Section two

Owner’s background

2.1 Why do you want to run your own business?

I want to create a business, that will allow me to generate an income stream in retirement, doing something I love, creating functional and decorative textile bags and other goods, which will bring joy to customers and clients for years to come.

I want to carve a niche, offer something unique to the customer, while developing my craft through practice and collaboration with customers to meet their briefs.

2.2 Previous work experience:

Currently I have two part time roles, which I intend to continue in, while establishing my own business.

Healthcare - November 2022 to date

 Working part time for the NHS, I provide administrative support for the Vaccination Transformation Programme, which provides a comprehensive vaccination service to the population. I support the team by meeting and registering the public when they come in for vaccinations, but also assist with arranging visits to nursing and care homes as well as the housebound. After many years working with internal and corporate clients, I enjoy being able to work with individuals from many different backgrounds.

Library Services (Local Government) - October 2022 - to date

 Following the pandemic, when I worked for local government in a vaccination centre, I have moved across into libraries and now work on a supply basis to assist with the provision of local library services. This takes me to different libraries and allows me to gain experience in both traditional settings and larger school libraries, based within community hubs. Given the wide range of services provided by libraries, no two shifts are the same and I have been able to get involved in and gain insight into services offered, to young and old and everyone in between.

Previously, I worked in:

Financial Services - December 1989 – January 2020

Assistant, Manager, Lloyds Banking Group plc – May 2007 – January 2020

Supported Legacy Ireland & IMS Asia businesses and Leasing Centre of Excellence teams within Finance, delivering a variety of monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc finance reporting and other processes to a range of stakeholders across the wider finance team and the business, my specialisms included.

Stakeholder management

o Strengthening stakeholder relationships with business partners, as well as with divisional and financial control teams through regular dialogue, which lead to improved reporting and business efficiencies.

o Ensuring submissions were in line with expectations and requirements and were kept relevant by reflecting changes in the business areas, and at the same time were achievable within specified time frames.

Communication o Acting as the team’s Service Excellence representative, meeting with the other representatives on a regular basis to share best practice across the wider team. o As a member of the Charity Committee, assisting with the preparation of and participated in the wider team’s annual charity event, to support Mental Health UK. o Organising my own event to raise funds for charity and support daughter’s school fundraising.

Process alignment and improvement

o Reviewing and streamlining the reconciliation process, by identifying, and making efficiencies to this, strengthening the backup, e.g., reconciling by company rather than by asset or liability, and migrating all balances to one ledger.

o Creating user groups and filters on the Integrity system to simplify and streamline the process for all parties involved.

o Adopting the Financial Control journal standard, rolling out templates, log, and related processes to the team, and providing guidance where required. Identified omissions in templates, used workarounds and liaised with the central financial control team.

o Migrating and aligning different heritage databases, systems, and processes across locations.

Projects and working parties

o Compiling statistics on team skills to facilitate cross training, knowledge, and resource sharing within the wider team.

o Participating in user acceptance testing for the ledger (Oracle Fusion) migration project, prior to installation, to ensure that this could match the output of the previous Oracle ledger.

Financial analysis and reporting

o Preparing pre and post month end financials on expenses for business partners, challenged outputs as required.

o Producing monthly MI packs and management accounts, including variance analysis.

o Participating in annual planning activities to support the production of the business area’s budget, completing an in-depth analysis of the Ireland accruals and provisions, to facilitate this process and optimise their utilisation.

o Supporting the monthly and quarterly completion of Group & Divisional Reporting Solution (GDRS), including uploading to the Intercompany Server (ICS) and variance analysis for the business, a vital element in the production of notes to the Group’s accounts.

o Quarterly VAT returns, which included analytical review and liaising with Group VAT to fully resolve all queries.

o Monthly balance sheet reconciliations, with the focus on reserves, and VAT balances.

o Daily reconciliation of the Leasing source system to ledger, responsible for investigating and resolving issues.

o Monthly P&L and balance sheet submissions to other Finance teams for consolidation and management reporting.

o Submissions to external stakeholders, e.g., SocGen and the FLA (Finance and Leasing Association) and contributed to Office for National Statistics and Bank of England returns.

Financial Control / Governance

o Monthly journal preparation, including accurate and appropriate back up to predetermined deadlines within the governance framework, to ensure accurate reporting of financials.

o Balance sheet reconciliation and certification monthly, which involved investigating and resolving differences, facilitating account owner sign off and ensuring adherence to group minimum standards.

o Assisted with Quality Assurance Reviews, implemented recommendations and supported the resolution of external audit queries.

Earlier Roles o Assistant Manager, Corporate Banking Finance, HBOS plc, June 1998 – May 2007 o Network Manager, Global Custody Services, Bank of Scotland plc, September 1996 – June 1998 o Customer Service Officer, Frankfurt, Bank of Scotland plc, February 1994 – September 1996 o Customer Service Officer, Registrar Department, Bank of Scotland plc, September 1990 – February 1994 o Clerical Officer, Carol Jones Recruitment, December 1989 – September 1990

2.3 Qualifications and education:

 City & Guilds, School of Stitched Textiles, May 2021 – to date Currently studying towards Skills Stage 3, Patchwork & Quilting

 Edinburgh University, Centre for Open Learning, Short Courses 2019/2020 o A History of Modern Fashion o Introduction to Scottish Genealogy

 Future Learn Short Courses 2019/2020 o History of Royal Fashion, Glasgow University o The Tudors, University of Roehampton o Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree, Strathclyde University

 Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (MCIBS), Napier University, October 1991 – June 1998 o CPD certification maintained to 2020 through LBG internal training & software courses.

 Postgraduate Diploma in Executive Secretarial & Office Studies, Strathclyde University, 1988 – 1989

2.4 Training:

Details of future training courses you want to complete:

I would like to progress with School of Stitched Textiles and City & Guilds, to either broaden my knowledge in another field of Textiles or progress to the next skill level in Patchwork & Quilting. I would also like to acquire more experience with tools, social media and apps designed to promote a small business. Resources I have made use of in the last couple of years in this area are Tech Pixies, attending their social media Bootcamp and Happy Side Hustle, which helps to promote small businesses by supporting them with advice and guidance on a number of issues.

2.5 Hobbies and interests:

Walking Pilates & Yoga

Crafting History & Genealogy

2.7 Additional information:

VOLUNTEERING

January 2022 – to date

NHS Lothian - Clothing Store, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh

March 2021 – December 2021

NHS Lothian - Covid Vaccination Centre, Midlothian

April 2020 – October 2020

University of Bristol, contributor to PhD research into ‘Crafting during Coronavirus’

May 2020 – August 2020

Edinburgh Mask Makers, mask maker