'Sara has a seat at the top table' - Sara Prebble Design in this weeks Surrey Informer - page 12

Very excited to have a full page in this weeks Walton & Weybridge Surrey Informer Newspaper. 

Make a coffee, cut a slice of cake and turn to page 12!

For those outside of Surrey read the full interview here: 

      1.     What does your business do?

Sara Prebble Design is my furniture design and restoration business in leafy Hersham Village, Surrey. I take old, tired furniture and give it a new look to suit the current style of French Shabby Chic and gustavian distressed look. Using various different colour schemes to match in with a room’s decor, I transform each piece with a unique, fresh, current and revitalised style for any home.

saraprebbledesign.blogspot.co.uk

2. How many people do you employ?

I’m an independent furniture restorer. It’s just me.

3. What does your shop/business bring to your town?

A bespoke service offering the opportunity to breathe new life into old pieces of furniture in an environmentally friendly way.

4. What makes your business unique?

Every piece I transform is unique. Every customer’s home and style is different and they get a new love for their old furniture and they can help design the new look with me, making their piece completely unique to them and their home. It doesn’t have to be furniture either, Frames, Candle holders, basically anything wooden can be upcycled in this style.

5. What type of businesses would you like to see brought to your town?

An Art & Crafts Centre/Marketplace to showcase designers in Surrey would be a great space. There is a lot of design and craft talent in Surrey.

6. How has your business changed since you started?

The style and trends change but the techniques stay the same, I have quickly learnt that when you think you have seen every style of furniture, something surprises you.

In the future I am looking into holding workshops, people can come and have a go at doing the techniques themselves and leave the day with something they are proud of.

7. What's the best thing about owning your own business?

The creative freedom and the customer relationships I make along the way. I work with people to create/restore something they imagined for their homes and I get to meet some great people doing it.

8. How has your business been affected by the recession?

Times are hard for all businesses but if anything it has benefitted, it’s a lot more cost effective to reinvent a coffee table than to buy a new one.

9. How is the business likely to evolve over the next decade?

In the future there will be less quality pieces to work with because of a trend for easy to put together furniture. But trends change and the great thing about reinventing furniture is you can do it again and again.

10. Why have you chosen to base your business in Hersham, Surrey?

It’s as simple as this is where I live, It’s close to London and near lots of inspiration.

11. What's the strangest customer request you have had to deal with?

No strange requests but the most unique piece I have worked on is an Antique Hostess Trolley that was used as a computer table. It looked great.

12. What has been your proudest moment in business?

Getting my first customer. Building a business is hard work and it’s nice when you start to see it coming together.

13. Are critical reviews important or is word of mouth better?

Word of mouth is better but I recognise the importance of both. As I work with people for their homes I hope when they are happy with their piece, they spread the word.

14. What do you think makes your business stand out from your competitors?

The personal touch. Customers get involved with the restoration of their furniture, we discuss their ideas over a cup of tea.

15. Who is your role model in business?

Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish of NotOnTheHighStreet.com They have achieved something very unique, the perfect online market place for crafters. Reading their book is a great motivational booster.

Interesting Insights - Interview with Tia Lush of Who Ate My Crayons

Ambling through my Twitter lists one day I came accross Tia, the name of her business stood out as something i liked, so i clicked. 'Who ate my crayons' is a pretty cool name for a design business. After connecting on Facebook aswell we spent a few weeks winning each others give away competitions, Tia won some of my greetings cards and in turn i won one of her Grammar Postcards which serves as a great reminder at my computer desk for the difference between 'Your' & 'You're' and my favourite win, 5 origami butterflies which take pride of place on my living room wall and i fully accredit my new found love of origami animals to Tia. 

Tia runs a fabulous design agency designing websites, logos, stickers and lots of beautiful papery things attracting the attention of a certain dragon...yes thats right, Who Ate My Crayons is a Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday Winner. Go Tia!

 

Sara Prebble: How is 2013 going so far? Any new year resolutions?

Tia Lush: The new year is turning into a very busy one with work scheduled in until March already. I do like to be organised, so my resolution would be to maintain order with my workload by continuing to plan ahead.

I would also like to expand my stationery and printed range into a more off-the-shelf collection of designs. I would love to work more with wedding related products and gift-wrap, but the stationery is a supplementary (and fun) part of my core business which is graphic, website design and development.

I have also been approached by other designers/makers with a potential to forming partnerships and working together which is very exciting for me. Cake-pops and stationery?

Sara Prebble: You have been freelance for 12 years now, what advice would you give someone who is just starting out on their own? 
 
Tia Lush: I would encourage anyone considering starting their own business to go for it! Commit 100%, stay focussed and don't be afraid to adapt your business and skills according to the growing requirements. I would also advise people to seek professional help when you need to do so. Never think that by doing it yourself you are saving time and money, because inevitably it never works out that way.

I believe that if you are truthful and honest in your dealings with clients and suppliers alike,
you will be afforded the same respect back.

Sara Prebble: In January 2011 you were chosen by Theo Paphitis as one of his SBS winners – that must have made your year! How has that helped your business?


Tia Lush: I was thrilled to have been chosen. It was my third attempt and to be honest I think my business name helped a lot in making my tweet stand out from the others.

Being part of Small Business Sunday has been amazing as it had widened by network and I have connected with people and businesses I would not normally come into contact with. I also used my meeting with Theo Paphitis as a news worthy item with the local newspaper and raise some awareness of my business, although that didn't really return any work, it was a opportunity to practise my press release writing skills before having it all edited out by my PR consultant.

Many of my acquaintances via social media have turned into clients through recommendation of others and even more thrilling for me, they have formed into genuine friendships.  Working as a freelance designer can be lonely at times being stuck behind a monitor, but social media allows me to engage and connect directly with others. This interaction keeps me sane. Mostly.
 
Sara Prebble: As the self-appointed font Police (I have one of your postcards above my desk, loving the idea), how did you come up with it?
 
Tia Lush: I love typography, it helps when you are a graphic designer I suppose. I have a fantastic font swatch book, but invariably I have my staple of favourite fonts which I tend to return to time and time again.

I often see some shocking use of font especially on printed material. To me 'less is more' when it comes to a successful design. My pet peeve is the inappropriate use of the infamous Comic Sans font.  This font is very popular and used indiscriminately by people who believe that it conveys informality and fun. I have no issue of the use of Comic Sans when the audience it is targeted at is under 5 years of age, but not on the side of a funeral home and not at the Doctor's surgery please.  I suspect this makes me a font snob. 

Sara Prebble: How do you balance your work life with family life?

Tia Lush: I am lucky that I am able to work flexible hours around the children and school times. Obviously there are times when I have to meet deadlines and it's not unusual to find me working into the wee hours. Luckily these occurrences are not frequent, but I have a great support base in terms of family and friends and a very understanding child-minder should I need to call on them. I also schedule work in advance and this allows me a certain amount of balance and control.

Sara Prebble: What is the most popular item in your shop?
Tia Lush: In my little stationery shop, my stickers are the most popular items. I have a fantastic printer which creates the most beautiful stickers. And because I am a perfectionist, my stickers are printed on an individual basis allowing me to check for alignment and colour balance and I think this level of quality control and personal touch makes a big difference and why clients keep re-ordering.

Sara Prebble:  What was your highlight of 2012?

Tia Lush: My baby sister getting married in October and I was the (self) appointed bunting, stationery and cupcakes co-ordinator! All my obsessions rolled into one glorious event.
 
Sara Prebble: Like me, you love cakes, my all time top cake is a Coffee cake, whats yours?
Tia Lush: I can't possibility discriminate against cakes by having a favourite. I love them all.

For more from Tia and Who Ate My Crayons visit her website, Follow her on Twitter, Like her page on Facebook

 

Interesting Insights - Interview with Tania McLaren, The Kitchen Table Florist

Having recently discovered a love for flowers and their colours i came accross a wonderfull website while searching for local people in the know.  Making Bouquets, varse diplays and seasonal arrangments for events, corporate and the public, whilst also teaching adult and children workshops, allow me to introduce; Tania McLaren of The Kitchen Table Florist.

Seasonal Arrangment - Halloween

Sara Prebble: What inspired you to start The Kitchen Table Florist?

Tania McLaren: From a young age I have always loved flowers and regularly had “a bunch of flowers” at the top of my Christmas and Birthday list.  Having put my career in marketing on hold to bring up my 4 girls I decided to use the time I had at home to retrain and learn to do something I was passionate about so went to floristry school and began doing flowers for friends from my kitchen table.  Once my youngest started school I was keen to turn my passion into a business so looked for gaps in the market.  Where I live in North London we are lucky to have several very good florists but none were offering the opportunity to learn how to create simple arrangements so the original business idea grew.    I am now offering floristry workshops for adults and run flower parties for children.  My aim is to pass on simple skills and ideas for displays that can be easily recreated at home and to give them the confidence to make their own arrangements.    On the other side of the business, the bouquets, contracts and gift giving, I buy to order to am able to offer a strong degree of tailoring to suit a client’s needs which has proved very popular.  I provide everything from a tiny arrangement for a downstairs loo (yes – really) to flowers for every room in a house just about to be photographed to go on the market.

Sara Prebble: Is there a trend and style for flower arrangements and if so how do you keep up with it?

Tania McLaren: There are very strong trends in flowers which, as with fashion, are often cyclical.  Individual flower varieties fall in and out of favour (gypsophilia has seen a welcome return recently – massed together in large bunches by itself it is both cheap and can be very beautiful ) and colour trends are constantly varying.  The simple hand tied bouquet continues to be a firm favourite for both gift giving and bridal use although there seems to have been a move away from very structured bouquets and a return to natural looking, loose styles.

Recyling continues to drive a trend towards re-using old containers for floral arrangements where “anything goes”.  Jam jars, tea cups, medicine bottles and tea pots are all being used regularly complementing the trend for more natural displays.  I am forever scouring charity shops for my next container!  British grown, & seasonal,  flowers are also being increasingly requested as we all try to reduce our carbon footprints.

In terms of flowers and displays, succulents are proving popular this year in floral arrangements and increasingly I am seeing clematis being used as a cut flower.

There are some fabulous blogs and publications in the floristry world which I read and follow but Fusion Flowers is perhaps my favourite (www.fusionflowers.com) featuring exciting and dramatic floral arrangements from some of the world’s leading floral designers.

Sara Prebble: Does your background in marketing help with getting your own brand noticed?

Tania McLaren: My background in marketing has proved useful on a number of levels.  Firstly I was keen to offer a point of difference from my competition so undertook research to identify gaps in the market locally and an area where I could add value in an already crowded market.  My financial training played a strong role in my decision to set up at home so saving the extensive overheads and rates of a premises.  Buying to order enables me to stay competitive on pricing whilst minimising wastage and ensuring my flowers are as fresh as possible for my customers.  From my research I developed a clear Brand Positioning to differentiate my business offering and this has formed the basis of all my brand identity (the “Look” of the business) from logo development to production of promotional materials to the promotion itself.  I have a very clearly defined  target market too so am able to ensure my “very meagre” marketing budget is well targeted and effective when it is used.

Sara Prebble: What has been your most popular kitchen table arrangement?

Tania McLaren: I think people generally love to see arrangements that make them smile and that they feel they could replicate themselves with ease.  Children are always drawn to the snowmen and I have been busy running snowmen making parties this December, whilst adults love the simplicity of the pumpkin display – I have even had people sending me photos of their adaptations of the idea which I love receiving.

Sara Prebble: What is your favourite flower?

Tania McLaren: Now you’re asking.  I would say that my favourite flower changes about once a day!  I am notoriously fickle on this point.  My current favourites for flower arranging are hydrangeas which are so beautiful and so adaptable.  They come in a huge range of colours and can be used equally successfully as a whole in a hand tied bouquet or as florets in a table arrangement.  I have used some fabulous red and green ones this Christmas as the basis for many of my door wreaths, mantelpiece arrangments and Christmas displays.  They are not cheap but are large, have a long season and last beautifully.

Flower Snowman - Childrens Workshops

To find out more about The Kitchen Table Florist and to read her blog visit her website www.thekitchentableflorist.co.uk

Interesting Insights - Interview with Hannah Martin, a London Florist

Browsing the Medicine Garden in Cobham one wednesday morning lead me to the leaflet of Hannah Martin Floristry. Show me some great photography and gorgeous flowers and you have my attention. Based in the Surrey area, Hannah Martin provides flowers for events, weddings and homes. Hannah describes her style of floristry as 'classic contemporary using flowers, foliage and styling within their seasons'. 

Sara Prebble: I imaging working with flowers to be very calming and enjoyable, what is a typical work day for the life as a florist?

Hannah Martin: This is exactly what I thought before I joined the industry eight years ago, however the reality is far from calm! I absolutely love being a florist and working with flowers is both enjoyable and very satisfying, however working with thorns, cold water and standing on your feet all day can be quite exhausting. Having said this, I wouldn’t change my job for the world! My day starts early, visiting New Covent Market to collect my flowers and any other bits and bobs I may need. Then it’s back to the workshop, via my favourite coffee shop for an americano and an almond croissant, to make up any orders I have for that day. I work a lot in London, for big venues, five-star hotels, banks, law firms and luxury brands such as Mulberry and Victoria’s Secret so my work is very varied and for a whole heap of different purposes, but I love providing flowers for weddings, corporate events and product launches as no day is ever the same.

Sara Prebble: I see you do workshops at MakeMe Workshops at The Medicine Gardens, what things can people learn at one of your classes?

Hannah Martin: Working with Melissa at MakeMe Workshops is great fun and we work within the seasons to create workshops that appeal to everyone’s needs. Everyone can attend as no prior knowledge or experience is required, just a desire to be creative and have a laugh whilst working with beautiful flowers to create lovely different table centres, bouquets or arrangements.

Sara Prebble: Do you think the recession has effected the flower industry?

Hannah Martin: I think if you run your florist from a high street shop, then yes you’re bound to have been affected as people are spending less and there’s lots of competition from supermarkets and having to fully stock your shop is very costly and could lead to a lot of expensive wastage should the customers be thin on the ground. As I mainly work with the events industry I’m less affected by these factors, and as I’m based from a small workshop I don’t have expensive rents to pay. There are still customers out there requiring flowers, and who are (more importantly!) still wanting to pay from them so establishing a reputation and working with the right people is very important. The big banks, insurance companies, brands and hotels have got to look at their annual flower budgets and justify the costs a lot more than before, so being competitively priced is essential.

Sara Prebble: What are the most popular flowers for weddings?

Hannah Martin: No two weddings are the same, and people’s tastes vary greatly, however a there are some flowers that always pop up during the wedding season – hydrangea, roses and peonies. Their availability obviously depends heavily on the date of the wedding, but the wedding season tends to run from May to September and these flowers can be found during this time (peonies will be more expensive after July as their season ends in July).





To find out more about Hannah Martin visit her website www.hannahmartin.net
For on the go updates follow her on twitter @hannahjmartin

Interesting Insights - Interview with Charlotte Biggs of the Card & Gift Blog

The Card & Gift Blog aim to showcase the best in the world of Cards and Gifts. With seven years experience working in the industry Charlotte Biggs; the writer of the Card & Gift Blogs gives her insights to the card and gift industry today.

Sara Prebble: "What inspired you to create the Card & Gift Blog?'

Charlotte Biggs: "The idea to start Card & Gift Blog began to develop in early 2009. I'd been working for a card and gift publisher for about six years, during that time I'd built up lots of experience and made lots of friends in the industry.

Speaking to friends who were artists and designers I knew a lot found it difficult to get noticed and get their products seen. They either didn't feel confident promoting their products or had limited time and budget to handle any attempt at marketing.

About the same time I'd started to get interested in blogs; it seemed like a great platform for showcasing card & gift products. A 'one-stop shop' that brought together lots of different companies and individual designers would be easily accessible and easy to find at any time. Designers and makers would be able to easily publicise their products, generating interest and demand by reaching buyers and consumers at the same time.

Later in the year the recession hit the company I worked for and my colleagues and I were made redundant. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do next so I decided to spend a bit of time as a freelance copywriter, the job I'd had on and off since I was fifteen. While I was putting together a portfolio of my work the blog idea began to resurface. Writing a blog seemed like a good way to add to my portfolio and I'd always loved the new product launches so I knew it was something I'd enjoy writing about.

I'd never put together a blog before but I was fairly optimistic that I could give it a go. I'm good with computers and I've taught myself enough html coding to get by. My past jobs also helped with putting the blog together. I graduated with a degree in History so I'm confident with research work. I've also had my fair share of marketing roles so I can use some of those skills to help promote the products shown on the blog.

So far it's all going well, when I started the aim was to get as many people viewing the blog on a monthly basis as view the trade magazines and I'm just about there. The audience is growing each month so that first target will be completed soon and I'll start working towards the next target."

Sara Prebble: "What are you looking for from a Card & Gift Designer to feature in your blog?"

Charlotte Biggs: "It's hard to define exactly what I'm looking for as I never have anything specific in mind (beyond “Is it a card? Is it a Gift?”). I tend to react to the things I see. I look at hundreds and hundreds of websites and thousands of products. If something pops out or makes me stop in my tracks then I have a closer look. I do look for certain attributes in cards and gifts. I look at the quality of the products and try to choose items that are well-designed and well-made; if something looks unprofessional I tend to leave it alone. I also like to see originality, either in subject matter or design style. I think I'm also attracted to enthusiasm, it's a bit of an obscure one but when someone has a genuine belief in their products and enthusiasm for what they're doing it comes across in their designs.

Sara Prebble: "The average retail price of a card in 2009 in the UK was £1.17. Do you think the recession has effected the card & gift industry and made an impact on the prices we are seeing on the shelves today?"

Charlotte Biggs: "Since I first started working in the card & gift industry in 2003 there has been a lot of changes, but it's hard to estimate how much is due to the recession and how much was already in motion before 2009. I think two of the major changes I noticed during my time in the industry were diversification of supply and advancements in the printing industry.
On the high street it's no longer just traditional card & gift shops that are selling greetings cards: chain stores are complimenting their traditional stock with card ranges; supermarkets are commissioning and printing their own range of cards; higher quality discount stores are also entering the market. The diversification is mirrored online with the growth of handmade markets and 'direct from designer' sites. This diversification in stockists gives a greater variation in price points.

The advancements in printing also has a knock on effect on the prices you see on the shelves. Greater availability of digital printing means more people can sell cards using cost-effective, high quality digital print runs. Improved printing techniques and materials in the far east enables those with a larger budget to mass produce cards, while maintaining quality at a much reduced cost.

Thinking back to 2009 and since then one big change I have noticed with is that publishers are experimenting with how they sold their products: more seemed willing to sell direct to consumers, (as well as to their traditional trade customers), or sell off their old ranges to discount stores rather than pulping the redundant stock. In the recession cash flow was key, everyone had to be a bit more flexible; be willing to diversify and experiment. The result seems to be greater options in supply to consumers, greater options in production for the publishers and ultimately greater variety in prices on the shelves."

Sara Prebble: "What trends do you see emerging for 2012 in the gift industry?"

Charlotte Biggs: "There are a number of trends that have been predicted for 2012, covering everything from 'clouds', to 'technology', to 'voyages', to 'futurism' to 'cinematic'. I have been starting to see gift items that relate to all of these but the biggest trends that I'm starting to see more and more of revolve around 'British' and 'Nostalgic' trends. With events such as the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee due in 2012 there is a lot of focus on 'British' inspired gifts. The union jack trend that has been around for a few years is being carried forward with new variations and iconic 'British' designs of stamps, taxis, bulldogs and telephone boxes are all being incorporated into designs. The focus on London that these events will bring has also brought all things London into the mix. The 'Nostalgic' trend is fairly adaptable, mixing with the 'British' trend it can incorporate sentimental tones, using vintage inspired artwork, designs and quotes. With 'cinematic' trends the nostalgia comes from the glamour of the fifties and the continuing love for the Mad Men style. The handmade market is also using nostalgia with 'upcycling', utilising the trend as products are created mixing 'old and new'.

Sara Prebble: "Handmade v Mass produced - do you think people are leaning towards the individuality of handmade cards or preferring the personalised computer generated designs we are seeing from Moonpig and Funky Pigeon for 2012?"

Charlotte Biggs: "I don't think there is one definitive answer if I'm honest, they're two very different styles that suit different types of consumer or different types of occasion. Personally I'd always choose something well-designed or handmade over something computer generated but that is down to my personal taste; I like the creative touch and I love finding a card that is a work of art. For me choosing a card online and having someone else print and post it seems like I'm cheating somehow.

It's easy to understand that with this mindset I never quite understood the appeal of Moonpig or Funky Pigeon. This did however change quite recently. Working on a marketing campaign for a construction company I was asked to purchase several hundred cards via Moonpig. I customised a design to fit the campaign, upload the mailing list (with only a few minor problems) and that was it – the message was delivered in a personalised greetings card. Similarly when a group of us wanted to send a birthday card to our boss for his birthday we uploaded a photo to a Moonpig template and customised the card with our own jokes. The cards had clear printing and the board was a good quality, so I was happy but despite this I'm not converted. On both occasions I was taking advantage of a very specific service that the Moonpig and Funky Pigeon offered but it's not something I would ever think of choosing under normal circumstances.

For some consumers the customisation options or the convenience of Moonpig and Funky Pigeon will be the deciding factor. I think for other consumers (like myself) it will always be preferable to find a handmade card that you can pick up, write and deliver. I've heard it said that when designing greetings cards you always have to think about your target audience and I think that even with Moonpig and Funky Pigeon there will still be an audience for handmade."


See more of Charlottes Card & Gift insights on one of these:

www.cardandgiftblog.blogspot.com 

www.facebook.com/cardandgiftblog

www.twitter.com/cardandgiftblog