‘I spotted a niche’
Millie White, 27, lives in Sheffield with her partner Brent, 27, and their four-month-old daughter.
Slipping on my leopard-print socks, I picked up my leopard-print phone case and popped it in my leopard-print bag. Everyone knew I loved leopard print!
But my other passion was gifting, and whenever I bought a present, I couldn’t resist wrapping it in leopard-print paper.
I loved shopping with small businesses, and I’d spend hours prowling Instagram for the perfect present. Before long, friends and family dubbed me the ‘gifting queen’.
In 2019, I moved to Sheffield with Brent in the hope of buying a house, but property prices meant we had to rent.
I had a good job as a marketing project manager working on branding with a creative agency, but if we wanted to save for a house deposit on top of our overheads, we needed to earn more.
I started thinking about launching a side business, and came up with the idea of collating beautifully packaged gift boxes containing products from other small, independent businesses.
I used my marketing and branding skills to research the industry and recognised I wasn’t the only one who was obsessed with leopard print.
Combining my passions, The Little Leopard Co was born in June 2020. Sustainability was hugely important to me, so I sourced reusable, recyclable packaging, and created different boxes aimed at men, women and children.
PRETTY IN PRINT
Each one had a gentle nod to my love of leopard. From leopard-print bath bombs, to leopard-print biscuits, there was something for everyone.
I initially invested £1,500 in the company from savings, but within six months I made a profit.
In December 2021, Brent and I welcomed our baby daughter.
‘Our own little leopard cub,’ I smiled, knowing our extra income would help.
Recently our gas and electricity bills increased, but my side hustle has helped cover the costs, and we’re still able to save towards our first family home.
✣ See @thelittleleopardco or visit thelittleleopard.co
‘I’M THE GIFTING QUEEN’