New on the high street

NEW ON THE HIGH STREET: Balloon business takes off

New shop, ‘Make It Special’ has recently opened its doors at the top of St Nicholas Street. We find out more about owner, Kelly Aziz, why she decided to set up shop, and what her plans are.

Keeping it local The wife of local businessman, and local, phone-saving superhero, Roy Aziz, Kelly’s initial thoughts when seeing that the shop on St Nicholas Street was up for rent, was as a base for her husband’s popular business, Fonemagic. Happy working from his home workshop, Roy decided to stay put – but the opportunity got Kelly thinking.

“The shop side of things happened so quickly,” said Kelly. “The idea came up just after the new year. From within a week of going to look at the shop, I had the keys in my hand. Then the hard work began.” Kelly has lived with her family in Diss for her whole life, so the chance to open a shop in her hometown was even more special. “I’ve had great support from other local independent shops within the town too,” said Kelly. “Given what everyone has been through over the past two years, I felt I wanted to grab this opportunity to support my hometown by opening another small independent shop.” What’s in stock? The shop sells a variety of gift balloons and displays for special occasions, from birthdays, baby showers, christenings, engagements and graduations to well wishes and more. There’s also a range of soft toys and baby items, along with a small selection of bridal party items. If you opt for a gift balloon, Kelly will inflate it for you using either air or helium. You can

choose to have items displayed inside your balloon and even have it personalised. They also stock a variety of artificial flowers, which can be used to create a balloon display in the form of a hat box filled with flowers.

What’s next? Kelly’s fun, imaginative and entrepreneurial outlook is reflected in the displays and decor in place throughout the shop. And it’s this creativity that will continue to drive the business forwards. “I’ve really enjoyed setting up the shop, the business, and the brand,” said Kelly. “And I’m looking forward to trying out new ideas and introducing different stock to suit different occasions.”