HOME of Curtains & Furnishings
A curtain maker chose not to hang around after being made redundant and decided to set up her own business. After three years in a job she loved as a designer and maker, Katie Jameson was devastated when she was made redundant.
It had always been a dream of hers to run her own business and being made redundant provided the perfect opportunity to do just that. So she took the plunge and started sewing up her new dream venture in designing and producing curtains, blinds, pelmets and soft furnishings, naming her business H.O.M.E of Curtains and Furnishings.
Katie began her business operating from a small room above Hi-Lites hairdressing salon, Balby. Very quickly business began to grow and she soon moved to larger premises within Furniture Factors. Once again, Katie needed to find even bigger premises and H.O.M.E now trades from a town centre location – 7 Kingsgate, Waterdale.
Katie found invaluable support, advice and guidance through the Success Doncaster programme by way of her own Business Buddy and Doncaster 100 mentor, helping to guide her through each step of her business journey.
We asked Katie a few questions about being in business:
What has been the biggest challenge for you?
One of the main challenges I faced was becoming a business woman and getting my mind around everything involved in running a small business whilst still sewing and balancing my home life. Coping with the loss of my father to cancer two weeks after the birth of my third child was also hard but luckily I have the support of my family around me.
Who what was your inspiration for starting a business?
My children are my main inspiration. I have 3 young children aged 10. 7 and 1. My children are a constant reminder of what I need to do to succeed as they are perfect beneficiaries to any form of success. Seeing their little faces light up after weeks of hard work getting the new shop looking the way it does and then hearing them say ‘wow’ made everything worthwhile. That was certainly my first victory!
What do you like the most about being your own boss?
Being your own boss gives you the freedom to make your own decisions and I enjoy that the most. Every day brings with it new challenges and not one day is the same.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start in business?
I would encourage anyone to be brave and just do it! There is a lot of support out there and Success Doncaster has been a great help. I have also received support from the Waterdale Management when securing my new premises.
Future plans where do you see yourself in a year?
I have gone from renting a room above a hair salon to being in a large popular furniture store to branching out in to premises within the Waterdale Centre. I have also expanded the business to interior design as well as curtains and blinds and I now offer occasional furniture, accessories, pictures, lamps as well as soft furnishings.
For further information please contact Katie on 01302 320080 or call in and see for yourself at 7 Kingsgate, Waterdale. Alternatively visit www.homeofcurtainsandfurnishings.co.uk
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