The tools of the trade
APPRENTICE WINNER AND FASHION ENTREPRENEUR SIAN GABBIDON ON HOW TO BUILD UP YOUR BUSINESS
CLOTHING designer and entrepreneur Sian Gabbidon launched her swimwear and fashion brand Sian Marie in 2016 – and got a big business boost when she won the hit TV reality show The Apprentice two years later. The 28-year-old entered into a business partnership with Lord Alan Sugar, who invested £250,000 in her company.
Here, in the second part of our business masterclass, Sian shares some more of her inside tips for success – from being adaptable to changing situations to using smart business tools from the likes of payment specialist Square – and reveals her predictions for the future of fashion and retail.
What is your priority as a business owner?
Growing my business. And investing in marketing is certainly an important part of that – it’s where you see the most return if you get it right. The first few years for a business are about building an infrastructure, getting your foundations and then pushing. For us, we are definitely at the pushing stage.
How important is it to be adaptable?
You never know what’s going to happen. With the pandemic, for example you might be a store that has had to go online and change the way you take payments. And as an online retailer myself I know how important it is to get that right. There are so many elements in the customer journey from browsing to buying, and you can spend as much money on marketing as you want, but if you don’t have the systems in place to reliably take that payment at the end of it all, then it’s a wasted journey and the customer probably won’t come when you need it.
Have you ever made mistakes?
sets the most successful entrepreneurs apart is a drive to find the answers. I know a lot of people get to a hurdle and think: “I don’t know what the answer is. I’m just going to leave it here.” I would never do that – it’s not in my nature. I find an answer and find a way.
How important is it to invest in the right business tools?
Massively important. Some of the technology and business tools we have invested in have helped us save both time and money in the longer term. A lot of people don’t realise how important the right business tools – for example, those developed by Square – are going to be to the success of their business when they start out.
How have these tools helped your company to thrive?
of the things that we did pre-Covid – and will most likely start doing again soon – was getting our clothing out there in pop-up high street shops. And some of the tools that companies like Square provide – including portable card readers, and stock and sales information-collating systems – were a big help. You don’t realise how much some of these tools can help your business thrive until
change in the future?
More and more retail is moving online – and that’s a trend that has only accelerated during the pandemic. That said, there will always be people who want to try something on before they buy it, so there will be a continuing demand for offline shopping as well.
What are your predictions for fashion trends over the next couple of years?
Sustainability is going to be even more important, so we invest in quality to ensure that our products are going to stand the test of time. Virtual fashion fittings and sizing tools are also going to become increasingly a part of online shopping, allowing people to buy clothes they know will fit perfectly without trying them on.
Where do you see your business going?
Our aim is to grow in size, reach out to new areas of the UK and abroad, and grow our profits. We’ve got some exciting plans.
What’s the best advice you can give to those wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Ask yourself if you are sufficiently passionate about the business – and whether you’ll feel just as passionate if there are bumps in the road ahead. I hit hurdles all the time but I get over them. And I love being my own boss – just as much as I did when I started on my journey as a businesswoman.