Cash point: “My sewing business turns over 100k!”

Always a creative and keen sewer, former sales manager Heidi Lawton (right) has turned her passion into pounds

After making the stationery and embroidering monogrammed napkins for her own wedding in 2008, Heidi Lawton, 45, was inspired to transform her hobby into a business. She had always loved sewing and embroidery and had worked as a pattern cutter for Marks & Spencer, so started selling to family and friends on Facebook. “It was a hobby in my spare time, alongside my full-time job as a sales manager,” Heidi says. She already had a sewing and an embroidery machine, so she used any profit to buy materials.

Heidi gave birth to her first child in 2012, and at the end of her maternity leave, she worried about returning to a job that involved nights away. After careful consideration, she handed in her notice to focus on her businesses, which she called Extra Special Touch and The Embroidered Napkin Company.

“I could work when my little boy napped. My statutory maternity pay had been around £500 monthly, so I aimed for the same profit per month. My turnover increased from £5,000 to over £20,000 within the first year,” Heidi says. “The following year, I started working with freelancers, as I could no longer make everything myself.” Seven years on, her business has grown hugely – with an annual turnover of over £100,000. “I can’t believe it!” Heidi says. “I can now pay myself a good full-time wage.”

Heidi says making products has always been the easiest part. She says, “The biggest challenges were learning about the technical side of designing websites, how to take good photographs of products, how to promote myself on social media – and generally putting myself out there to sell and grow.”

Here, Heidi shares her top tips for starting your own business...

HER TIPS FOR SUCCESS PHOTOGRAPH WELL

“If your business is product-led, buy a good camera and go on a photography course. You could have the best product, but if the photos are bad, no one will buy. Using a professional increased my sales overnight.”

START OUT ON ETSY

“Setting up an Etsy shop is great for craft businesses – the costs are low and it’s easy.” Etsy charge 16p to publish a listing, then a 5 per cent transaction fee on the sale price, and 4 per cent plus 20p when it sells.

TEACH YOURSELF TECH!

Heidi launched her websites using Wordpress and spent every evening watching tutorial videos on YouTube to improve her skills.

NETWORK ONLINE

Spread the word via Facebook and Instagram and ask friends and family to recommend your business. “I also went on courses to learn about e-commerce and marketing,” she says. “Joining networking groups on Facebook was invaluable for me to connect with other businesses whenever I wasn’t able to attend events due to family commitments.”

USE LOCAL RESOURCES

“Look for social enterprise agencies in your area. They may offer free courses in marketing or web design and could suggest a coach to discuss your ideas and help you action them.”