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FCBA: What is your name? Where do you live? (City/State/Country)Answer: Jane Naylor-Jones, Chelmsford, Essex, UK. I lived in Wisconsin for a year and Illinois for 3 years and have been back in the UK for just one year. I really miss Illinois.
FCBA: Are you married? Children? Grandchildren?
Answer: Married, two girls. Bronte 19 and Megan 11. I actually say I'm a single parent with three children (husband) but since we got home its changed to single parent with four children (mum). ha ha ... I think the actual children are less trouble!
FCBA: What is the name of your business? What products to you make/sell
Answer: Edith & Elizabeth. I make and custom design vinyl decals which can go on walls, windows, mirrors, cars ... anywhere that is flat and clean.
FCBA: Who is your target client?
Answer: I wish I knew! Anyone who is looking for a different way to decorate their home, office, student accommodation etc.
FCBA: When did you start your business? What was your motivation?
Answer: I started my business late 2009. I had bought a Cricut cutter with the idea of making my own cards. I had made cards in a very amateurish fashion for years but decided I HAD to have this gadget. From there it just developed and I love it.
FCBA: Is this your only occupation? Do you work full-time/part-time?
Answer: Before my youngest was born I had worked full time in the media. TV, Advertising, Marketing, PR. When I decided I needed more time at home I took a part-time job in PR for Education. I didn't work in the US because I wasn't allowed to. All of my working life I have helped my Father run his Karate club. He was an amazing man. He was President of the European and World Shotokan Karate Associations and Vice Chairman of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Since he passed in 2007 (while I was in the US) I have run the Karate club. It was literally down to a few members when we got back to the UK but we have built it up to 100 members again. Also, about 10 years ago I had set up a series of kids classes called The Shotokan Tigers and the classes were very successful. I am teaching those again and they are doing very well.
FCBA: How long before starting your business did you (Sew, Crochet, Knit, Paint, etc)?
Answer: I painted at school. Dabbled in knitting etc over the years but nothing too heavy - I never had time.
FCBA: How do you advertise/build awareness?
Answer: I started on etsy.com and am just about to set up my website.
FCBA: Do you use Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc)?
Answer: Facebook definitely! I sell more on Facebook than anywhere. I haven't quite got in to Twitter yet. I really need to move on that.
FCBA: How much time do you dedicate to promoting via social media?
Answer: A couple of hours a day.
FCBA: Do you have an online store? Website with shopping cart, Artfire, ETSY, Zibbet, etc
Answer: Just about to get a website but I do have a store on etsy and folksy
FCBA: How successful is your online store?
Answer: If you don't list daily you get lost. Some stores list on the hour, every hour. I can't compete with that. I've had just under 100 sales on there but some people have THOUSANDS. I'm excited to hear more about the Luulla launch. I like their people.
FCBA: Do you offer in home shows, local craft shows, business expos, etc?
Answer: I've tried the local craft show - it didn't really work for me. I custom design most things, so that's difficult to show.
FCBA: How successful are your in person sales?
Answer: I rarely sell "in person". I wish I could come up with a way of doing that.
FCBA: Looking back, what are some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way?
Answer: Don't try to run before you can walk Be more organized. You can actually do something you never even thought of. Take advice. I should have bought a bigger cutter! lol! REMEMBER TO INVOICE YOUR CLIENTS!
FCBA: What would you do differently? And why?
Answer: I'm not sure I could have done anything different other than finding someone who makes vinyl decals and get them to show me lol! I've just found out everything as I've been going along.
FCBA: Where do you see your business in the next year/5years?
Answer: I'm too scared to think about it. I'd love to see vinyl decals take off more here in the UK but I'm scared if they do that I won't be able to cope. It is just me doing it and I'm not very organized at the moment (house move, country move, daughter at University, husband off sick with chronic migraine, mother having hip replacement, building up a karate club)
FCBA: What is one thought that you would like to leave with our readers?
Answer. Give it a try! If you like to make something/do something then tell everyone about it. Talk to people in the school playground, have business cards and give them out. If your "product" develops into something else, don't stress about it, just go with it. Have fun doing it.
Thank you Jane!
Keep cuting those amazing vinyl decal!!
Be Blessed
Andrea
