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Revenues peaked at £2.25million but have since returned to just under £2million as post-pandemic demand stabilised.

Charlie said A4 Labels' speed of service is one of the business's strong points. He said: "If you order before 4pm, you'll have it the next day from us. Being able to keep large stocks and having a team where everyone can do a bit of everything has kept us ahead."

Touching on the company culture, Charlie added: "Labelling is an incredibly boring industry. I need the staff to have fun and feel involved. I won't tell them what to do - I'll tell them what needs to happen and let them decide. If they're involved in decision-making, they feel more worth in the company."

That ethos extends to corporate responsibility. Since 2024, A4 Labels has donated 1% of sales to Seven Clean Seas, an initiative that removes plastic from oceans.

Charlie said: "I always think it's important - being a business, you've got more responsibility than just making profit. Living by the coast, you really see the impact of pollution. We've already cleaned over a ton of plastic out of the oceans with them."

Looking ahead, Colin remains involved as a "non-executive chairman", while Charlie prepares the company for global expansion.

He said: "The whole industry's been in a bit of a rut recently, but I think we're primed to get out of it. We've built an American website already, and Australia is showing a bit of potential as we're getting a few orders from there. The future really is about having some global dominance."

Reflecting on the journey from spare-room side hustle to multimillion-pound enterprise, Charlie said: "I remember a postbag and two DPD parcels on our doorstep that Dad posted on Facebook as our busiest ever day. Now I've filmed us loading seven cages of DHL at the factory. The contrast is just great. I just want to take it to the next level."

'Accidental' Sussex side hustle grows into multi-million-pound business