Business start ups - New start

Friday 4th January 2008

Business start-ups can be daunting, but there is so much help to get you up-and-running. Lorraine Conway spoke to four women who fulfilled their business dreams – with a helping hand

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Katie Smith, 40, lives in Bristol
Old job: Dance company administrator
New job: Runs an online accessories shop with her sister
Start-up costs: £3,000
This year's earnings: £500,000

“ I left school early, and never achieved my design dreams. It was during a holiday in Bali that I struck on the idea for an accessories company. I realised there was a gap in the market for beautiful, handmade products without the designer price tags.

I turned to my sister Millie as she has an amazing ability for communicating with people. We did research online and found a family-run company based in Calcutta. We used our credit cards to raise £3,000 and in January 2005 made a trip to India to meet the family with my initial designs.

Once we had our samples, Millie made appointments with various boutiques, and we'd turn up with a suitcase full of our wares feeling like a pair of travelling salesmen.

Millie came across the Women of the Year Foundation website and spotted a grant for new businesses. We put together an application explaining what we were doing and how we'd use the money. We couldn't believe it when we were invited along for the Women of the Year lunch. We were awarded the £1,000 grant and it felt amazing. To know that this panel of successful businesswomen had faith in our idea was a great validation.

We went to the Top Drawer design show in London and secured 50 accounts, including some London boutiques and Le Bon Marché in Paris. We made the clients pay up front to cover our costs and we set up an office in my mum's house.

We were on a roll and applied for Fashion Capital awards – we were delighted when we won the Best New Designer Award and £5,000. We paid off our credit cards and have got to the stage where we have no debt.

We've taken on producers in Bali and Portugal and we've finally moved the office out of my mum's house. It's so much fun working with my sister and finally realising my creative dreams.”

Best move: Applying for London Fashion Week.
Worst mistake: We paid an agent in New York £300 per month to promote us there but nothing happened.
Top tip: Get your stock into a respected store like Fenwick, because other stores look to them for ideas.
Find out more: Call 01179-248633; www.angeljackson.co.uk

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