When did you launch your business?
July 2002
What inspired you start your business?
When I was arranging my own wedding, I found there was a distinct lack if well crafted tiaras and jewellery avaliable at realistic prices. I decided to make my own accessories and as a result I had several orders from guests at my wedding! I launched my website in July 2002 with 6 photos of tiaras I had made, and by christmas that year I had over 100 designs and a 4 month waiting list!! The rest, as they say , is history!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Gosh, it would be easier to tell you what I don’t like! (doing my accounts). I love working with brides, I love drooling over photos of their dresses whilst designing accessories for them, I love being surrounded in sparkly things all day everyday, I love being challenged to create something truly unique (jigsaw piece themed tiara anyone?). I suppose that the most amazing part of my job is being trusted by a bride to create something for her to wear on her wedding day - always feels like such a honour. And seeing her photos afterwards - always an exciting email to receive!
What has been the best moment of your business?
Hmmm….. I’ve had a famous client which was pretty exciting but to be honest with you it has to be the first order I has through my website. I still have a framed photo of the that first cheque on the wall of my studio, it was for £15 and I don’t think I have ever felt so proud.
What are your plans for the future?
Well, in the short term, we ate really close to the launch of our brand new goddess collection - a gorgeous selection of side tiaras, which reflects the appliqued embellishments of current bridal trends. However long term, who knows? I think running a business is such an adventure and I never know what opportunities will come up from one day to the next. I suppose that ultimately, I want to be as happy as I am now. I love what I do, I think that reflects in my work, and would never, ever want to change that,
Can you give us a ‘Typical day on the life of….’?
I get up when me son gets up - he’s just turned 1 and is the early riser in the house! So the first few hours of the day are taken up with organising the children (and husband) for school, nursery and work. At about 8:30am, peace reigns and i can sit down with a cup of tea and catch up with emails. I answer everything that is straightforward first, and then go back over any that require more thought (I might need to research materials, sketch designs, calculate quotes etc)
This its time to get the sparklies out. I keep a spreedsheet of all my orders as i know which ones are most urgent and those that get made first. This can take several hours, and somewhere in the day I try to remember to break for lunch, although in all honestly lunchtime is often about 4pm! I have to make sure that all my orders are packed up by 4.30pm so that I can get them to the post office by 5pm. Everything has to be photographed before it is packed up just in case it is requested by a bridal magazine for a feature they are running.
At 5.30pm my husband and children get home and until 7.30pm we have some family time. Come 8pm, I’m back at work (albeit on the laptop, in front of the telly).I consider this my “fun” time, and might be researching new suppliers, reading bridal forums to what brides are wearing, where trends are going etc. I could be updating my website, my blog, Facebook or Twitter, anything goes really, as long as its do-able with a glass of red wine in hand!
Accessories by Starstruck Designs
Photography courtesy of Ruth Goalby Photography
Accessories by Starstruck Designs
To see Stratstruck Designs great offer click here
http://www.bigdaydiscounts.co.uk/featured-offers-27-starstruck-designs
To see more designs from Starstruck Designs click here
http://www.starstruck-designs.co.uk
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