Love your Local Market is an exciting new national campaign to showcase markets of all types around the UK - between 23rd June and 8th July. The campaign is a response to the Mary Portas Report on the future of our High Streets and her recommendations for their revitalization. In her report she acknowledged the importance of local markets and highlighted how they can provide opportunities for new start up businesses – she also recommended the establishment of a National Market Day to raise the profile of the role of markets.

 

Alison Kennelly and Ella Gorman both received 6 month’s worth of free training, business advice and personal mentoring to start their businesses under Enterprise Enfield’s RSA Trust Inspiring Women Programme. The scheme, fully funded by local charity, The RSA Trust, provides women resident in Enfield with the knowledge, skills and confidence to start and manage their own businesses successfully – through a combination of business advice, guidance, personal coaching, a residential weekend and a range of practical business seminars. 

 

Alison, a former teacher, decided to set up her business, Berryglow, selling handcrafted stained glass items – including jewellery, clocks and gifts such as butterflies and hearts – after attending a Barclays Let’s Get Ready for Business seminar at Enterprise Enfield. She says, “I love making things with glass and find the work very satisfying. I was convinced other people would also enjoy having little touches of the lovely colours and textures of stained glass around their homes or buying them for gifts.”

 

Alison received invaluable support under the RSA Trust Inspiring Women Programme in all the key areas of business including finance, marketing, researching, forecasting and business planning. She commented that, “It provided a carefully planned and paced programme that steered me to the point of producing my business plan, launching my website and starting to trade. Also, being brought together to share the process with other like- minded women was so supportive. I feel it has enabled me to begin my business on solid foundations.”

 

Ella started her business, EGZ Designs from her hobby designing and making customised children's clothes. She formerly worked in the oil and gas industry, but after having children decided to explore the idea of turning her hobby into a business in order to be able to work more flexible hours.  She also received intensive help and training from Enterprise Enfield’s RSA Trust Inspiring Women Programme and she says, “it gave me all the tools I needed – I am no longer so scared of running my own business, my confidence has increased dramatically”. At the market she will be selling children’s cotton cardigans and uniquely designed, hand decorated t-shirts. 

 

For more information about EGZ Designs contact Ella on 07725 443806ellaegz@gmail.com