A North East entrepreneur has swapped a career in the civil service for her own female-led DIY business.
Laura Bartlett spent 27 years working in local government but always had a love of DIY, gardening and furniture upcycling. After renovating her house from top to bottom, her friends and family inspired her to finally turn her passion into her own venture, leading to the launch of SHE-IY SOS in May.
Since launching, Ms Bartlett says the business has proved to be a big hit and her diary is filled with a pipeline of projects over the next few months. Based in Houghton-le-Spring, SHE-IY SOS offers all manner of home and garden services, offering everything from gardening tidy ups to wall panelling, wallpapering, putting up shelves and painting. And the founder says she set up the business to empower women through hands-on learning and creativity.
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In an industry traditionally dominated by men, she says the decision to setup a female-led business is helping her stand out in a crowded marketplace. The majority of her customers are female, with a few having expressed to her how having a woman around for help who they can trust in their home and talk to has made a difference to their lives.
She said: “I think being a female-led business has definitely been a key factor in my success so far. I have built a strong client base comprising mainly of females and I often receive comments about how nice it is to have a woman around.
“Some have said that they feel insecure at times having unknown men around the house, but the majority of the time they just like having a woman to talk to and learn from. It really helps those feeling isolated too. I always knew there would be a market for it, but I never expected it to have this much of an impact on people’s lives.
“From cleaning to gardening, decorating, fixing what’s broken, assembling flat-pack furniture and genuinely just keeping a clutter-free, Pinterest-worthy home, I’ve always been handy and done everything myself. It wasn’t until recently however when I’d renovated my home and my friends began asking me why I haven’t set up a business to do it full-time, and that was that. I got in touch with the BIC and the rest is history.
“With skills honed through necessity, passion, and a healthy dose of stubbornness, I’ve turned my side hustle into a calling - with a lot of help along the way from my DIY hero of a dad, who I still sense check some jobs with! Every day is different for me. One day I can be jet-washing a driveway, fighting brambles, or painting a summer house, the next few days I can be completely transforming someone’s living room.
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“I have also extended my service offer to small businesses, giving business premises their own identity and specific theme and feel for customers.”
The start-up support Laura received from the North East BIC forms part of Enterprising Sunderland, which has received £523,541 from the Government’s 海角视频 Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, managed in Sunderland by Sunderland City Council on behalf of the Sunderland Partnership.
She added: “I met with Helen Wardropper, a business adviser from the BIC, and she has just been great. Straight away we knew there was a gap, so we pulled together a business plan, which I’d never even thought about, and set about getting the wheels in motion.
“Without their help and advice, I may not have taken this step. Their support has been both practical and motivational. From helping me refine my business plan to offering workshops on business planning, marketing and finance, they’ve encouraged me every step of the way.”
Her plans for the future include the recruitment of more women, as well as the launch of a business-to-business arm division. She also plans to introduce DIY skills to young girls and women through partnerships with local schools and colleges, and deliver community-based skills workshops.
BIC business adviser Ms Wardropper added: “Like many people who are considering self-employment, Laura wanted independence, to be her own boss and to provide an income for her two children, so it’s fantastic to see her doing exactly that.
“In just a couple of months, she has set up a business from scratch and established a loyal customer base which is no small feat. It’s a fantastic success story for anyone wishing to set up a business and I have every confidence it will continue to go from strength-to-strength as it continues to grow.”