Despite the high street struggling in recent months, Emma Parry, Hannah Suffolk and Omar Sacranie say their independent businesses in Leicester are thriving.
Emma Parry is the owner of the Bloom Project, a florist in Clarendon Park, Leicester which opened last September.
Omar Sacranie opened his cafe, Saints of Mokha in Evington Road, just south of Leicester city centre, in May, 2016.
Siblings Hannah and Jack Suffolk own The Bottle Garden bar in St Martin’s Square in the city centre, which opened in October, 2017.
To the disappointment of some friends and family, Emma, Omar and Hannah all chose to pursue their business ideas instead of going to university.
University is often encouraged as the suitable next step after school and college, but these young business owners didn’t see it as a necessity.
The Bloom Project opened last autumn after a premises became available in Queens Road - not far from the University of Leicester - which is one of the city’s popular shopping areas.
It was ideal for the 23-year-old’s uniquely decorated shop.
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Emma studied up to GCSE level at Sir Jonathon North Community College, in Knighton, Leicester.
She dedicated the rest of her education to floristry at Leicester College, in the city and Brooksby Melton College, in Melton.
She was told numerous times during secondary school that A-levels were more suitable than a floristry course.
Even her mother was approached by teachers to encourage Emma to choose the more favoured route.
She persevered and went on to get jobs at florists in Leicester.
Deeming the experience invaluable, Emma said: “Working from a young age really did me good because I was really shy and had no self esteem.
“When I started working, it completely changed me.”
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Emma said many of her customers discovered her on social media.
In fact, Instagram followers have been significant for all three of the young business owners.
Emma said: “I hate saying this but I am an Instagram shop. People will see me on social media and that’s why they come.”
Top tips for aspiring young business owners
Omar Sacranie, of Saints of Mokha: “Have courage and be disciplined. If you’re waiting around to explore an idea, just go for it.”
Emma Parry, of The Bloom Project: “Know and accept your weaknesses and then find someone who can help you with those things, don’t be afraid to approach people.”
Hannah Suffolk, of The Bottle Garden: “Schools often drum into you that university is the only path to take, but if you have willpower and drive, there is always another route.”
Omar Sacranie who owns Saints of Mokha cafe, in Evington Road, struggled with education at A-levels.
Having discovered his passion for coffee at 16, he saw institutionalised education as a waste of time and wanted to explore the idea for his cafe.
Facing pressure from family members, the Saints of Mokha-owner submitted a university application and was offered a place at the University of Leicester to study economics.
He decided to focus on his business but has not given up on going back into education.
Omar said: “I still want to learn, I’d love to learn more about the English language but just not formally.
“I could travel and learn through people, I think that would be much more valuable.”
His business is supported by more than 7,000 Instagram followers - many of the pictures of latte art and coloured coffee are reposts of images taken by his loyal customer base.
Leicestershire business news: Summer 2019
The 21-year-old from Highfields, Leicester, opened his business at the age of 18.
The cafe, located just around the corner from busy London Road, attracts a steady flow of students and residents.
Omar recognises every returning customer which offers a personal touch which he thinks is often missed in high street chains.
He said: “We aren’t tied down by the dogma of big business and we’re not focused solely on profits and churning out high quantities.”
Hannah and Jack Suffolk, 25 and 23 respectively, own The Bottle Garden bar in St Martins Square in Leicester’s city centre.
They also took an independent approach to the bar despite being raised by successful business owners.
The pair received financial support from a ‘peer-to-peer’ lending scheme, which is the equivalent of an investment loan.
Hannah said: “Money was tight and we had a really small budget to work with, so a lot of time was taken to source cheap materials and think outside the box to save money.”
In 2017, they opened The Bottle Garden which is now a busy social hotspot.
Hannah and Jack both showed academic strength during their A-levels at Robert Smyth Academy in Market Harborough so university was the obvious progression according to their teachers.
But Hannah said: “University just wasn’t for us.”
Owning businesses had given all of the entrepreneurs a level of experience in business and life that most students won’t get until after university, and each knew they would have to be different to survive in a tough retail environment.
Emma said being an ‘Instagram shop’ is what attracts her customers.
Omar’s cafe interior, although small, is crammed with personal touches that sets Saints of Mokha apart from the copycat trends of many high street coffee shops.
While Jack and Hannah always had a clear idea of the theme and image of their bar.
Hannah said: “Jack and I don’t take ourselves too seriously and we wanted that to come through in the personality of the bar, which is why there are so many fairy lights, plants, candles and even disco music to create a fun and warm atmosphere, kind of like the feeling you have when you have a really great chilled summer night in the garden with friends.”
The siblings ensured their vision was met by working on the interior of the bar themselves, with the help of their dad, the handyman.
She said: “Once we had the keys to the property, we went straight in and ripped the entire ceiling down with a couple of sledgehammers.”
Omar also took a hands-on approach to his cafe which certainly didn’t come without setbacks.
He said: “I managed to break my ribs from a fall and my brother successfully cut our electricity by drilling through a circuit.”
Since opening their florist, cafe and bar, the owners have continued to grow.
Emma at The Bloom Project has run a number of collaborations, including with the team at Topshop in Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester city centre.
For Mothering Sunday this year, she arranged a pop-up stand in the clothing store and her plants and flowers sold out before the end of the day.
Omar Sacranie has taken his skills from Saints of Mokha to latte competitions in the 海角视频 which invite baristas to compete for awards and cash prizes.
Every last Sunday of the month, Hannah and Jack invite customers to The Bottle Garden to enjoy an evening of live music.
Hannah said their jazz nights have been a huge success.
Emma, Omar and Hannah are all looking forward to the future prospects of their businesses.