We’ve made a business out of R&R!

We all need time out from our day-to-day lives to relax and recharge our batteries. These women have built enterprises to help others do just that

Three women reveal the secrets behind their successful relaxation enterprises

‘There’s nothing better than unwinding over a cuppa’

Katherine Swift, 45, is the founder of OMGTEAS. She lives in Brighton with her husband Jason, 46, a cricket coach, and their two sons, Tom, 11, and Jojo, eight.

‘When my mum Elizabeth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, aged 66, I was devastated. As she faced surgery and chemotherapy to save her life,

I felt so helpless. I had no idea then that her illness would provide the inspiration for my business.

I was working in sports event management as well as running charity appeals, and it was through this work that I met health experts and learned about an antioxidant found in green tea believed to be effective at fighting cancer. I did some research and found Japanese matcha tea has

137 times more of this antioxidant than ordinary green tea, because of how it’s cultivated and processed.

Here, I thought, was something I could do to help Mum. I ordered some tea direct from Japan and we both began drinking it. We quickly felt its benefits – I had more energy and wasn’t picking up bugs from my children. Mum agreed she felt much stronger, too.

I’d never thought of setting up my own company, but this seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up. We’re a nation of tea-drinkers, and it would tap into the wellness trend, encouraging people to sit down with a healthy brew!

After much brainstorming with family and friends, the company’s name was born because matcha really does give you an “OMG” feeling!

FIRST ORDERS

It was daunting starting out, but thanks to the internet, I was able to contact Japanese matcha producers and order samples to try. With Jason’s support, I invested around £20,000 of my savings into having a website, logo and branding designed, and placing my first bulk order of tea that would be packaged in Japan and shipped to me. I remember the day my first order arrived. I felt proud of what I’d achieved, but I also knew there was a lot of hard work ahead.

The business launched in 2014. At first, I ran things from home, including storing the boxes of tea, posting them to customers, as well as shipping them to stockists, including Amazon and Planet Organic. Juggling it with family life was busy; I was often up late packaging orders, with Jason helping. Then, a year after I launched, I was selected to join

‘The buzz I feel from selling a product I really believe in never leaves me’

a business programme called Entrepreneurial Spark that offers fledgling business owners free guidance and one-to-one mentoring, along with office space for two years. I had help with everything from expanding the business to investment and accountancy advice. It was invaluable.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Last year, with help from an organic supplement manufacturer, I developed my own matcha supplement which is made in a UK factory and I now sell it alongside the loose tea. A tin of 30 servings of AAA grade – the best you can get in the UK – tea costs £21.95 and 60 capsules of the supplement is £18.95. Around two-thirds of my customers are female, aged from 20 to 80. I have two part-time employees who help me run the business and several interns who deal with social media and customer research. Our turnover is now around £150,000 a year, and we recently moved to a leased office, as my time with Entrepreneurial Spark had come to an end.

The buzz I feel at not only running my own company, but also selling a product I really believe in, never leaves me. Seven years on from her diagnosis, my mum is in good health. We still unwind with a cup of matcha every day. Neither of us can believe my business was borne out of such a difficult time, but it’s been a positive legacy.’