A HouseBeautiful Home Business. Emma Jones
Publishing details
An Enterprise Nation book
HARRIMAN HOUSE LTD
3A Penns Road
Petersfield
Hampshire
GU32 2EW
GREAT BRITAIN Tel: +44 (0)1730 233870
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.harriman-house.com
First published in Great Britain in 2013.
Copyright © Harriman House Ltd
The right of Emma Jones to be identified as Author has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.
House Beautiful is the registered trademark of the National Magazine Company.
ISBN: 9781908003584
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the British Library.
All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Publisher.
This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior written consent of the Publisher.
No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person or corporate body acting or refraining to act as a result of reading material in this book can be accepted by the Publisher or by the Author.
About the Author
Emma Jones is a business expert, author and founder of small business community Enterprise Nation. Her books include Working 5 to 9, Go Global: How to take your business to the world and Turn Your Talent Into a Business.
Following a five-year career at an international accounting firm, Emma started her first business at 27. That business was sold 18 months later, and the experience led to Emma’s next venture, Enterprise Nation.
Its website (www.enterprisenation.com) was launched in 2006 and became the most popular site for home business owners in the UK, attracting over 100,000 visitors each month.
In seven years, Enterprise Nation has grown into a community of over 75,000 homegrown businesses that find help and support on its website, in its books and at live events. In 2011, the company gave away over £10,000 in funding to UK start-ups, and has recently launched a premium membership scheme, which helps its members promote their businesses and take them to the next level.
Emma is also a co-founder of StartUp Britain, a national campaign to encourage more people to start a business.
Emma was awarded an MBE for services to enterprise in July 2012.
Foreword by Julia Goodwin
HOW DO YOU turn a passion into a business? At House Beautiful we hear all the time from talented and creative readers who have an eye for style and design and, having decorated and furnished their own homes, would love to take that talent further afield than their own front door.
If that sounds familiar, then this book is for you. We’ve combined forces with author Emma Jones to bring you an inspired yet down-to-earth guide to help you achieve your dream. Inside we feature 12 case studies of individuals who have successfully turned a hobby or interest into a business that they love. Now their own bosses, within these pages they share the stories of their journeys, from low-key beginnings to booming and all-absorbing business success stories.
And you can do it too! As well as reading these inspirational success stories, take advantage of author Emma Jones’s impressive expertise, as she takes you step-by-step through the practical and legal aspects of setting up on your own, as well as offering insider tips and advice along the way. Armed with all this knowledge, you’ll have the tools you need to follow in the footsteps of someone like Jenny McCabe, who set up her handprinted and handmade textiles business Coo & Co, or Sonia Mundey who had a lucky break that kickstarted her interior design business Yellow Book Interiors.
What’s interesting is how many of the entrepreneurs featured made use of social media – Blogspot, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest – to spread the word about their enterprise – and how Etsy and Folksy helped some to make their first sales. And the good news about this method of communication, of course, is that it is free, saving you valuable financial resources that you can divert into other areas of the business.
There’s never been a better time to set up on your own – and you can begin in a small way, using your evenings and weekends to develop your skill or product and test the market.
Every month in House Beautiful we feature stories of readers who have done just that.
So whether you style, sew, knit, paint or collect unusual pieces, use this guide to help you take the next step – and you may also see the story of your passion for interiors featured in the pages of House Beautiful!
Julia Goodwin, Editor, House Beautiful Magazine
Introduction by Emma Jones
IF YOU’VE PICKED up this book, you’ll be thinking about turning a hobby or passion into a business and becoming your own boss. And there’s never been a better time to do so!
You can start a business by doing what I call ‘working 5 to 9’ which is keeping hold of the day job and building the company at nights and weekends. It’s a sensible way to start as you keep the security of a salary whilst building confidence and cash flow in the business. Start-up costs are at an all-time low as you can borrow and barter the basic essentials required to get going, and embrace free and low-cost technology tools, such as social media, to grow.
This explains why record numbers of people are moving from employment to self-employment, with a record 484,000 new companies formed in the UK in 2012. They are relishing the freedom and flexibility that comes with being your own boss, as well as the thrill of securing new customers, taking the business global, and creating new products and services.
If this is the kind of working life you’re after, simply follow the steps offered in this book and be inspired by the stories of those who have gone before you. In doing so, you will have made a start on your own entrepreneurial journey; I can guarantee it will be one filled with discovery and constant adventure!
Emma Jones
[email protected] | @emmaljones
Emma Jones is founder of small business support company Enterprise Nation www.enterprisenation.com and a co-founder of StartUp Britain www.startupbritain.org.
Enterprise Nation provides daily content, books, eBooks, kits and funding to help anyone start and grow a small business.
Who is This Book For?
THIS BOOK IS for anyone who has a passion, skill or hobby for interiors, furnishings or craft, and an interest in turning this into a business. You may be creating personalised cushions for friends and family and dreaming of doing this full time. You may have a way with putting a room together that could be turned into a successful business. Maybe you paint or draw and wonder if those who offer praise would be prepared to pay for your creations, or whether your flair for home accessories could lead to