couriers and make it simple and friendly to use. Remember what a nightmare it was getting a mini-cab before Über – you had to dial through a series of numbers not knowing who was available, who was reliable, who knew their way around the city etc. The courier industry is much like that now. The plan is to change that.

What were you doing before you launched your startup?
I was working as a financial economist in the City for a large asset management company.

If you have co-founders, where did you meet them?
There are no co-founders at the moment. It’s entirely bootstrapped.

What’s your biggest ‘hindsight’ moment?
All IT projects take much longer than you think and you have to be patient; don’t buy things unless you know you will really need them. I have definitely wasted some money.

What will 2015 bring?
Street Stream is launched in London and the plan is to get it up to scale here, as well as moving to other cities. Street Stream’s sister product, Kerbi launches in the spring.

One piece of advice for someone starting a business in your sector?
Network! Bounce ideas off people. Talk to people about their areas of expertise. There is an unofficial currency of favours among entrepreneurs who know that what goes around comes around. If nothing else, it provides emotional support when you are wrestling with the headaches startups have.

Convince someone to use your product/service in under 50 words.
Street Stream is an easy-to-use way to arrange deliveries. Whether you are a small business sending samples of your product, a shop trying to impress customers with a same day delivery, or whether you are an individual who simply wants to arrange a delivery at a convenient time and location, then Street Stream should make your life easier. It is simple to use. The goods are insured and the couriers on the platform are all conscientious.

What’s your favourite startup in your sector (not including your own)?
I’m a big fan of Bizzby which has a similar model but for handymen and cleaners.

What’s your favourite London restaurant?
The Reading Room at Claridges but it’s for special occasions only!

What’s your favourite meal?
Chinese crispy roast duck.

Find more of our #BusinessSpotlights here.