Meet the Customers: Events Couture

by: Hannah

September 3rd, 2010

Events Couture help put together events of all sizes, styles and budgets

Events Couture is a company that’s actually more of a community. After becoming a mum, Clare Harrison found herself in great demand from her friends and family for her catering skills and amazing parties.

Events Couture was formed to organise parties and events of all sizes, styles and budgets using Clare’s own skills and talents as well as those of her close network of partners and contacts.

Clare considers the experience to be more like working with friends than companies, and it just goes to show that the personal touch she gives to every event is apparent in everything she does.

From small suppers to big weddings, Events Couture always aim to give you the perfect party, whatever your budget, give them a call on 01449 7253104, or 07540 185309 or visit the website at www.eventscouture.co.uk

What does your company do?
Our company caters for everything from relaxed suppers up to weddings, corporate events and everything in between. And now with the launch of our couture cookery school we’re also helping our customers to make their favourite restaurant meals at home any night of the week.

What makes your business different?
At Events Couture, we have the skills to make sure that whatever your budget there’s no need to compromise on the quality of your event.

What inspired you to start this business?
Our customers! Before having my children I had worked in the hospitality trade, and while they were young I carried on catering and planning parties and events for friends and family. Once the children started school, other people started asking if I would do their parties for them, I decided now was the time to set up on my own.

Do you have any staff or partners in your business?
The best thing about setting up the business has been getting to work every day with the friends I’ve made over the years, having people that you can trust and rely on has really made a difference.

Visit the website to start planning your perfect event

Where do you see your business in 3 years?
Hopefully still doing what we love to do!

What characteristics do you have that will help you make your business a success?

Passion for what we do and a determination to keep doing it.

What are you most keen to learn that will help you grow your business?

I think that constantly researching different cultures and cusines as well as focusing on new trends will help to keep our business fresh.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your company?
I think the same things most new businesses face really, just getting our name out there and letting people know what were about.

Is being a business owner how you expected it to be, or have you had any surprises along the way?
It’s been surprising how helpful the other companies that we work with have been, their going out of their way to give us their time and help has been really beneficial, especially in the very beginning. It’s great to be part of such a close community of businesses – and friends!

What is your main goal for your company?
To maintain the same personal quality and service as the business grows.

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Meet the Customers – Studio 69

by: Hannah

August 20th, 2010

Khary Cave at Studio 69

After training as a geologist, and 7 years working as an environmental consultant, Khary Cave saw friends around him taking the plunge and starting their own companies, and felt the drive to go into business for himself.

However, it was after a long stint working in France that gave him the inspiration to dramatically change his career. After visiting his friend (and future business partner) David’s studio in Paris, Khary knew he’d found the business for him – a tattoo and piercing studio.

At Studio 69, Khary aims to bring a personal and distinctive touch to the industry. They provide high quality tattoos and piercings in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere so that each and every customer feels comfortable.

Even after some unexpected setbacks – like a car crashing through the studio window – Khary’s calm composure and meticulous planning mean that he is ready for anything – even for the uncertainties of being a small business owner.

Khary Cave runs Studio 69, a tattoo and piercing studio in Walthamstow in London, you can get in touch on 0208 531 4947 or through their website www.studio69tattoo-piercing.co.uk

What does your company do?
We are a tattoo and body piercing studio and we also sell a range of body jewellery.

What makes your business different?
We are a fairly small and recently opened studio. The atmosphere in the studio is very friendly and relaxed and we always make the effort to remember every customer’s name. We’ve managed to keep our prices very low without compromising on the quality of the service offered. Our tattoo artists have distinct but complementary styles, so you can always get the perfect tattoo at Studio 69.

What inspired you to start this business?
I’ve wanted to start my own business for quite a long time, probably because so many friends around me are successful entrepreneurs. After seeing the success and professionalism of my business partner’s studio in France, I knew this was the business for me.

Have you previously run any other businesses? Could you tell us a little bit about them?
No, this is my first business venture. I am actually a trained geologist and worked as an environmental consultant in the north west for 7 years before opening Studio 69.

Studio 69's tattoo artists are highly skilled

How are you funding your business?
We managed to secure a business loan for 50% of our start-up costs.

Do you have any staff or partners in your business?
My business partner David is a piercer with 15 years’ experience and two successful, established studios called 2GY in Paris. We also employ two tattoo artists, Tommy and Desmond, and a piercer called Ruth. We all get along brilliantly, I feel very lucky that we’ve managed to assemble such a great team.

Where do you see your business in 3 years?
I would love to expand the range of products and services we offer, and would definitely not rule out having a second studio opening within 3 years.

What characteristics do you have that will help you make your business a success?
My passion for business is my main attribute. I also have a very friendly and outgoing personality, which helps with making all our customers feel welcome. I am very driven, and dedicated to making sure that every single one of our clients has an enjoyable visit – and I’m confident that to this date I have been able to deliver that.

What are you most keen to learn that will help you grow your business?
I would love to learn to pierce in the future, and although I have an accountant I think it’s probably a good idea to do a basic bookkeeping course.

Are there any brands, companies or personalities that you most admire or aspire to?
I really admire the Innocent Smoothie brand and its founders Richard Reed, Adam Bacon and Jon Wright. Innocent came from nowhere in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and now dominate the UK market.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your company?
Although we have managed to break even in our first month after opening two and a half months ago, cash flow is a challenge that we try to mitigate by meticulous planning. Marketing and promotion – and just getting our name out there is also a challenge.

Is being a business owner how you expected it to be, or have you had any surprises along the way?

No matter how much planning and research you do prior to opening there will always be surprises. For example, after careful financial planning to ensure that I could pay my staff and bills, a car ran into the front of the studio, destroying the electric shutters and shattering the glass.

I am insured, but in order to secure the shop I had to pay for repairs myself whilst waiting on the insurer’s response. This happened only 2 months after opening, so it was a major shock – not to mention a drain on limited resources.

www.studio69tattoo-piercing.co.uk

What is your main goal for your company?
My main aim is to create a strong, instantly recognisable brand and to continue to provide tattoos and piercings of the highest quality.

Do you have any advice for people thinking of starting their own business?
My main piece of advice would be to do your research in the planning stages. A business plan is essential, not only to secure a loan or funding, but it also forces you to think about all the things you need to think about.

Finally, I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but location is very, very important. Get your business premises location wrong and it will be a lot harder to get your company off the ground in that crucial first 6 months.

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Why babies make better business owners

by: Rebecca

July 12th, 2010

Have you seen the ad for Velvet toilet tissue with the baby boss? Some people find it cute, personally it makes me cringe. That was until last night when I realised the truth of the concept.

The natural behaviours that are instinctive to babies are the very same ones we need to be successful in business:

Assertiveness: Babies will tell you that they don’t like something and why. They are definite in their decisions.

Fearlessness: They see the goal and they go for it and they do not worry or even consider the obstacles. 

Determination and perseverance: Every development a baby achieves is the result of constant perseverance and determination.  Babies need to sleep a lot because their brains are so tired from absorbing all the new skills they need to learn. Just imagine what we could all achieve if we continued to push ourselves in this way?

Pushing the boundaries: Babies never just accept the limits imposed upon them. They will constantly test and push these boundaries to work out what is actually possible. 

As children become socially aware, the fear of failure and reprimand gradually tames these instincts. Perhaps we are all protecting our children too much and suppressing entrepreneurial spirit?

Are we trying too hard to mould our children into society instead of giving them the confidence to stand out from the crowd? 

Babies have better business characteristics and perhaps we should step back into what is instinctive to all of us.

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How to be happier: start your own business

by: Rebecca

June 7th, 2010

A recent comprehensive study has proven that occupation is the primary ingredient of happiness. Even in times of recession the business owner has been shown to be the happiest of all occupations.

A top Harvard study claims that happiness comes from having the following elements in your life, reading through them it’s clear to see how running your own business helps fulfill many of these particulars:

 

·       Understanding you deserve happiness

·       Having control

·       Surrounding yourself with positive people

·       Problem solving instead of wallowing in self pity

·       Spending time each day doing something for yourself 

Humor and health also appeared as important factors. 

In a study of how occupation affects happiness, business owners came out on top.

Occupation Overall well-being
Business Owner 72.5
Professional 71.5
Manager/Executive 70.9
Farming/Forestry 67.8
Sales 67.6
Clerical 66.1
Construction 65.0
Installation 64.4
Service 64.0
Transportation 62.6
Manufacturing 62.1

Source: Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index

It’s great to know that we are in a business that actually serves in making people happier. We are here not only to form companies but to support starting your business.

What more incentive do you need to get things started today?

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