her bump whilst learning to solder , but I believe there ’ s never really a good time to do anything . I worked hard and soaked up all the knowledge I could .”

She established a tiny studio for herself in the family ’ s dining room . She had a desk for working , and she did all of her soldering outside in an unheated shed . “ I knew I had talent but I also needed purpose . Something that would drive me to create , when I ’ d had no sleep at all . That took some thinking .”

Claire recalls that she never wanted to make diamond rings or other generic jewelry . “ It was important to me that every piece of Cloudy Lemonade Jewellery was designed with something in mind . To spread happiness , have meaning to the individual and above all else make people smile . This is my purpose and what keeps me driving forward . Once I started sharing this with people , I knew it would be a success .”

And it ’ s starting to pay off , just like Claire knew it would . “ A few months in , the emails I was receiving from customers made everything worthwhile . I have people who have bought my jewelry to celebrate divorces , a mastectomy and reconstructions , fertility journeys , and places that people will never be able to visit again .”

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Claire was a career copywriter , so she knew nothing about owning or running a business . “ When it came to business , I felt lost for a while . Accounts are daunting and spending money is terrifying .” Overcoming her own self-doubts about what she was capable of was the biggest obstacle in Claire ’ s way . She would hesitate to invest any money she made back into her business . “ Recently , I have seen all my investments pay off and this has given

me courage in my conviction . My instinct is usually right when it comes to making a decision , but unfortunately , I have historically questioned it .”

Getting people to take her seriously as a craftsperson and businessperson has been a challenge for Claire as well . “ Sometimes I get a , ‘ isn ’ t that nice ’ type reaction , or ‘ that must keep you busy .’ If you are currently experiencing this too , I urge you to carry on regardless .”

ADVICE FOR OTHER HANDCRAFTERS

Claire has found out that she spends almost 60 % of her working time promoting her products ; actually making her jewelry is a much smaller proportion of the amount of time she spends on her business .

“ This has been a massive eye-opener for me . I would highly recommend getting training on all of it . This year I invested in a PR course and learned how to make all the different potential opportunities work for me . THAT , COMBINED WITH A LOT MORE TIME INVESTED IN MY BUSINESS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC , INCREASED MY SALES BY OVER 300 %.”

Claire also suggests that building a support network is crucial to success , such as online business groups and other networks . “ Find one you resonate with and get involved . Don ’ t be put off by membership fees . You can find a lot of things for free , but some of the best advice you have to pay for .”

50 51