Business Start up blog - Events organiser
- Charlotte Whitehead
- Aug 9, 2020
- 5 min read
Name: Charlotte Whitehead
Business name: Handmade and Creative Market and Bramble Leather
Facebook: @handmadeandcreativemarket and @brambleleather
Instagram: @handmadeandcreativemarket and @brambleleather
Time in business: since April 2018
Income bracket from self employment: Nothing during the coronavirus lockdown but I hope to be back to a full time income by April 2021.
Location: Norwich
Who are you? What do you do?
I am Charlotte, a 36 year old event organiser, leatherworker and all round glittery creative maker from Norwich. Primarily, I organise the Handmade and Creative Market, a regular Artisan market in Norfolk. I also do all my own artwork, social media and admin for the business, and have recently launched a monthly online market event over on Instagram. Www.instagram.com/handmadeandcreativemarket
I love working with leather and make a range of dog products, earrings and have just launched my own craft kits. I run this business as Bramble Leather but in fact find very little time to dedicate to it once I am done with all the market admin. Www.instagram.com/brambleleather You will also have seen me promoting my colourful business Licclefreak Loves on occasion. This is just my fun side project where I make colourful things from yarn, glitter, resin... anything that catches my eye in the craft shop really. Last year I ran lots of fun craft workshops under this brand but they are on hold for 2020.
I am a feature writer for Let’s Talk magazine. I write a monthly craft article, focussed on low cost, beginner level crafts which are accessible for all.
Last but by no means least I am one third of a new venture, Make it Mindful, also known as MIM Norfolk. Having been a teacher for the past 10 years I am pleased to be getting back into an educational environment, using my creative skills to support the mental health of young people in my local community. I am currently taking a Masters degree in Psychology with a focus on the impact of creativity on mental health.
Why did you decide to start your own business?
I was finding the long working days as a teacher exhausting and stressful and I wanted to make that part time. I was given a starter leather working kit 4 years ago and once I was ready to start selling the things I made I figured I may as well give event organising a go.
Is your business your only source of income or are you also employed by someone else?
Since September 2019 I have been working full time on my businesses but the lockdown has meant I have had to return to part time employment.
Do you work alone or as part of a team?
I work alone with Olive the Staffy in her basket beside me.
Do you employ other people?
I’d eventually like to take on an apprentice to learn all the marketing and admin side of the business so I can get back to being creative but covid has put that possibility back at least another year.
How many hours a week do you dedicate to running your business?
It varies. At least a couple of hours a day just on social media on a quiet week but I can easily work 60+ hours on a market week.
How has this increased or decreased over time and why?
It had steadily increased until the lockdown but then I had well over a month where I just couldn’t face trying to promote a business in such uncertainty.
If you had to name one thing which has been key in the success of your business what would it be?
Creatives supporting creatives. I have spent a fortune on paid marketing over the last 3 years and none of it has been as successful as person to person marketing. If 100 people tell 10 people about an event that’s 1000 people through the door without even trying.
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
I like seeing all the wonderful creative projects everyone is working on. I have a Christmas list long enough to last me enough Christmases for the next 20 years! I did enjoy the flexibility but now it’s more a case of juggling it all round my part time job.
What has been the most difficult thing about running your own business?
Recently, finance. Even though the government restrictions totally destroyed my income and almost bankrupted me with refunds for cancelled events they have provided no financial support whatsoever. It will take me years to recover financially.
Prior to lockdown I found time management tough. While working from home is great you often find yourself sitting down to reply to emails at midnight. I can also loose most of the day making pretty graphics on Procreate or Canva, not realising how long I’ve been doing it until I’m sitting in my room in the dark.
When I set up the event business it was meant to be a sideline to support my own handmade items. However, I spend so much time on the admin and marketing for the events that I never have enough enthusiasm left for promoting the things I make.
Have you made any business mistakes and how did you overcome these?
I think investing in the wrong type of marketing was my biggest mistake. Learning what works and what doesn’t can be very costly and with events your reputation as an organiser rests almost entirely on how many shoppers you get through the door. The business has also grown into something far more popular than I ever imagined it would. I have had to learn a lot of skills fast, such as graphic design and web design. If you’d asked me three years ago if I’d be doing all these things I’d have laughed at you!
Do you have formal qualifications that were essential in starting your own business?
I have a lot of formal qualifications but I would argue it’s not the qualifications themselves which have been essential, only the experience they have given me. For example, I am a high school Science teacher. This qualification hasn’t helped me but the experience of being a teacher means I can socialise with all kinds of people and I’m confident in managing large groups of people.
What previous employment did you have before starting your own business and how did that help you when starting up?
I began working in retail at 16 and started work in education in 2009. Both helped me to be able to work confidently with people and teaching has helped me gain a good working memory and organisational skills.
Do you have any key life experiences which have helped your business to be successful?
Nothing in particular, however I don’t like to fail. I can’t drive, will never be able to drive and this one failure hanging over me is enough!
What advice could you offer to someone else starting up in business?
Start from zero. Spending thousands of pounds to launch a business doesn’t mean it will be more successful but it does mean you stand to loose a lot if it isn’t. Many things can be learnt from online tutorials and it is far more satisfying to step back and be able to say ‘I did that’, rather than going into debt to pay someone else to do it. Also, never be afraid to try new things. If it doesn’t cost anything to put an idea out there you have nothing to lose. If you don’t try you will never know.
Are there any websites, books or organisations you would recommend to our readers thinking of starting up?
NWES are a Norfolk based company that help with free business courses, startup finance and more. They are located near the walk in centre on Rouen Road in Norwich. https://www.nwes.org.uk
I have also used the free services at the Forum library in Norwich. It’s worth popping into the business centre to see what’s coming up. https://theforumnorwich.co.uk
The Princes Trust are a national organisation who help some young people with business courses and finance. However, if you have already experienced ‘success’, such as earning a degree, you will likely not be eligible. https://www.princes-trust.org.uk
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