Starting your own business can be daunting, especially as you're leaving the safety of a 9-5 job and steady source of income, but the freedom is worth it for some.
Luke Herbert, 26, seized his opportunity after being furloughed from his job during the pandemic. Like most of us, he was spending his days online shopping and started looking into getting a poster of his dog made.
To save money, he designed his own, and was encouraged by friends to create more and sell them online. From there, his business, UniquePetPrints, has boomed and he's now on track to make £80,000 profits.
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Luke told LatestDeals.co.uk: "I created an online store with Etsy, which I had experience with in the past. I already had a laptop and the software needed so once the shop was open, it was just waiting to see what happened - we got our first sale the night we opened!" Seeing the business do well was exciting, but it also meant Luke needed to put in long hours to make it work.
He said: "‘As the shop grew, balancing it as well as my 9-5 was a struggle - but I’ve never shied away from long days so working in the evening, especially once we had moved into our first home, wasn’t that daunting for me. I am still working as a Production Manager at a local printing company, and I recently started another company. I have no plans of slowing down anytime soon!
"I find my work rewarding because part of it involves creating lifelong portraits for families who have lost their pets. I’m inspired to keep pushing on whenever I receive a lovely, heartfelt review - getting positive feedback like this is absolutely one of the driving forces behind the company. I love knowing that we produce portraits which capture memories lasting a lifetime."
Luke added: "I’m fortunate enough that I am yet to hit any financial roadblocks. I was happy to see our first sale the night we went live - since then I’ve amassed almost 13,000 sales! This year has been the second busiest period for us; the busiest period being Christmas 2022.
"Our products are very fairly priced at as little as £10 per portrait with free delivery, so they make great, budget-friendly gifts - we get lots of reviews saying that they’re great value for money." Luke saves even more by not splashing out on work premises, as all production is done from his office at home, and the business currently employs three people, but is looking to expend next year.
Luke said: "In the first year we turned a profit of around £3,500. Now we’re almost at the end of our third year and we are on target to make around £80,000 profit."
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Luke recommends that those wanting to achieve similar success should go for it. He said: "Just do it! Do your research and get something going - there are so many e-commerce platforms that make it so easy to create an online store. It’s a great feeling building something from the ground up and employing staff - it’s something I’m very proud of."
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