BUSINESS
Kent
SMALL BUSINESSES
REPRESENTING THE WOMEN , JESS MARSHALL PROFILES THREE MORE SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS …
The Little Sleepover Company
When Joanne Daughters was furloughed from her job of 22 years she used her time to take stock of her professional life . The combination of being in lockdown and planning a wedding left Joanne inspired , and after scouring the internet for some ideas , she came across her future business baby : The Little Sleepover Company . Luckily the original owners were selling , and Joanne jumped at the chance to snap up the bespoke sleepover business . Now , not even two years later , Joanne has completed over 650 bookings of her magical , custom kid ’ s sleepovers ! Making children ’ s wildest dreams come true is simply an everyday occurrence now , but a happy coincidence is that Joanne has made her own dreams come true in the process . When we asked her what it was she had learned from running her whimsical business she said : ‘ You just need to be brave enough to follow your dreams . I love that I can be as adventurous as I like with what I offer and deliver truly bespoke services .’ In terms of advice for other fledgling business women , Joanne provided us with some practical wisdom : ‘ Always look to improve and stay ahead of the market and competitors where possible .’
www . thelittlesleepoverco . com thelittlesleepovercompany
Scrunchies By Nat
Natalie Lange ’ s business , Scrunchies By Nat , was created almost by accident . Pre-pandemic , Natalie had been spending time with her niece in Australia teaching her how to sew scrunchies . As the pretty patterned hair-ties piled up around them , they decided to set up a stall at a local market to try and sell their wonderful creations . Lo and behold they sold spectacularly well – so well in fact that when Natalie returned to Kent she decided it was time to take her talent to a new level , and so , Scrunchies By Nat was born . ‘ I didn ’ t realise that I ’ d still be doing scrunchies nearly two years later on the opposite side of the world , but I ’ m so happy that I am !’ She told us with a smile when we asked her about her experience . Like every first time business owner Natalie ran into many situations she has had to learn from . But with plans to grow her scrunchie empire with a new bridal collection launching soon , Natalie has never loved a job more : ‘ I love the flexibility and the space I get to be creative . I love that you can take an idea and make it your own version of what you want that idea to be .’
www . etsy . com / your / shops / scrunchiesbynatuk scrunchies _ bynatuk
True To Life Blooms
2020 was a difficult year for Jennifer Burton , after getting made redundant from her job just as the pandemic hit , she found herself wondering where she wanted her life to go . After talking with friends and family who encouraged her to pursue her passion of artificial flower arranging , Jennifer was emboldened to take a leap of faith and launch True To Life Blooms . Now after almost two years in business , this self-taught entrepreneur has created a booming business selling stunning luxury artificial and dried flower arrangements from her home in Whitstable . ‘ It has made me realise how much work goes on behind the scenes of a small business .’ Jennifer said when we asked her what she has learned from her new venture : ‘ The time and effort that goes into your business is hard work but very much worth it .’ Though it may be hard work , Jennifer has no intentions of slowing down , and even has plans to break into the wedding flower industry in 2022 . Offering up some advice to other small business owners , Jennifer said one simple word : ‘ Patience . It takes time for your business to establish , it ' s definitely something I wish I had known when I started True To Life Blooms .’
www . truetolifeblooms . co . uk truetolifeblooms
184