Kayleigh Dixon From homeless to hopeful
Award Winning Websites
Introdu cing
Kerrie GriffinRogers Th e Interi
or Co
Mumpreneur
Wear I t For We mee Autism t
up w for a ph otoshoo ith Anna Kenn e t ahead of this f dy OBE antastic event!
Of The Month Suzi Olivier
Cover image courtesy of The Interior Co
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2 The Gro Co 3 The Interior Co 6 From Homeless To Hopeful The amazing story of one young girls struggle from living on the streets to building a hopeful life for her and her family
Contents
11 Mumpreneur Products A selection of products sold or created by Mumpreneurs around the UK 14 Bish Bash Birthdays 15 Website Awards As always, we feature a selection of websites that have managed to secure one of our fantastic Awards 18 Childrens Eco Furniture / Childrens Eco Toys 19 Parental Choice 20 Mumpreneur Of The Month Interviwe with Suzi Olivier, inventor and founder of Mama & Belle 22 Wear It For Autism A photoshoot with organiser Anna Kennedy and Wish Want Wear 25 Abeille
26 Introducing Kerrie Griffin-Rogers The Mumpreneur who pulled herself from rock bottom to create a business for herself and a future for her children 30 Business Opportunities Take a step into the business world 32 Little Swimmers
Homeless to Hopeful
Hello my name is Kayleigh Dixon and I’m 28 years old, I have two children age 3 and 8 and a lovely partner. We all live in our own home which we own and have a dog called Teddy. I run a business from home. I specialise in digital Art and Photography and homemade/Hand painted Personalised gifts. Sounds perfect right? Well for me life wasn’t always as perfect as it is now, here’s my story…..
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hen I was younger I was a very loud and bubbly girl got myself in the usual trouble at school, talking to much not listening or doing my homework etc., but it all changed at the age of 16, I had moved away from home to be with my ex (I was young and foolish and thought everything would be happily ever after etc.). Unfortunately things got very frightening he became abusive physically and emotionally but I was stuck, I was in love and believed he loved me, he wouldn’t do it again….. Wrong! In the end age 18 I finally found the courage to leave, but with nowhere to go and scared I found my nights being spent cold and on the streets. Luckily I stayed out of harm’s way and managed to find warmth under heaters near the local market! I’d go to a local supermarket and get washed up in the disabled toilets each day hoping nobody would realise I was a “scruff” on the streets (as that’s how I saw myself useless and not capable of anything!) However I was determined this was not how I was going to lead the rest of my life. I had Childcare qualifications and I wanted to find a job.
I’d wash in the supermarket, nobody suspected I was homeless. If I was going to get out of the mess I was in I needed more money as mine was running out. I spent my days in the local Connections Youth Office looking on job sites searching all the ads on the wall writing up my C.V but it was so hard, what if I got an interview what would I Do? I couldn’t go dressed in the clothes I was in! I was running out of clean clothes I had packed in my bag and running out of money to keep buying more to change into. Then one day one of the youth workers saw me and called me over, she had guessed that I was sleeping rough, I told her I was “sofa surfing”this is where you flit from one friends to another,
getting your head down for the night. (I wish! it was December and that would of been the warmer option!) It had only been three weeks but I had not eaten a thing, she said she had seen me waste away in front of her, I don’t know what happened but I just broke down in front of her and told her everything, she went off to speak to one of the other workers and then came back to me and said “I’m on my break now come with me”, I went with her and she took me to the local supermarket that had a clothes shop attached she bought me a new jumper and a few layers to go underneath she then bought me some lunch ( chicken sandwich and some soup, I remember it tasting so good and filled the hole in the pit of my stomach. ) I am so grateful for what this lady did for me when most people would just judge and look the other way. We went back to the connections office and one of the other workers had spoken to a local hostel They were brilliant and run by a company called Plus Dane Housing Group they provide Supported Accommodation to young people age 16-24 who are either on the streets and finding things difficult like I was or are at threat of being on the streets. I had to go speak to them and tell them my situation and luckily they said I could have a room if I liked. I was so relieved and happy,and safe! Ok three weeks on the streets to some is nothing, I know unfortunately there are still a lot of people out there who have spent so much longer than i did but those three weeks were a scary nightmare and I vowed it would never happen again. I worked with the workers who helped me find and achieve my goals and to find myself a home I looked after the younger ones there and tried to help them with their problems the staff were brilliant we did different team building activities and I remember one trip we went to do the Peak District trail, kayaking rock climbing and much more it was great! They were really supportive and did what they could to help us all move on and push our lives forward rather than be stuck on a rut. In 2005 age 19 I made the mistake of meeting someone again I fell pregnant and I didn’t know what to do, my life became a whirlwind again. The council offered me a house and I thought everything was going to be ok, I wasn’t with my
with hardly any Health issues.) 3 months after she was born I was allowed to take her home, things were hard for me on my own, my ex had ran up a lot of debt in my name and my depression was getting worse. Unfortunately and stupidly things got so bad I tried to take my own life, luckily it didn’t work and it was the wakeup call I needed, I wanted my little girl to have the life I always wanted and never want for anything, and it was only me who could give that to her.
child’s father anymore as he did a bunk as soon as he found out I was pregnant, but at 5 months pregnant I was rushed into hospital I was nearly 26weeks pregnant and they told me I was going to have my baby! I was so Scared luckily id made amends with my mum and she was there to see me through it, on the 11th of July 2006 my eldest daughter was born I was 20 and she was 13 weeks early, she was tiny weighing just under 2lb. How was I going to do this alone? I felt so lonely I didn’t know what to do, what if she didn’t make it? What if she did? How would I provide for her? My life was just filled with one thing after another going wrong…was I jinxed? I did what i could for my little Girl but I Was slowly sinking into depression, I didn’t get to see her until 2 days after she was born and didn’t get to hold her until she was a month old, I couldn’t handle it, it was a lot to take in but I kept Pushing forward. The Doctors turned round to me one day and explained she had had a major bleed to the brain and although she was on life support they didn’t think she would survive off it, and if she did she may not have any quality of life, they asked me to consider turning off the machine and “let nature take its course” I refused…. (And I’m so glad I did because she is now a happy healthy 8 year old
I moved in with some friends until I got back on my feet, by the time my little girl was 2 I had a job in the local pub I’d completed my foundation level in photography at college, and I was looking at furthering my skills in the area. soon it was time to move on and move away from town my friends understandably couldn’t have us staying at the house permanently but I’m grateful for them putting us up, again though I didn’t have anywhere else to move on to so we got in touch with a mother and baby unit I couldn’t go back to the old house to many bad memories and I needed to get away from my ex. In 2009 I moved into one in Congleton and started making my plans, I got myself various jobs to save up some money and ended up meeting my partner ( who thankfully I’m still with today 5 years on) things were going great I started making things for friends and family as gifts, I was practicing my photography I moved out of the unit and into my own home. My daughter was thriving and healthy and most importantly happy, Life was finally starting to look up and in November 2010 I fell Pregnant with our youngest daughter, we were so happy and decided to start looking for a house, we moved again to my partners home town, and we settled (happy days)
They asked me to consider turning off my daughters life support and ‘let nature take its course ‘
In 2011 our daughter was born, during the pregnancy I was in my element making lots of gifts and getting on with my drawing and teaching myself how to edit photos, I love Anne Geddes and she really inspires a lot of my work, I told my partner about my dream to one day set up business and he said I should go for it, but after everything that had happened in my life, I was scared of it all going wrong, In 2012 we bought our first house together and in 2013 I finally decided after a lot of research on the market and whether there was a space for me to jump into the big ocean of business. The first few months were quite slow I registered with HMRC and the relevant people, and i set up my own Business Page up on Facebook. I called myself KJD-Fairytale-Creations, KJD for my initials Fairytale after the Fairy photos I have taught myself to do and Creations after all the personalised gifts I make. I spent a lot of my nights networking and in November 2013 I sent my first fairy photo via twitter to Amanda Holden, not expecting to get a reply but I Did! She loved it saying “OMG, that puts my Christmas cards into pooh land” I tweeted back to say I could edit a photo of her of her little girls if she liked and cheekily left my email address.
To my absolute amazement I soon received an email off her PA asking me to design and edit some photos to put on the front of her Christmas cards! I was overwhelmed with happiness that somebody so well-known and also who I was a fan of had seen my work and loved it! Considering everything I’ve ever done has been self-taught I really couldn’t believe what I was reading, I jumped at the opportunity and set to work on the brief I was given, after a few weeks Amanda and her husband Chris decided on the picture they liked and emailed me to confirm, they were very kind and put my logo on the back of the cards which was great publicity for me, and they were so pleased with my work they asked me to then design the invites for their youngest daughter Hollies’ birthday Party in January. This was a massive confidence boost for me and ever since then I’ve really not looked back, business is going really well I take orders via Facebook, Etsy and The Stall and Craft Collective website and I also have a stall on my local market every Saturday morning. I paint Dinnerware and glassware make Handmade bags and paint characters and designs onto them I do special personalised typography prints and I also make Polymer Clay Fairies, which is one of my new products, I’ve been learning for
the last year how to make them and I’m hoping they will go down a treat and fit in nicely with my fairy-tale photography and digital art. With my fairy-tale photography/Digital Art I’m able to take customers photos of themselves or somebody they love ( they normally send children photos) and turn them into something magical and unique, Fairies are the most popular option but I’d love to work on more boyish themes also but keeping in line with the fairy-tale and fantasy theme. I have also been designing my own range of characters that I hope to one day be able to put into a book for children, but for now they are hidden in my sketch book with a few sneak peeks that are revealed via both my Facebook pages. I’m hoping that when people read this they won’t Judge me for my past but realise Just how far I’ve come to try and make a success of my life, don’t get me wrong I’ve still got a long journey ahead of me but I will not be falling back down the ladder anytime soon, I’m determined to be recognised for the work I’m currently doing and hope that people will continue to fall in love with the things I do. I also fundraise for The One In Eleven Appeal which helps Premature Babies at my local hospital and surrounding areas as without them my daughter would not be alive today. I started my business up from nothing just a small amount in the bank that helped me set up for a few small bits that I needed everything else has been from what I have earned from orders and has all gone back into the business to try and help it grow. I’d like to thank my Partner for all the support he gives to me to his mum and dad for always being there and to my family for the same. Also
to everyone who’s helped me along the way Kay, Rosie Graham(Plus Dane Staff Team) and Bridget(Adullam Homes) my old support workers who wouldn’t let me give up on myself and kept pushing me forward. My special friend Kayley who’s been through it all with me through thick and thin new friends that I simply adore Carys, Abi, Steph, Katie, Karen, Ellie, Laura, Vicky, Jo and Sarah and the rest you know who you all are and anyone in my future who helps me make my business grow. Also a massive thank you to Amanda Holden for the fantastic opportunity she gave me and the confidence boost I needed!
Mumpreneur Products
Mumpreneur Products
Sneak a preview of our new PIRATE Balance bike, lightweight, weather resistant ,maintenance free soft ride tyres, and adjustable seat. Just £89.99
www.loddonvalleygardentoys.co.uk
Complete fairy craft and game party pack including all tableware, invites, activities, prizes and party bags for eight children between 6 and 9 years old. Just £100 www.bluebelloccassions.co.uk
Beautiful handcrafted solid silver jewellery and keepsakes using fingerprints, handprints and footprints of loved ones. Truly unique gifts to treasure. Prices from £45
www.tasmiatrinketsandcharms.com
Mumpreneur Products
Lovely Jewellery for Mums & Teething Babies’ Gums! Safe, BPA free, non-toxic silicone jewellery that babies love to chew & looks great on mum! Just £16.99
www.MamaAndBelle.co.uk Capture your child’s handprint or footprint in a fine silver pendant. Available in a range of shapes. Just £65
www.jwls.co.uk
Milestone Mini Cards
This box contains 100 unique, illustrated cards for recording all the quirky, unexpected things your kids say and do every day. £11.99 or use discount code NC10 for a reduced price of £10.80 www.moonbowtoys.co.uk/ product/milestone-minicards
Complete fairy craft and game party pack including all tableware, invites, activities, prizes and party bags for eight children between 6 and 9 years old. Just £100 www.bluebelloccassions.co.uk
Mumpreneur Products
Our bespoke Birthdate Boxes are filled with vintage and original goodies from the day you were born. Just ÂŁ64.99
www.birthdateinabox.com FIRMING BODY CREAM Supports collagen and elastin to help promote a firmer, more toned, smoother look and feel to skin (ÂŁ53 plus P&P)
Contact Catherine on 07838 501801
Website Awards
Most babies will dribble at some point in their first couple of years - this is perfectly normal. But dribbling can often lead to sore skin and dribble rash, which can be painful and distressing for babies and very upsetting for parents. As 2 mums who both had dribbly babies ourselves, we wanted to create a product that would protect the delicate skin on baby’s chest from dribble rash, soreness and infection, by keeping their chest dry all day. Something discreet, tugproof and most importantly safe – even at sleep times. The Dribble Stop Top looks and feels like a normal baby vest, but a pocket made of specialised waterproof material, with skin-like breathability, is hidden inside. This pocket completely covers the chest area and acts as a barrier to stop dribble soaking through to baby’s skin. It also has an extra high neck line to ensure maximum protection. To avoid dribble rash it is vital to keep your baby’s skin as dry as possible. This means continually changing baby’s clothes as soon as they become damp. But this is not only a real inconvenience for parents but can also be very upsetting for little ones. But by using a Dribble Stop Top you can avoid this constant clothes changing as, although baby’s clothes will still look wet, (sorry we can not stop them dribbling) their chest will remain dry and healthy throughout the day.
www.dribblestoptops.co.uk
Motoring Mumpreneur takes on automotive industry FOXY Lady Drivers Club is the UK’s only motoring club for women. It came about after Steph Savill’s step-daughter was ripped off at her first solo garage visit. Until then Steph hadn’t realised that UK garages aren’t licensed, that mechanics don’t have to be qualified and that poorly repaired cars can cause accidents. After talking to friends she decided to do something to help mums and daughters run safer and more reliable cars for less money. FOXY is a female brand meaning savvy and discerning. Members pay an annual subscription for a package of money-saving offers, VIP treatment in FOXY Lady Approved garages, repairers & car dealers and practical support when motoring gets stressful. Discounts can be shared with the family and include new cars, breakdown cover, driving lessons, tyres, MOTs, car servicing and vehicle repairs. The Club is delighted to have won the Mumpreneurs Silver Award for best website. Mumpreneurs are invited to Test Drive FOXY’ for free via the home page links at FOXY Lady Drivers Club.
www.foxyladydrivers.com
Website Awards
We are delighted to have received a Silver website award from Mumpreneur and will wear the badge with pride at Petalina. We work hard to make sure that our website works well and is visually appealing for our visitors and to have our efforts recognized is fabulous. Thank you. Petalina is a specialist online shop where you will find childrens dolls and accessories for your little girl, whatever her age. I started the business in 2006 when my daughters were both tiny because I had been unable to find them any good quality dolls to play with on the high street. As a girl, I remember spending many happy hours playing with my dolls and I wanted my daughters to be able to enjoy the same innocent play that I had experienced. A home based internet mail order business was the perfect solution and I set about sourcing good quality, traditional childrens dolls for everyone to enjoy. Petalina now offers many gorgeous brands including Gotz, Kathe Kruse, Kidz ‘n’ Cats and Corolle. We have baby dolls, bath dolls and grown up standing dolls – something for every age and stage of development - so that your little girl can grow up with dolls.
New Generation Health & Beauty SWISS products for whole family! The major advantages of VIVASAN products are: • Does not contain hormones, antibiotics, parabens • Hypoallergenic, i.e. does not contain allergenic substances • Has a long and wide range of influence on the organism • Applies to all age groups • Tested without experimentation on animals • Does not contain genetically modified ingredients • Highly concentrated, no fillers, economical use
All products are made only in Switzerland. Strict control of production processes ensures excellent product quality. The quality is guaranteed by GMP certificates (Good Manufacturing Practice) and ISO 9000. This means that VIVASAN products comply with international standards which impose special requirements for manufacturers of health and beauty products. Swiss Federal Office of Quality Control – Swiss Medic annually checks the work of Vivasan partner companies. You can find absolutely everything for you at our web shop!
www.petalina.co.uk
www.vivasaninfo.co.uk
Website Awards
WeAreTheCity was set up in 2008 by Vanessa & Stewart Vallely, who were both City workers in London. Vanessa felt there was a gap in the market as she knew 100’s of women who wanted to learn new skills and meet like minded women outside of their existing day jobs, however the information to take any form of action was scattered across various sites on the internet and time consuming to find. Vanessa wanted to create one website that detailed lots of opportunities for women to get involved with a myriad of things, not just enabling them to grow professionally, but personally as women too. Vanessa also wanted to inspire the sites visitors with stories from inspirational women who had achieved their goals and where willing to share their tips for the benefit of other women. Six years later WeAreTheCity is a leading women’s website with a database of 26,000 women and over 4million visitors per month. The site has helped 1000’s of women to get motivated and be inspired to take the next steps towards their own personal success. Through WeAreTheCity and our sister site, Careerscity.co.uk, we also provide access to jobs from our corporate partners, these are firms who are specifically looking to balance their talent pool in terms of gender. WeAreTheCity members also provides the opportunity to get involved with our free monthly skills webinars and gain visibility of over 150 female networks & the fantastic events they run.
www.wearethecity.com
Jo a mum of two set up SilverEdge Designs in 2013. She specialises in making personalised silver jewellery using people’s fingerprints, handprints, footprints, drawings and handwritten words. “I love making the jewellery; it’s very rewarding being involved in a product that has huge emotional value to the customer. A lot of my work is with mums celebrating a new baby, dads do get involved but they often need a big hint from mum. I also do memorial work for families that have relatives who are losing a battle with an illness or using baby ultra scans for those who have tragically lost a baby. These are upsetting situations but it is wonderful to be able to preserve memories in a gift that families can keep close with them always.”
As a new business still in its infancy investing in a website and online shop seemed a sensible use of limited finances, allowing a wider reach of customers than those in my locality. Winning the Mumpreneur UK Bronze Award is a huge achievement for our first year and has given me tremendous confidence in our products. The award logo on our website provides the customer with confidence knowing that the service has been independently evaluated by professionals.
www.silveredgedesigns.co.uk
www.EcoToyStore.co.uk
www.ChildrensEcoFurniture.com
Mumpreneur of the Month
Introducing Suzy Olivier, creater and director of Mama & Belle
What inspired you to start Mama & Belle? My lovely little Belle! Like most mums with babies, wearing jewellery can be a hazardous mission! When Belle started the ‘let grab and chew everything’ stage of babyhood, I assumed that was the end of wearing jewellery, especially necklaces. I was always worried that she’d either break them or choke if something broke off. Until one day I was watching her have a good chew session with one of her much loved silicone teething toys, and I thought to myself “someone should make jewellery made from silicone!”, I then realised that someone could be me! What makes Mama & Belle to special? The great combination of style and function. I wanted to create something for mums that didn’t immediately look like something you were wearing just for your baby. We currently have 6 different styles of necklace and each style comes in up to 14 colours, plus there’s 2 bracelet designs to choose from, so there’s definitely something to suit all tastes and styles. I also really wanted to make sure our jewellery was perfectly safe for it’s main function… teething babies! Our food grade silicone is BPA free and thoroughly tested to
my new little venture, I just didn’t expect it would all happen so quickly. I had to very quickly learn how the wholesale market worked so I could get my products out there with more retailers. So my biggest challenges have been my biggest successes! What does the future hold for Mama & Belle? My main focus is to continue growing the brand and expand our ranges. I’ve had so many requests for teething necklaces for big sisters and brothers and even dads, so it looks like we won’t just be for mums! I really want to keep thinking about innovative products that could help make parents’ lives a little easier when dealing with the delights of teething babies and all the other wonderful delights of babyhood. As Mumpreneur of the Month, what advice would you give to those looking to start up in business?
maintain our CE certification. Plus all our necklaces are fitted with a breakaway mechanism clasp, so if the necklace is tugged on too hard, the clasp will simply open preventing the strand from breaking and runaway beads.
If you really feel passionately about something and you’ve done your research, go for it! Though, don’t rush into anything and make sure you can sacrifice the necessary time for the business. Most importantly, believe you can achieve it! I know it sounds cheesy, but I really feel that a positive attitude is paramount if you’re going to succeed.
We also promise to give at least 10% of our profits to charity. As a new business, what challenges or successes have you experienced to date? Mama & Belle is still in it’s infancy, though as anyone that’s had an infant will know even the littlest of babies have their challenges! My biggest challenge has been learning and understanding the world of retail. I honestly knew absolutely nothing about how the retail industry worked before Mama & Belle, I’m still learning now. I could never have dreamt that just 8 weeks into business, that there would be 5 stores selling Mama & Belle jewellery and more interest from other retailers still coming in. I of course hoped for success with
Browse the collection or buy online at www.MamaandBelle.co.uk
Anna Kennedy OBE
M
umpreneur UK organised a photo shoot with Anna Kennedy OBE to celebrate one month until much anticipated fashion event Wear it for Autism, which has come off of the back of Anna’s renowned Take 5 campaign. Anna showcased a selection of designer outfits. Anna was joined by Celebrity Stylist and Society Editor Lewis-Duncan Weedon, who also styled Anna on the day, and who will be styling all of the models on the night of Wear it for Autism. The winners were chosen from several cateogries including grandparents, carers, mums, dads and individuals, all of who are affected by autism. As well as being styled, professional makeup artists will be providing a full makeover, and they will be able to enjoy a day that is all about them. The photo shoot was to prove that older women can wear ready to wear designer dresses, and still look and feel fabulous. And Anna pulled this off fantastically and looked incredible.
{ } “Many people think that once you reach a certain age, glamour and sexy are off the table.”
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Anna Kennedy OBE discusses the photo shoot; “Many people have the perception that once you reach a certain age, glamour and sexy are off of the table. I wanted to prove that this wasn’t the case and that sophistication and style are timeless, and certainly ageless. As a mum, wife and business owner, I am very often too busy to have the time to dress up, unless it is for events, and I am sure many women feel the same. Everyone needs some TLC, which is why this photo shoot tied in really nicely with Wear it for Autism, as the event provides a day out and off for families and individuals affected by autism. It is a day all about them.” After the photo shoot, Anna posted her favourite photos onto her Twitter account to her 49,000 strong following, which has started the countdown to Wear it for Autism, and has begun to raise awareness following attendance at events during London Fashion Week.
Wear it For Autism is being held on 6th October 2014 at the Millennium Hotel, Knightsbridge London from 6.30pm. Arlene Phillips CBE, Abz and Amy Willerton and Kirk Norcross will be hosting the event, which is being supported by Models of Diversity. Tickets are available now at £15. Please email lisa.robins@thevines.org.uk to purchase. “I want to thank Lewis-Duncan Weedon for everything that he is doing to support Wear it for Autism, I also want to thank everyone who is sponsoring the event including Third Sector Gallery, Pineapple Performing Arts, Models of Diversity, Living Autism and Miglio Jewellery. And I want to say a huge congratulations to all of the winners who will be taking to the catwalk on the night!” Anna Kennedy OBE concludes. For more information regarding Wear it for Autism, please visit www.annakennedyonline.com/wear-it-forautism-is-back/
Only Baston House School understood exactly what Heidi’s son needed, and was able to offer the right support
BASTON HOUSE SCHOOL
D E V E LO P I N G L E A R N E R S ’ S K I L L S F O R T H E F U T U R E
Heidi and Scott Nokes live in Eltham with their son, Shaw, who is 11.
Fighting for assessment Shaw has only been at Baston House School for six months but is, says Heidi, now presenting as a completely different child. Shaw has an Autistic Spectrum diagnosis, Generalized Anxiety and speech and language difficulties. As the small, mainstream primary school which Shaw had been attending became increasingly unable to address Shaw’s needs, Heidi became concerned and sought the school’s support in obtaining a Statement of Special Education Needs for him but, as the teachers felt Shaw appeared to be coping adequately in the classroom, this support was refused by the LEA.
Baby The perfect Layer
Cellular blanket
www.abeille.co.uk
Introducing Kerrie Griffin-Rogers W
hen you hear about someone who has started a successful business, how do you feel? When you hear that they started a luxury clothing brand, successful holiday let, created a successful online interiors company, wrote a book and designed and created their own art collection what are your first thoughts? Some would be pleased and some would be jealous but I bet all of you wonder how it came about. This person must have had some business knowledge, some money in the bank or some serious investment right? Wrong. A few years ago, Kerrie Griffin-Rogers would not have been considered your stereotypical entrepreneur. A married, stay at home mum to two beautiful daughters, a husband who supported her financially and a fairly comfortable lifestyle‌ or so it would appear. Here, Kerrie tells her story‌
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n our seventeenth wedding anniversary, my husband told me he no longer loved me and wanted a divorce. You’d think that was bad enough but when I refused to leave my children and my home, he attempted to push down the stairs. Bruised both physically and emotionally I entered into a deep depression, I even considered suicide. Things went from bad to worse. I had no job, no money and no self-confidence. I had always been creative but my husband often reminded me that I had no talent and after being told something time and time again, you start to believe it. The man I had spent seventeen years married to, who wouldn’t let me work, then decided to make my life as difficult as possible by cutting off the electricity, the water, the phone line and my mobile. I felt completely isolated and unable to cope. (Yes ladies, he did have an affair. One of his last words to me were ‘Why don’t you do something with your life?’) I was left with my two young daughters, huge debts, a £300,000 mortgage and even my bank accounts had been closed. I didn’t even have a car as I had written it off five days after he left and he blocked the insurance company meaning no replacement. But after a year of tears and struggling to cope, and with no family around her, Kerrie pulled herself together realizing that only she could make changes for the future or her and her daughters.
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“I was left with my two young daughters, huge debts, a £300,000 mortgage”
At my lowest point I didn’t know which way to turn I had absolutely nothing no money but I had possessions which I decided to sell. I displayed posters around the local village, gave them out at my daughters schools and asked shops to display them. To my surprise,
everyone flocked to buy my old clothes and furniture! I didn’t mind losing everything because the stress of the last year had caused dramatic weight loss so my clothes no longer fitted, and the items of furniture were just posessions that could be replaced at some point. Sheer fear of what was going to happen next drove me forward and I sold my furniture, mirrors light fittings and anything else I could get my hands on to ensure I could feed the children. I had qualified as an interior designer but my husband hadn’t liked me working. He took every penny I earned, saying we needed it to pay the bills so I had no real money of my own except some savings which he took when he left. There were times I didn’t want to go on, but something inside me was burning to start my own interiors company. I drove into town to take my children to school and stayed there all day because I couldn’t afford the petrol to get home and back again. I started my business from the Library and later in a drop in centre at the hospital, which let me stay all day every day working to create my vision. Whilst I was there they gave me counseling for my grief and trauma. I had never used a computer before, Now I run the whole back end of the website my various face book accounts, twitter and pinterest. I do all my own marketing creating a media frenzy around my Interior Design. When I sold my own possessions I went to a wholesalers and bought £500 worth of products I got them home, priced them up and then had another sale. The first sale went so well! Everyone loved my taste and wanted to know when the next sale was. I doubled my initial £500 investment and went back to the wholesalers with £1000 worth of new stock which I then sold for £2000! I continued this pattern until I had £8,000 worth of stock. I was elated! I felt like I was actually creating something that had the potential to be a success but that elation quickly turned to devastation. An arson attack meant that my stock and my hard work was wasted. Yet again I had nothing! I was devastated. I sat for hours looking at the contents of my burned down stable trying to figure out what each melted item was and I didn’t know which way to turn, I wasn’t insured and I had little money over after making mortgage repayments and supporting two children.
I had so little confidence I wanted to hide behind a computer. I decided online was the only way forward but with no money how on earth could I do it? I emptied my wardrobe and sold all I had left, sold what little furniture I had in. I sold in exactly the same way I had before, building it up again slowly but this time when I achieved a reasonable figure the first thing I did was get insurance to protect me. I listed a couple of items on Ebay to test the water and they sold quite quick so I started building up a profile. I googled ‘how do I start an online shop with no money’ only to be faced with hundreds of what can only be described as ‘dodgy’ websites charging silly amounts for information. I looked into every which way of gaining funding only to have doors slammed in my face. I started selling my hand painted cards I had to local shops which gave me the confidence to contact the local council for a grant. They came to see me and offered to pay half the cost of a computer and to install internet and a phone line at home. Once I had all the information together I applied for a grant to pay for half of my website… SUCCESS it was agreed and the work began! Pushing forward semi fearlessly, I literally talked to myself, telling myself it was all going to be OK, your doing fine, believe in your self you can do it. If the phone rang I literally shook, I never answered it, I just wasn’t ready. I read all of Richard Branson’s books over and over he’s such an amazing role model. I remembered the time, when working for a magazine, that I actually had the balls to write to Richard, sending him an advertising proposal and a miniature bottle of whisky telling him to sit back relax have a drink on me and read my proposal. I was taken aback when the girls in the office ran over shouting that a letter had arrived from Sir Richard Branson! Oh my, he actually replied saying it was the most creative proposal he had ever received and the most tasteful!! He didn’t advertise with us but one day when I meet him, which I’m sure I will, we can have
that conversation and laugh. I’m sure he’ll say I knew you would go on to bigger and better things! When I realised Richard had started his first business from a shed I thought I can do this. I only read good things, I never read the newspapers or watched TV, after all it was always bad news and I didn’t want to have my spirit jaded. I was totally consumed by hours and hours of researching and learning. The site went live back in the days when Ebay would allow you to include your website address in your listing, slowly people would start visiting my site. Ebay are a massive company investing millions PR and I just hopped on their bandwagon and hoped for the best. At the worst they would hop onto the site and buy with confidence. I started doing shows £10 per table building up to a whole marquee myself for £500 My feather paintings were getting well known by now and I was emailing all the major magazines asking them to feature my house. Country homes and interiors was one of the first, they send there magazine out to subscribers first and 8 days before it went on sale I sold 9 original artwork pieces. I was totally blown away but with each piece of success my confidence grew. I celebrated every sale by sticking a post it note on my fridge saying well done you achieved this today! It was totally down to me if I made or lost money and whether I would or wouldn’t be able to feed my kids. I had to survive, I had to do well, I had no option. There was no fail to be had. I entered awards to gain exposure and soon I had a fantastic portfolio to show around to gain credibility and my products were featured in magazines I used to read!
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“Ebay invest millions in PR so I jumped on their bandwagon!”
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On my own, suffering terrible depression and trying to run a business with no knowledge overwhelmed me. All I knew is that I needed to earn money and fast. I cried so much my eyes were constantly red so I wore sunglasses all the time, even in the rain.
I used to have people ask me where I bought my clothes from because I had this individual style. I was an Interior Designer, I could design a room or myself so I went about researching clothing. I then launched a clothing range my own label called Feathers Of Italy, after my paintings which I use on my logo. I saw a gap in the market for normal ladies with an edge, a flair of there own unsatisfied by the high street brands. Women who were always on diets kept saying I’ll buy that when I’ve lost 10 pounds, I could reply that there was no need, my designs are one size but if you lose the weight you will only look better! Knowing nothing about fashion and with no expertise, just my courage and go get it approach I launched the brand Feathers Of Italy. Last month I got my first stockist and I want to grow the brand around the globe. I have an amazing following in USA, Canada and Australia by pinning my products on the pages of Pin it and I was featured in the guardian for my success. There is now a massive following for our clothing! My style, my choices, the colour pallets always complement each other if you buy one season you can guarantee Kerrie’s new seasons clothing will blend so you can use most of the items all year through. Just adding to your range. Each month the turnover doubles and it continues to astound me just how far I’ve come. I designed one top which top Chinese designer Masarto in London commented about on twitter, saying how amazing it was! Kerrie Wants to get her clothing brand recognized by major retailers like Selfridges and create more products in her home and clothing range. She is planning on having her feathers printed onto fabrics and sell to the top end Interiors market. She got down to finalist of Country Homes and Interiors My Country Business awards which was a real honour as it was chosen by top professionals in the industry including Alister Sawday from Sawdays a real connoisseur in Luxury Accommodation. Last year her new Holiday let Turtledove Hideaway, her converted garage, was featured in five overseas magazines, two British Interior magazines and three national newspapers along with local press which encouraged Kerrie to write her own book, From Shed to Chic, how to create a money making holiday let.
She has been a finalist twice for Inspirational Mother awards in London, finalist for best online business and winning silver award this year 2014 in the Website Awards run by Mumpreneur UK. I created the Interior Co, with the need to find all interior products under one roof as my background as an interior designer, no one was doing this very well. I developed an online business with no knowledge of computers, business or buying and selling my own products. The biggest lesson is look absolutely everywhere for help in starting out look for grants money saving ideas, use recycled items to start with if you need to, take small risks rather than bigger ones if it isn’t working change it, don’t give up! if it is working do it again but slightly bigger and better, learn from everyone, tell everyone what you are doing and what you are trying to achieve they may just be able to help.
www.theinteriorco.co.uk
Business Opportunities
Business Opportunities
Lilly Loray is Looking for Two Heads of Department!
Calling all Mumpreneurs, this is a great Our new campaign is to get our customers job opportunity for mums in need of a to help bridge the gap between our new venture whilst juggling motherhood. kitchen linen and handbags, by asking customers what they’d like to see the Lilly Loray is a modern retro homewares patterns in. So far we have cushions, and fashion hub. Our designs are fabric bags, and purses in the pipeline. original and bold. Twin passions for brilliant colour and distinctive graphics As said before Bryony is a working mum are the inspiration behind Lilly Loray’s so she understands the pressures of home textiles. The founder and very motherhood. She is also very ambitious recently new mum, Bryony Disbury, and wants to balance work life with has combined her love of retro vintage family, so these roles will be flexible with design with her ardent support of the UK a family lifestyle. textile industry, to produce this truly home grown, handmade collection of practical If you have expertise in homewares, yet beautiful kitchen linens. Our debut fashion or sales and you think you could range includes aprons, oven mitts, oven be a great asset to the company, then gloves, tea towels and pot holders. please apply, Bryony is looking forward to hearing from someone like you. The company has been going for two years now and has already started Email hello@lillyloray.co.uk or call selling in Liberty’s, Heals and a handful 07788 548 314 of kitchen stores all over the UK. But Bryony wants to grow the business in homewares and fashion. And she has recently designed a new handbag range, created for the everyday mum. It’s open top means it’s easy for use and with lots of pockets inside it can carry a number of things. And it still looks sophisticated, even if there are bottles and bibs hidden inside.
Local Directors Wanted We’ve found the pot at the end of your rainbow!
That’s right ladies, if you’re looking for a new business career challenge in 2014-2015, we have a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This pot of gold is not one that is found in fables or fairy stories but a shiny container of opportunity from a reputable proven business model. The successful BforB Ladies is looking for NEW Local Directors to replicate the unique and accomplished referral marketing system that is Business for Breakfast.
The Real Deal Two referral marketing lunchtime meetings per month Established marketing, admin and financial support Access to an existing team of 1000’s business professionals
The benefits to you
An uncapped earning potential A fresh and exciting change of career that could compliment an existing one An extremely rewarding challenge A super easy way to meet new people professionally and socially Exceptionally low set up investment Proven robust system Full initial training and ongoing support system
contact Sarah on sarah.white@bforbstaffsladies.co.uk
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Everything you need to get your career going
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www.bforbstaffsladies.co.uk/resources/local-directors-wanted
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Next Issue Due Out 15th October 2014 Mumpreneur Magazine is published by Mumpreneur UK Ltd For advertising enquiries call 0121 788 4121
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