Iain Aitchison is the owner of Longwell Records in Keynsham, Bristol. A former NHS worker, Iain founded the business in November 2015 as an online store and opened his first shop in April 2016. Last year his shop was runner up in the 海角视频's Best Small Shops competition 2018.
What inspired you to you to set up? My love of music and in particular vinyl records made this a no brainer.
What's the biggest lesson you have learnt in business? Kindness and being friendly with customers. One particular customer chose to sell us his amazing record collection just because we were genuinely nice to him.
Where do you get your inspiration and ideas? I have always been a bit of a dreamer and often sit looking out of the window in the shop and think. Something will come into my mind and I will normally discuss this with a customer and see what they think. We share a lot of ideas in the shop and I think that creates a sense of inclusiveness.
What is your best piece of business advice? Try not to overspend on stock that you are not sure you can sell.
Where in Bristol would you recommend for a meeting? I absolutely love the docks area and, in specific, the Mshed cafe where you can have a good natter about stuff.
What is your proudest moment since being in business? We were runner-up for the best small independent shop in the 海角视频 in 2018. We had to pick our award up from the House of Commons! I dedicated the award to the lovely customers of Longwell Records.
What's the most difficult thing you've encountered? Getting ready for Record Store Day is always a real challenge. It’s one day a year where we have about 500 special vinyl releases and the customers ask for certain records. It’s a brilliant day but it can be stressful. It takes a lot of organising.
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What is your vision for the business in the next three-to-five years? I am hoping the vinyl revival will continue and we may one day open a second shop in Bristol with a cafe. I would also like to have opportunities for people with learning disabilities who love music to volunteer in the shop.
What's the secret to your success? I think the pricing of our records goes a long way; there’s nothing worse than feeling ripped off. We also have a brilliant logo, which my good mates Adam Higton and Phil Riley design in-house t-shirts from. It has really put us on the map and our social media platforms are very special indeed.
Apart from friends and family, what can't you live without? A strong cup of tea in the morning and a walk with my jack russell Frida round Keynsham park, listening to the beautiful sound of the birds singing the morning chorus. Oh, and we can't live without second-hand vinyl collections as we buy from people in the shop!