‘We started our businesses with a tenner!’

Think you need lots of money to be an entrepreneur? Think again. These women launched with next to nothing – and look at them now!

Three readers who began their companies on a shoestring

Analisa Moore, 40, is the owner of Love letters by anal is a. She lives in London with her husband, Riccardo, 41, a designer, and their children, Scarlett, three, and baby Harrison.

‘Every evening, after tucking my children into bed, I sit down at my craft area in the living room, which used to be our dining table. There, surrounded by piles of papier-mậché and cutting mats, I create framed, personalised letters and words to send to customers around the world.

While it makes me happy knowing they’re going to be hung on nursery walls, or received as presents to be enjoyed for years to come, it’s a far cry from my old job working as a director in advertising sales. It was my career for 20 years, but when I had my second child, changes had to be made.

High childcare costs meant it didn’t make financial sense for me to go back to work, and the thought of juggling my job with two young children, plus a commute, felt overwhelming. So, in June 2016, I handed in my notice. Riccardo was supportive but, financially, it wasn’t an option for me not to work. I just needed a more flexible career.

I began to think about skills I could transform into a home-based business. I’ve always been crafty, making gifts for friends and the decorations for my wedding. It was my way of de-stressing and switching off from my corporate job.

I knew from Pinterest, Instagram and crafting blogs that there’s a big demand for handmade products. I could tap into that zeitgeist without having to spend a lot on start-up costs; I wasn’t prepared to gamble our savings or take out a bank loan. With no experience of running my own business, I didn’t want that pressure.

I decided I’d make framed, decorative words and letters, embellished with tiny paper flowers, as gifts. They weren’t expensive but were very marketable – after all, everyone has a name! I had some unused frames at home, so

I spent £6 ordering letters from ebay, made from papier-mậché and MDF wood, some paper flowers to decorate with, and glue. I got to work and, in June 2016, had made enough to open a shop on the online marketplace Etsy. It’s free to register, then they take a 3.5% commission from your sales. I also created a Facebook page to advertise and orders started to come in. It felt strange to be “in business” after such a small initial investment, but over the next six months, I had 250 orders for frames, which sell for around £20. My turnover is in the thousands and growing all the time.

The beauty of Etsy and social media is that you have instant access to an international market, and now I get at least one order a day from the US. I also sell my letters at craft fairs; organisers spot me on social media, and invite me to take a stand. I’m working harder than ever, but I feel so motivated. It’s like my third baby! The plan is to keep growing, then take on staff when my kids go to school and I can devote more time to the business.

I can’t believe how far I’ve come since spending £6 on some paper and glue. It’s proof you don’t need a lot of money if you have a good idea for a business.’ • etsy.com/uk/shop/lovelettersbyanalisa

‘I wasn’t prepared to gamble with our savings’

‘Bubbles have become big business!’

Paola Dyboski-bryant, 47, lives in Llanberis, North Wales, with her husband, Danny, 45, an English teacher, and their children, Gatto, 20, Branwen, 17, and Ziggy, eight.

‘Watching my youngest son giggling with happiness as he played in the garden with the giant bubbles we had just created for him, my heart filled with pride. Danny and I had spent the morning locked in our garden shed, fixing together a rudimentary wand using wood, rope and hooks, and mixing together a basic bubble mix made from water and detergent.

Our motivation had been to entertain our toddler Ziggy, but when I saw that the mixture and wand we’d made was so good, and made such huge bubbles, I wondered if other people would love it, too. So, in March 2011, I spent a few quid buying some one-litre recycled plastic bottles, and Danny and I made wands from wood and rope bought from our local hardware store. We mixed up more bubble mixture and took it all to the beach in the boot of our car. We sold all 20 of our £10 kits in less than an hour. I knew then we’d hit upon something that could translate into a business.

I’ve never been a 9-5 sort of person. I’ve worked in lighting in London’s

West End and also as a professional sailor delivering luxury yachts around the world. So, while Danny carried on teaching, I began selling the “bubble kits” at local markets and on ebay.

I worked while Ziggy napped. It wasn’t a smooth journey – there was a time the mixture just suddenly stopped making bubbles. It took me several weeks to discover the alkalinity of the water in our area had been changed, and that was playing havoc with the chemical balance of our mixture.

Most of the profits went straight back into the business, and, to this day, I’ve never taken a loan or needed an investor. I’ve had to comply with health and safety rules, and my products have to be independently tested to make sure they’re safe to be sold to the public.

THE CHEMISTRY WAS RIGHT

By last year, the business had outgrown our home, so I moved it to dedicated premises 10 minutes away, where we have an office, manufacturing space and a shop/cafe. I employ seven full-time staff, four part-time and in summer and at Christmas, I take on 30 extra workers.

I wish I’d paid attention in chemistry class at school, but I’ve filled the gaps in my knowledge by developing a close relationship with the chemistry department at the University of Bangor.

Now, as well as selling bubble kits to private customers via the website, ebay and Amazon, we also sell sensory kits for people on the autistic spectrum, and educational kits for schools. Kids learn about shapes, chemistry and physics while having fun with bubbles.

We sell around 30,000 products a year, from the Pocket Kit at £14.99 to the Super Dooper schools kit at £295. We’re set to turnover £500,000 this year.

Our bubbles have been used as therapy for dementia patients, and we have sent kits to kids around the world in refugee camps and war zones, just to make them smile and to allow them to be children. Alongside sales, the business also makes money through attending music festivals, civic events, and weddings. And all this came from less than the cost of a round of drinks – it’s surreal. I’m proud of our success but I’m just as satisfied feeling that I’m making the world a happier place, one giant bubble at a time!’ • drzigs.com

‘Kids learn about physics while having fun with bubbles’

‘I started with a market stall’

Vicky Stent, 35, makes canine treats. She lives near Bath, Somerset, with her fiancé, Ian, 40, who is a helicopter pilot.

‘Pop into my industrial kitchen and you’ll find me there, covered in flour, mixing and stirring ingredients as I devise new recipes. But I’m not baking biscuits and cakes for humans; my clients are the four-legged variety – dogs!

Growing up with parents who trained guide dogs, it was normal for me to come home from school to find six Labradors snoozing in front of the fire, so perhaps it’s not surprising I’ve ended up running a business making doggy treats!

It all began when I needed to make some extra money. I used to work on short-term conservation projects, but needed something to plug the gap in my income. I’ve always been happiest in my kitchen, so I began to think about what I could cook to sell. Looking around my local farmers’ market, there were so many traders selling cakes; it was a saturated market. Then it struck me: I could bake healthy treats for dogs. I felt sure there’d be a demand. It would be cheap to set up a market stall. The overheads would be low, as I’d make everything at home, which was essential as I had no capital to invest in my idea.

I swotted up on canine nutrition

– many dogs are allergic to wheat – before coming up with recipes for treats, including my “pupcakes” made from peanut butter and banana. My first batch of ingredients came to £10, and included meat, fruit and veg and gluten-free flour, as everything would be wheat-free. It took some trial and error in my kitchen. I learned that dried cranberries in biscuits come out of the oven looking like cremated flies, and gluten-free flour

burns quickly. I spent days and weeks mixing up concoctions, using my parents’ and friends’ dogs as tasters. Eventually, I created treats that tasted good and also looked fun by cutting them into bone, dog and chick shapes.

TAKING THE LEAD

In October 2012, I paid £15 for a market pitch – and sold everything in a matter of hours. Dog owners loved the fact my products were wheat-free. I realised I’d found a gap in a competitive industry.

I decided to sell online and taught myself how to build a website. I made the mistake of using a complicated web design package and struggled at times. But I was determined to master it so that I could update the site myself, rather than pay someone to do it. Over time, I honed my IT skills and launched in 2013. I also designed a logo and packaging.

I invested some of my profit into agricultural shows, food festivals and Christmas markets, where a pitch can cost up to £4,000 for a fortnight. About 90% of my sales are at big events. Plus, there are around 20 independent retailers who sell my treats, including pet shops and grooming parlours.

In August 2015, Ian and I moved to a house with an outbuilding, which I spent £3,500 converting into an industrial kitchen. I have to comply with DEFRA (Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs) regulations and pay around £600 a year to have my products tested. Aside from my parents, Derek, 82, and Norma, 72, helping with packaging and posting, I do everything myself, from the baking to social media. My turnover is now around £100,000 per year.

I’d love to see my products on supermarket shelves, but I don’t want to compromise on quality, so I’m happy keeping the business small. I’m just so proud to have made so many tails wag.’ • fourleggedfancies.co.uk