I'm NEW to blogging guys so please bear with me ... I guess I'll be chatting about what I'm up to here at cushion HQ (although I promise I'll try not to bore you) and I'll also pass on any nuggets of information for anyone starting a small business that I have found useful and has helped me along the way.
First things first though ... my small studio is based in the village of Mountnessing in the lovely Essex countryside. I thought I'd include a couple of pics of the surrounding fields and the Post Mill built in 1807 which is just up the road passed the well visited George and Dragon pub.
It's all true that Little England came about by accident, I was originally looking for some colourful, fun, throw cushions to use in a chill out space that I had created for my teenage son. I knew exactly what I wanted (Woo Hoo, Awesome) but just couldn't find what I was looking for .... so in the end I decided to make them myself. I also have a background in typography as I used to layout mags/books in a former life so it was very easy for me to put together those first cushions. What I didn't expect was the feedback I got from family and friends and the subsequent requests that followed ... one thing led to another and here I am today!
I was also very fortunate last October to have the opportunity to launch at PopUp Britain's, PopUp Ashford retail shop in Kent. Check out their website if you are interested in applying http://popupbritain.com/apply#.U6LqHijw6XU I can only say that the experience proved invaluable. One of the best things for me was the support and guidance from the Ashford team and the subsequent opportunities and contacts it gave my business. Their generosity in sharing information was second to none. One of my first customers was the 'fabulous' business expert Alex Polizzi of TV's The Hotel Inspector fame who was at Ashford with Vistaprint for a day of mentoring ... how cool is that!
My advice to anyone who is thinking about starting a small business is just go for it ... it's certainly a journey and I'm definitely still learning but that's all part of the fun.
Signing off for now ... Carole
