insideKENT Magazine Issue 124 - August 2022 | Page 181

BUSINESS

Kent

SMALL BUSINESSES

JESS MARSHALL SHINES A WELL-DESERVED SPOTLIGHT ON THE KENT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS MAKING STRIDES THIS SUMMER .
The Eccentric Leopard
At the end of a 15-year teaching career , Kylie Hodge got a creative itch . Having previously spent her free time upcycling furniture , she decided it was time to take her talents to the next level and after completing a few professional decoupage courses she proudly established The Eccentric Leopard in 2021 . Her aim ? To bring upcycled vintage furniture inspired by period dramas and castles into the limelight to have its much deserved moment and to promote how amazing vintage furniture and antiques are . Her completely unique designs shine brightly as the crowning jewel of any room , each one bursting with the history of the piece and the beauty of the artwork that adorns it . With such astonishing artistic style , it ' s no surprise that Kylie has already had success with an in-store pop-up at Platform ( platform-shop . co . uk ) in Canterbury , as well as upcoming collaborations with other Kentish stores . As a final thought , we asked Kylie why she has such passion for her work . “ For me , someone buying something that I have created because they love it enough to spend their hard earned money is one of the best feelings in the world !”
www . theeccentricleopard . com theeccentricleopard
AJK Woodworks
From building forts to playing in the woods , Alex Kingdon fell in love with the countryside from a very young age , and as the years went by Alex realised his intense passion for handcrafting woodwork . He honed his skills and knowledge to enhance his craft alongside working at his family ’ s business , but it wasn ’ t until he entered a few ultra successful craft markets that the lightbulb clicked , and he realised there was his very own business just waiting to come to life . So , in 2016 , AJK Woodworks came to fruition , specialising in bespoke furniture and chopping boards . Though according to Alex his wife and labrador are still his biggest supporters , his business was of course an instant success with customers . “ I love the feedback and reactions I get from happy customers , especially with commissioned pieces ,” he told us . With inspiration seemingly pouring out of the wood itself , it ' s fair to say that Alex has more than a few ideas up his sleeve , and with plans to get his name out there and finally be able to make AJK Woodworks a full-time venture , his future clients can expect nothing less than unique , beautiful and elegant pieces hand-carved by an ever-inspired professional .
www . etsy . com / uk / shop / AJKwoodworks
AJK Woodworks ajk _ woodworks
Esa Evans Jewellery
Esa Evans has been on quite a journey with her business , which started life 12 years ago as a hobby making weird and wonderful fascinators and has slowly evolved to also sell laser-cut acrylic jewellery . Finally , after many years and a name change , Esa Evans Jewellery burst onto the scene , now designing long-lasting laser-cut stainless steel jewellery that customers were climbing over each other to get their hands on ! Having studied Fine Art at university , Esa has always had an affinity with public art , and now having her very own successful jewellery business feels as though she is making mini pieces of wearable art that everyone can enjoy . Though pandemic-related inspiration-block has hit pretty hard , Esa has previously found genius in the most unlikely of places including words , nature , buildings , shapes and even music ; in fact Esa Evans Jewellery ’ s DISCO pendant has been a bestseller for over half a decade ! With goals to get back into the wholesale game , to concentrate on her own retail website , and with her business going from strength to strength post pandemic , we asked Esa what advice she had for young entrepreneurs : “ Motivation and organisation are key to setting up on your own .”
www . esaevans . com esaevansjewellery
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