For the love of retail!

Since 2002, I have had two retail businesses as an interior designer and as much as I loved them, boy, did I make some mistakes!

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I now look back and wonder why I did what I did in certain situations. Why didn't I just take a step back & look at it objectively? But that's easier said than done.

When you are consumed by the day to day running of a business, especially if you don't have a business partner, it can be so difficult to think logically & strategically.

In my last business, I was offered the opportunity to open a second shop in the premises where I had had one of my first interior design jobs.

The rent was high, the footfall was low (no, make that non existent, but I didn't know that until I was already in there) and to be perfectly honest, the first shop wasn't making huge profits.

Everything screamed 'don't do it'. But I was caught up in the romanticism of owning two shops. The reality was the second shop didn't take any money and was a drain on the first.

I ended up closing both - having to make staff redundant and leaving me with debt. (I also found out I was pregnant with my third child, which pushed me to make the decision.)

Since I last had a shop 5 years ago, I have worked on my business - and personal -mindset & development. I invested in a business coach in 2020, which is the best thing I ever did, and I surround myself with mentors, coaches and other business owners.

I now see others making the same mistakes as me - not seeking advice, trying to do it all themselves, blaming everyone & everything else for their lack of customers, cashflow, footfall instead of looking at themselves. which is why I started working as a mentor to independent retailers.

I LOVE retail and I still believe there is a future in all our high streets, wherever they are. So I want to help as many people as I can.

And just this week, I was speaking to a local retailer of mine who happens to be retiring next year. He asked whether I would be interested in taking over the shop...

Well, my son's at school now and I really miss having a shop of my own, so maybe I should put my money where my mouth is and take all those years of experience, along with my new found knowledge, and put them into a new venture.

Watch this space......