Lavender and Bone brings 'quirky but quality' gift shop to New Brighton

“Exquisite oddities, divine ends, beautiful bits and precious pieces” – that’s what you’ll find at New Brighton’s family run gift shop, Lavender and Bone.

An art teacher for 20 years, Esther Brooke became increasingly frustrated with working in education and aspired for a new career path. Her husband had long worked for himself and the ‘be your own boss’ lifestyle greatly appealed to her.

However, Esther had little experience in entrepreneurship: “I had no idea where or how to start, I just had a concept of what I wanted to achieve”.

After a friend recommended contacting The Women’s Organisation, Esther began working with our Business Adviser, Claire Pedersen, who helped her to refine what was just an idea and begin to turn it into a reality: “Being answerable to Claire encouraged me to get tasks – that I would have happily avoided – done. I learnt very quickly that there’s so much more to ‘selling lovely things in a lovely shop’.”

From here, Lavender and Bone was born. Based in the coastal town New Brighton, an area which has experienced drastic development in recent years, Lavender and Bone designs, creates and sources quality, quirky and fun items that make up its ‘gift emporium’.

Conveniently located opposite New Brighton station, Lavender and Bone is the perfect one-stop shop for the more delicate things in life; jewellery, blankets, crochet, ceramics, soaps, prints and more.

Just seven months into trading, Esther was diagnosed with Young Onset of Parkinson’s Disease. In such a challenging time “Having a tight support network of family and friends was essential in enabling the business to continue”. Her son took the lead in many aspects of the business which is a huge achievement and very rewarding as he lives with mild Asperger’s himself.

Having just celebrated the first birthday at Lavender and Bone they have already been planning for the future, they have set up an ecommerce and have imminent plans for expansion. It hasn’t been an easy ride and the first year included “sweat, tears and expletives but most of all there’s been fun".

Being her own boss is something Esther is valuing the most from being self-employed and calls herself “the best boss I’ve ever had.”

The local community has welcomed Lavender and Bone with open arms supporting what Esther is trying to achieve. Furthermore, the customers see the passion Esther has for the products she stocks, the attention to the detail and the mission behind the brand: “We won’t stock anything we don’t adore; that we wouldn’t wear or have in our own home. This makes us passionate and protective over our products and suppliers.”

Esther’s vision is what drove her to create Lavender and Bone and never give up, even when the challenge seemed daunting. When we asked Esther for a piece of advice for anyone else wanting to set up a business, she said: “Stay true to your vision/concept, there’s a reason why you did it.”

To find out more about Lavender and Bone head over to the website

If you’re thinking about starting a business, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to find out how we can support you.

‘Concept Corner’ Creates a Home for Wirral’s Artists and Artisans

Shopping local this Christmas has never been easier. Found in New Brighton, Concept Corner is home to a number of local independent businesses led by artists and artisans. Under this roof, you’ll discover an eclectic mix of luxury homemade jams and fudges to bespoke real wood plaques and vegan candles.

Hayley Matthews is the mastermind behind this new unique concept of high street store. After a lengthy career in the police force, Hayley was faced with redundancy and took the opportunity for a new beginning: “I was a police officer for 26 years and the job started to take its toll. I have children at home and I decided that the lifestyle that comes with being a police officer wasn’t for me anymore.”

After speaking to local creatives across Wirral, Hayley decided that area needed a space for makers to showcase their work. She dreamed of creating a supportive environment for quality local independent artists and artisans to trade and grow together under one roof in the heart of New Brighton.

With 25 years in the public service, Hayley didn’t know the first thing about starting a business: “as a police officer, I may be able to oversee football fans up and down the country, but writing a business plan felt like a whole different game – I didn’t know where to start!” 

Hayley sought business advice from The Women’s Organisation where she was supported under Enterprise Hub business start-up programme to begin working with Senior Business Adviser, Claire Pedersen. Claire helped Hayley create a business plan and apply for funding which would allow her to purchase a building in New Brighton to home Concept Corner – a big ask for a newly established business.

On supporting the campaign to ‘shop local’, Hayley said: “We have tried to create a welcoming space where there is something for everyone.  I think people are slowly going back to shopping local and appreciating the time and care independent artists put into their designs.”

Concept Corner currently has over 20 independent businesses working out of the space and has now expanded to deliver workshops. The shop boasts a busy diary offering everything from How to Boost Your Teenagers Confidence, Enhance your photography skills, Basic Sewing, Crochet and various upholstery Courses through to a yoga class for beginners and even business and marketing concepts.

Hayley is a Wirral-proud woman with a vested interest in supporting the local economy of New Brighton, Wirral’s seaside resort which has undergone a £60 million redevelopment scheme in more recent times. Hayley said: “I’m really proud to be based in New Brighton. It’s very cosmopolitan – you can feel the buzz in the area and the footfall coming through. When you shop at Concept Corner, it goes straight back into the local economy and that’s important for me.” 

Recognising the difficulties older people face in getting out to complete their Christmas shopping, Concept Corner now takes its art to the community running craft fairs and coffee mornings across Wirral making sure art is accessible for everyone.

And to mark a year of success, Hayley was awarded ‘Retail Business of the Year’ at The Women’s Organisation’s awards, Celebrating Enterprising Women. Nearly a year into her new business, Hayley said: “I love the building, the concept of the shop and meeting new people every day. I really believe in what I’m trying to do. I feel so proud coming to work every day. The shop is exactly how I envisioned it when I met with my business adviser all those months ago.”

To find out more about Concept Corner, head to the website or Facebook page.

If you’re thinking about starting a business, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to find out how we can support you.

A New Digital Age for Lynne with Stripe Virtual Services

With an extensive professional portfolio, Lynne wanted to go it alone and become her own boss stating the work-life balance as her key motivator: “I wanted to set up my own business for a long time, especially after we had our children. I wanted to try and achieve the work-life balance for my family.”

Having worked within the digital sector for practically her whole career, taking the leap into self-employment was a big decision for Lynne with ‘self-doubts and insecurities’ as her biggest barrier. She began carrying out research on existing businesses to explore gaps in the market, as well as speaking with friends who already had their own businesses to really decide whether self-employment was for her.

Lynne said: “I then discovered The Women’s Organisation and I can honestly say that I haven’t looked back since! There’s a huge amount of value to be had in the training and business support that they provide, as well as the camaraderie you experience at each of their events.”

Working alongside a business adviser and attending The Women’s Organisation events, Lynne valued meeting like-minded women who shared the same issues and concerns as her, and this sense of solidarity ‘empowered’ Lynne to push on with her business. Once Lynne secured her first few clients, she began to believe in her ability to make a success of the business.

 Stripe Virtual Services now provides services that mirror the expertise Lynne has developed over the years in her various roles. Offering everything from digital consultancy, design, project management and business admin services, Lynne is able to support her main target audience of small businesses and entrepreneurs in streamlining their services.

And what makes Stripe Virtual Services different? Lynne prides her business on providing fast-paced services within a relaxed and calm environment. She said: “There’s none of the corporate stuffiness you can experience with larger firms. Several of my clients are local and my meetings can generally take place in coffee shops or at kitchen tables – I even had a meeting whilst walking around the Marine Lake recently.”

For Lynne, the best thing about being a businessowner is working from home over in West Kirby and the invaluable additional time she can spend with her children. As a mum of two, eliminating the work commute means that Lynne can do the school run and carry out various household tasks throughout the day without causing disruption to her business.

As business picks up pace, Lynne is feeling proud of what she’s achieved and is beginning to look towards plans for the future, which include building up a small team to develop the services offered by Virtual Stripe Services.

More recently, Lynne co-founded the West Kirkby Business Network in April of this year in order to connect with more local businesses and begin building an integrated community of entrepreneurs who can support one another. This network is now home to over 200 members and reflects the growing appetite for entrepreneurship across Wirral. Lynne said: “it’s helped me to see just how many others are making a success of their professional lives outside of the usual 9-5 roles.”

Reflecting on her lessons learnt, Lynne says: “if you’re having a bad day try not to lose sight of what you’re trying to achieve – tomorrow will almost certainly be a better day. Be sure to surround yourself with likeminded people – it’s truly amazing how some else’s drive and enthusiasm can rub off on you”.

If you’re looking to start a business, Lynne’s word of advice is: “do your research and do it well. Speak to trusted contacts and ask for their feedback. Once you’ve got it reasonably straight in your head, contact The Women’s Organisation who can help you improve your confidence to take that first big step.”

Anyone who’d like to find out more about how Stripe Virtual Services can help you build your web presence, brand recognition or manage projects or business admin, contact her on 0151 808 1145 or hello@stripe-vs.com. You can also connect with Lynne on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or head to the website!

University Graduate Ellie Ruddy Turned Her Hobby Into A Business Success!

Graduating university and entering the job market can be an incredibly scary process! 

With increased intensity on finding the perfect job and making a good wage, long and complex interview processes and just trying to stay afloat, it isn’t easy for graduates leaving university to figure out what they want to do and the best way to do it.

That is possibly why the number of recent graduates choosing to start their own businesses, rather than become employees, has nearly doubled over the past 12 months, according to new research conducted by PeoplePerHour

Speaking to 670,000 freelancers and small business owners, they found the number of graduates registering as businesses within a year of finishing university had risen by 97% with a 94% increase on recent female graduates.

And 23-year-old, Ellie Ruddy is just one of those graduates who is taking the leap, jumping from university life to that of a business owner!

Wirral based Ellie started her business; The Mixing Bowl just a few months ago after graduating from University, where she studied Food and Consumer Studies, in June 2016.

Ellie told us; ‘The Mixing Bowl provides celebration cakes for all occasions! But we specialise in buttercream cakes, brownies and dessert platters, using only the best quality ingredients.’

After graduating from University and beginning to look at graduate jobs Ellie soon realised that she didn’t want to go down the traditional graduate path; ‘I decided whilst I was still young that I was going to pursue my passion for baking and turn my hobby into a career.’

Baking was a hobby that Ellie had done for years, baking with her grandmother when she was little and continuing to bake throughout secondary schools where she revealed her entrepreneurial talents early, selling cupcakes to teachers and providing her school with raffle prizes!

She continued down the path of everything food related and went on to undertake her degree in Food and Consumer Studies at University continuing to expand her wealth of knowledge and her passion for food, baking and cookery.

After graduating and once she had decided that she would like to set up her own business, Ellie’s next step was to get in touch with The Women’s Organisation, and it was in fact her own Mum that told her all about the support we offer!

‘My Mum actually runs her own business and had worked with The Women’s Organisation herself, so she put me in contact with them and I went for an initial meeting with Senior Business Adviser; Claire Pedersen. We then had weekly meetings and I attended all of the courses such as Planning for Success, Basic Bookkeeping, Understanding Tax and National Insurance and Building a Social Media Strategy.’

‘Although nervous I was very excited to get up and running!’

Ellie admits that it wasn’t all easy going and the main barrier that she faced was the daunting prospect of starting a business straight after leaving university, and not having any prior knowledge of business processes or skills.

‘But weekly meetings with Claire, access to all courses as well as templates and documents that are needed for running your own business, was so helpful! Without The Women’s Organisation, I don’t think my idea would have been anymore than just that!’

And how is The Mixing Bowl doing now? Ellie says that business is going well!

‘I’ve just finished a busy summer season of events and food festivals, so now I’m turning my attention towards my Christmas range alongside completing cake orders and attending my regular farmers markets!’

Ellie took a massive leap of faith, and bucked the trend of finding a job, instead choosing to start her own business! And she’s enjoying every single part of it but says; ‘The best thing about running my own business is being a part of people’s special occasions and receiving great feedback afterwards – That always puts a smile on my face!’

‘I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved over the last 12 months! Being a young business owner has been nerve wracking, but many other business owners that I have met along the way have been supportive and given me advice about moving forward.’

And what are Ellie’s hopes and plans for the future of The Mixing Bowl?

‘I’m excited to continue to grow my business and explore the different directions I can take it in. A shop is definitely my next goal!’

We’ll watch this space Ellie!

If you’d like to find out more about The Mixing Bowl, you can do so using the contact details below.

Email - hello@mixingbowlbakery.co.uk

Phone Number - 07805 804342
Facebook

And if you’d like support starting your own business, like Ellie then get in touch with us today! Email hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111

Wanting a Plan for Retirement Irene Wales is Now ‘Cruising Through Mindfulness’ with her New Business

Irene Wales

Wirral’s Irene Wales spent 15 years building her education and confidence to run her own business.  Now Irene has realised her dream, putting her passion and experience into setting up ‘Wirral & Cheshire Therapy & Assessment”.

Irene had always worked, but she wanted to build a career for herself that she could carry on into retirement and wanted that business to be something that she truly loved. As an Approved Mental Health Practitioner and a Best Interests Assessor Irene said “My job was difficult, some elements of it were related to my training, but it became increasingly legalistic rather than therapeutic.  I wanted to do something using the therapy skills I’ve developed over the years and I just wasn’t getting the opportunity within my job. I’d done all this training, so the point came where I knew – right it’s time to start having clients.”

In her own times of difficulty or stress Irene had looked at the variety of therapies on offer and begun to practice mindfulness herself.  Learning what was out there to help people Irene said she realised that “It works!” and therefore focussing on therapeutic education seemed natural to her.

“I’ve always had a love for this sort of thing and done a lot of training over the last 15 years.  I’ve had my canal boat for about 9 years and I always thought it would be nice to do therapy sessions on there.  Being on a canal boat has a  natural relaxing effect anyway so it seemed to make sense to me.”

Irene's boat Cruising Through Mindfulness

Irene had studied Social Work to Masters Level at University of Liverpool before receiving training to become an Approved Mental Health Practitioner at Manchester University and Best Interests Assessor training at Chester University, Irene has been studying therapies such as EFT, Person Centred Counselling, NLP, Solution Focused Therapy, Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy since 2000. Having the knowledge of her field, the passion and the tools to start building a business Irene realised that she needed a helping hand to take what she had and turn it into a business.  She told us:

 “I didn’t have a clue what to do.  I knew I needed advice, and after a bit of searching I found The Women’s Organisation and from there I never looked back.”

“My previous work experience was all service related, not at all related to core skills needed to run a business.    Coming to The Women’s Organisation I expected that I would be the only person there as clueless as I was.  But on the courses I found I met different people from all different backgrounds who had all this great energy, but were just as clueless as me.”

Through the RBS Inspiring Women in Enterprise programme Irene was given a full package of support by The Women’s Organisation’s POWER Programme including being linked with a business adviser to guide her through the business planning process, training on understanding tax and book keeping, practical social media training to help her to set up accounts on facebook, twitter, linkedin, mailchimp, blogger and hootsuite to promote the business as well as use of a virtual office address at 54 St James Street in Liverpool City Centre.

Irene said of The Women’s Organisation:

“I loved it! Every one of the team had such great skill and patience.  The information given on the courses was excellent  and the presenters were highly skilled and experienced.  I was impressed that they were able to meet the needs of so many people with such diverse backgrounds and business ideas.  The level of service and ability of the team at  WO is of a really high standard.  My fears were all dealt with one by one in a practical and patient manner whether this was on a one-to-one basis or in a group. Whenever I had questions there was someone who could answer me or help me to find the answer, or the right person, to signpost me towards support. Now I know I’ve got the basics covered, so I’m not worrying so much, I’m really glad I didn’t try to do it without their help. I feel much more confident about what I am doing having received their support.”

Now up and running ‘Wirral & Cheshire Therapy & Assessment’ offer a variety of health and well-being services including hypnotherapy, EFT, NLP, mindfulness, psychotherapy, independent and best interests assessment. Irene and team offer these services to individuals and couples from their Liverpool offices at 54 St James Street in the Baltic Triangle, to Wirral residents within their homes and to individuals, couples and small groups through their ‘Cruising Through Mindfulness’ boat trips in Cheshire.

Following their overwhelming support, Irene has made her business a real family affair. “My husband is truly ‘on board’ with the business as he steers the boat” Irene smiled “and my sister helps with therapy, which is great because she’s also a therapist and loves her work as much as I do.”

Looking back Irene reflects on what her younger self would have thought about her going into business in her 50’s saying “Growing up I never thought I would be a business woman. I never had any plans to be really.  I just found I was naturally drawn to therapies, and from there I carried on learning and this has been the natural next step. People don’t usually go into business at my age. But now I never have to retire. I think having worked in the industry I have for so long I’m conscious that I want to keep my mind active for as long as I can, and if I can do that by doing something I love then I will always want to do it.”

Transitioning from full time employment to self-employment has been a real change for Irene with some unexpected challenges.  “I’ve always had a job so I’d done years of free sessions for people, so taking money from people now has taken a bit of getting used to, but I’ve surprised myself.  I’m more confident now.  My family and friends have been a great support and encouragement telling me  “you have the skills and the opportunity, it’s time to do it”.  It’s great to have them be enthusiastic about it. It just feels right.”

Wirral & Cheshire Therapy & Assessment’s ‘Cruising Through Mindfulness’ boat trips are proving a real hit with small groups.  Irene told us about the boat and why it is leaving their clients feeling very satisfied:

“It’s a wheelchair accessible narrowboat, we provide refreshments throughout the day with a lovely lunch. People can have a go at steering the boat, and at the end of the day they leave having learnt mindfulness tools they can use every day.  They will have met other people, had fun and developed real skills to manage stress.”

Keen to continue building her business Irene is full of positivity and excitement for what the future holds. “The best thing about starting my own business is that I’m able to use the skills I’ve had and I am now doing what I love.”

To find out more about Wirral & Cheshire Therapy & Assessment and their ‘Cruising Through Mindfulness’ group work contact Irene Wales via Irene@wirralandcheshiretherapy.com

If like Irene you would like to put your education and experience into setting up your own business then get in touch with The Women’s Organisation to find out what support is available to help local women.  Whether looking for guidance on how to build a business plan, understand tax, national insurance and other legalities or gather practical tips on how to use social media to market your small business, contact 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to find out more.

Self-employment Is The ‘Perfect Fit’ For Milliner Sue Wood

It's a very exciting time for passionate milliner Sue Wood after being selected as a ‘Making Headway’ Designer for Stockport Hatworks Museum, funded and supported by Mary Portas and The Arts Council.

Photo: Jessica Lang Photography

The exhibition showcases the work of 13 up and coming milliners and will follow her through her 2014 spring/summer collection and into the 2014/15 autumn/winter collection, culminating in a selling exhibition at the Hatworks which commences May 2014.

‘My style is vintage inspired with a contemporary edge and my work is handcrafted using traditional methods and, where possible, up cycled materials. My choice of materials and textures reflects the contemporary relevance of vintage, whether that’s a good material or a good idea, fusing vintage style with contemporary design.’

Gold Silk Turban on a Fine White Straw Peaked Hat 

Centrepiece Gold Medallion in Pleated Silk 

Sue’s reason for setting up in business was simple; she fell in love with millinery. She told The Women’s Organisation: ‘I have a smaller than average head and struggled to find a hat to fit me for my daughter’s wedding. I have always been creative and began to experiment to improve the fit. I enrolled on a millinery course with Rose Cory (the late Queen Mothers Milliner) and after 3 days I was hooked. I then followed on with a 10 week course at Liverpool Community College before embarking on HNC course at Leeds College of Art, Graduating in 2013 with Distinction and Higher Distinctions.’

The hat lover told us how starting up Sue Wood Millinery was a straight forward process with the support of The Women’s Organisation. ‘I enrolled on several day courses surrounding
business start-up. I found that the session on how to do a Business Plan was particularly helpful, as well as social media training and Tax and NI.’

Silver Cap with Beautiful Veiling
  Silver Textured Fabric Scarf Detail
     

Commenting on the Accelerating Women's Enterprise programme, part funded by European Regional Development Fund, Sue said: ‘Having a personal advisor was very useful, he directed me towards courses which were appropriate for  me to attend, forthcoming events, as well as being available to answer any queries as they arose. I also took advantage of the option to meet with my personal advisor locally, with the majority of my meetings being held in Heswall Library, which meant I could slip out of the studio for a quick meeting rather than taking an afternoon off to go to Liverpool.'

Sue enjoys ongoing support in the form of The Women’s Organisation’s Business Club and has attended numerous women only networking events. ‘Being in the company of so many local entrepreneurial women in a beautiful building (54 St James Street) that creates an inspiring environment to work in and visit is amazing. Having the support and encouragement of the knowledgeable team at The Women’s Organisation is very reassuring. As a result I’m feeling more confident and better equipped to tackle the challengers that lay ahead.’

Beautiful Hand Crafted Vintage Rose

The most important thing for the Wirral resident is to design and make hats. She put a lot of thought into her business structure and decided that a premises would restrict her creatively, choosing instead to find shops that would be happy to stock her hats. Fenwick’s of York and Beau Hats in Oxton Village, Wirral, are amongst her current stockists, with plenty more boutiques and hat shops showing an interest.

Sue is also delighted to have been asked to work for the highly anticipated Lion King tour in Liverpool Empire, where she will be looking after the hats, doing repairs and general maintenance. This has sparked up her passion of working for films and theatre productions, as it’s a field she is most interested in.

‘I love the power of the hat. A hat can to instantly depict a mood, occasion or an era in the most dramatic and expressive way.’

White Straw Cloche with Satan Cord and Gold Beads
Adorned with Hand Crafted Silver Rosette

For Sue, nothing is more rewarding than designing and interpreting client’s ideas to produce something stunning. She also enjoys being in control of her own future, which is something self-employment certainly offers.

‘I am incredibly proud of what I have achieved so far, I feel empowered and very excited about the future and where this journey will take me.’

Whether you have a design in mind or you’re looking for ideas and inspiration, Sue is more than happy to talk. For a free consultation, contact her directly on  07801 970 195 / hello@suewoodmillinery.co.uk or visit http://www.suewoodmillinery.co.uk

And if you would like to express yourself further through a hobby by turning it into a business, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 / hello@thewo.org.uk or visit www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk

Portrait photo by Jessica Lang Photography

By Beckie Kinsella

Mother of 4 Rachel Williams Brings Imagination To Life With Rachie B

Rachel William’s business journey started with a moment of creativity when her 6 year old daughter wanted a garden in her bedroom. Eager to give her little girl the room she dreamed of, the mother of 4 began doing some research. Unfortunately the only desirable designs where in America and the prices were very high. This was when the Wirral resident decided to take things into her own hands and start-up Rachie B.

Photo: Jessica Lang Photography

Rachie B creates bespoke children’s themes on wallpapers, doors, tables, safety flooring, glass and window vinyls. The designs can be used for bedrooms, play areas, changing facilities, hospitals, schools, nurseries and libraries.

‘I design on nearly every surface and can create a world for children where their imagination can run wild. Just imagine being a child and walking into a nursery or their own bedroom with their name and designs coming to life. Whatever their passion is I can create it. I have children of all ages and being a mother, I know how children’s minds work but also how a parent feels about designing something that is going to be used in their home or business.’

Although very passionate about her new business venture, Rachel felt she lacked confidence at first. She told us: ‘Staying at home looking after children is another world to going into business. I had to learn to speak my mind, recognise difficult situations and deal with them effectively.’

With the support of The Women’s Organisation’s business start-up programme, Rachel’s confidence quickly grew. ‘My adviser saw a lot of me. She was amazing and helped me go through my figures which was a huge stumbling block to me, as I found it difficult to put a price to myself and then to get the best price for the best quality of products.’

‘I went on the free Business Planning and Building a Social Media Strategy workshops that The Women’s Organisation offered which were a really big help, it gave me the confidence boost I needed.’

Now her business is up and running and quickly growing in popularity, Rachel praises the perks of self-employment. ‘I struggled at first but to be honest I started Rachie B for me. To create something that was mine. I eat and breathe Rachie B and I have an adrenaline rush working for something that is mine. It gives me flexibility and allows me to work it alongside my family.’

With her new found confidence, the mother of 4 is more than willing to share her experience with others considering starting up. Her main point would be that marketing is key. ‘I didn’t realise how important the right wording on your website would be to bring you up the SEO rankings on Google. Find your customers, find your niche and market it to the people you think need your services. Gain as much knowledge as you can and know your competitors.’ She continued: ‘Don’t undervalue yourself, don’t price yourself too low.’

Rachel is eager to share her designs with people across the UK and move towards creating personalised designs for schools, hospitals and commercial nurseries.

‘I want children, parents and the general public to walk into a room or business I have designed and feel transported into another place. I dream of children being able to have a slice of their childhood where their own dreams come to life. I want to be able to give the best service to each and every customer no matter how big or how small.’

Let your imagination run wild with Rachie B’s designs by visiting www.rachieb.co.uk or contact Rachel on Rachel@Rachieb.co.uk / 07881 741 254 / 0151 909 2560

And if you would like to follow in Rachel’s footsteps and go ahead with that business idea you’ve been dreaming about or are in need of a confidence boost, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 / hello@thewo.org.uk / www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk


Portrait Photo by Jessica Lang Photography

By Beckie Kinsella

Wirral Mother of 2 Turns Redundancy into Opportunity

‘After being made redundant it became very apparent that getting back into my chosen career was very difficult, therefore I took a part time job that would help support my family’ described Helen Powell, mother of 2 young children, on her experience of redundancy and battling to break back into her chosen field.

Helen had worked for various photographic companies and suppliers, including 6 years as a photographer with Cheshire Constabulary based within the Forensic Investigation Department, which she really enjoyed. Unfortunately, after being made redundant, the Wirral woman was forced to take a part time job as a toll officer in order to help support her 2 young children, both of whom are under 5.

Being a very experienced photographer, Helen began to notice a gap in the newborn photography market. She recognised that the style used in the USA and other parts of Britain was lacking in the North West. She told us: ‘Before I was made redundant I began exploring this area and started to build a portfolio of work and self-funded myself on a Newborn Safety & Posing Workshop.’

So after her husband, who had also been made redundant, had opened up his own successful graphic design business with family, Helen began moving forward with her own idea.

The biggest barrier for the mother of 2 was her confidence and self-belief in her abilities. The prospect of becoming her own boss was very daunting, especially the idea of being completely responsible for every aspect of the business. However, with the help of The Women’s Organisation, who was suggested to her by a friend, Helen talks about how it helped her to 'get her act together' and ‘focus on exactly what it takes to build and create a business.’

She explained: ‘The Women's Org have been amazing! From the one to one business advisor meetings…to the courses run…all the help and advice has been invaluable. I have attended the business start-up course and book keeping…the social media course [and the] HMRC & Tax course. All were really well presented and delivered in a very user friendly way, no jargon, no complicated ideas, just clear and easy to understand.’

Although she struggled with her confidence earlier on, Helen is now in a position where she is proud to say that: ‘I am what makes my business unique. There are other baby and newborn photographers out there, but not many with the creative expertise and background as I have… [And] the highest level of security checks. In the North West, particularly Merseyside, there are not many who specialise in Maternity & Newborn… Therefore being a master of this trade rather than a jack of all trades.’

Helen’s business, Topetones, specialises in Maternity & Newborn photography, but she also does a lot of family photography. Now in a new studio, located close to beautiful parks and the beach, Topetones is starting outdoor lifestyle shoots and ‘Family in a Box’ shoots. 

Despite having to find the time to run a household, look after 2 young children and work 20 hours a week, the Wirral woman is looking forward to growing her business steadily. She hopes to eventually go full time with her business, to focus entirely on what she is truly passionate about.

With an article featured in ‘Mummy & Me’ magazine and a newly acquired Jacqueline Gold twitter WOW award, Helen is excited about the future of Topetones as she makes her dream, reality.

If you are interested in booking a newborn or maternity shoot, or would just like to find out more, visit www.topetones.com or contact Helen directly at mail@topetones.com.  You can also follow Topetones on Twitter: @topetones and Facebook www.facebook.com/topetonesphotography 

And if like Helen you would like to improve your situation or turn something you love doing into a business, feel free to contact The Women’s Organisation today on 0151 706 8111 or info@thewo.org.uk

By Beckie Kinsella