We Started A Gift Company From Our Bedrooms - We Made £10k In A MONTH
- Jamie and Beth, 34 and 31, found success selling wish bracelets on Facebook
- They opened an Etsy store and soon found they were in demand globally
- Working on the business has helped them to buy their first home
- They made £10k in a month during COVID and have made over £130k overall
Achieving financial milestones such as buying your first home can feel daunting when a large portion of your income goes on everyday living costs.
However, one couple managed to launch a successful business alongside their 9-5 jobs and now they are enjoying a side hustle which makes saving money that little bit easier.
Jamie Rushent and Beth Jones, 34 and 31 from Wotton-Under-Edge, South Gloucestershire, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘The journey began when we tried out selling ‘wish bracelets’ on our local Facebook pages. It was just a simple hobby, but it wasn’t long before we realised they were gaining traction.
‘We sold quite a few of our initial bracelet designs within hours of being listed on local Facebook selling pages. About three orders in, we’d sold a bulk order of 40, which then resulted in repeat buys. As they became more popular, we realised we could make a business out of it.
‘We then joined Etsy and came up with new ideas for further products. We decided to take a chance and buy stock, then put the products out there for people to buy.
‘Once we got used to the platform, we again found that orders started to build.
Overall business has expanded quite quickly - people have appeared to like what we were offering.
‘It came as quite a surprise when we began to sell globally, selling to various locations all around the world. For example, we have currently sold to 40 US states.’
Jamie and Beth started out with just bracelets, but now ALW Crafts offers personalised pet products, mugs, home decor, photo charms, wedding items, stickers, notepads and more.
Jamie continued: ‘We’re hopeful to continue to grow and we have put work into achieving this goal by increasing our profile to sell on various platforms.
‘We now have an Etsy Shop, eBay Store and our own website which is linked to our Facebook and Instagram pages. We’re also always looking at other ways we can expand.’
Jamie and Beth didn’t have the ideal working environment to begin with. ‘We worked out of our bedrooms in our parents’ homes whilst we were saving for our own home, so as you can imagine, it often got quite cramped. Our families were very accommodating to allow us to use space to store our stock and equipment as our business grew.
‘We have now turned one of our spare bedrooms into a studio. We’ve had to be clever with storage space, but it works well for us. Overall, it’s a massive upgrade from our childhood bedrooms!
‘Neither of us quit our 9-5 jobs to pursue the business. We enjoy working so we continued to do both. Beth is a mental health nurse, working with dementia patients - she found the business therapeutic following difficult shifts.
‘As we were saving for our first home, continuing to do our usual jobs, and keeping up with our business meant that we were able to save quicker. We are now proud to be homeowners and are grateful that the business helped us to achieve this goal.
‘It’s easy to stay passionate about the business. Knowing our items are used for people’s weddings, other special occasions, and even sentimental occasions such as funerals fills us with pride. It’s amazing to know something you’ve made has brought a smile to someone’s face.
‘It’s also rewarding and fun to get creative and design new products; seeing something go from a design on the screen to an actual physical product is quite special.
‘Another great motivator is hitting big sale milestones – we’ve recently exceeded 12,000 sales on Etsy and have finally made our own website.’
Jamie reminds us that running a business isn’t all about watching the orders roll in. ‘When first starting out it was a risk to be buying stock and new equipment with no guarantee there would be a return – it was quite daunting.
‘As we grew, it felt more comfortable to invest our money. However, as a small business it can be quite tight to run everything. For example, there are various fees to consider, such as accountant fees, selling fees, stock, tax and so on.
‘Profit margins can be quite small and it's challenging to decide whether to push prices up to match with the times or to try and work with a lower profit to draw in more customers.
‘We’ve noticed a slight decline in sales more recently, which we feel is understandable given the current economic situation. We are still pleased with the amount of orders we do take, but we are now realising that we need to put in more time and effort with promoting our business to encourage sales.’
Jamie and Beth have enjoyed steadily increasing profits as their business has grown. ‘In the first tax year, we made approximately £2000. This figure more than tripled by the following year.
‘Last year we brought in around £30k. During the COVID period, we were able to bring in £10k in one month. Our overall revenue since starting has now exceeded over £130k.
‘Our current profit from our business allows us to live a bit more comfortably, supporting us with bills, savings and small luxuries such as holidays and doing up our home.’
Jamie shared his advice for those considering their own business venture. ‘Find something that you enjoy doing. This makes it less stressful and the business is more likely to grow. Next, persevere. Put the work in, and don’t expect instant results.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Jamie and Beth have done very well for themselves, and it’s great that they have been able to boost their finances with a business that so many people enjoy. Best of luck to them for the future!’
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