Inspiration
SUSAN JAMES....A Passion for Fashion
Words: Gillian Gibbons
Imagine if you will coming up with that ultimate business idea, and let’s face it most of us come up with a plan to make us a million fairly regularly, but instead of shelving it as another daft idea or thinking about all the reasons why you can’t do it, you find yourself heading up your very own limited company bankrolled by private investors!
This is exactly what happened when Susan James has her light bulb moment and in the space of just a few weeks her business Art of Accessorising was formed!
It helps that Susan, 46, is a vision of calm and serenity but she has not been without her own challenges.
‘’Fifteen years ago I was a newcomer to the UK, with two young children, I couldn’t drive and had a husband who travelled abroad Monday to Friday. I had a limited social life but when an acquaintance introduced me to direct sales company Weekenders, I saw within it many opportunities.’’
In a short space of time, Susan was able to overcome all the issues that would have stopped many of us at the first fence, and she went on to become Weekender’s top performing sales manager with annual sales of more than £1 million.
My only contact with direct sales are childhood memories of attending Tupperware coffee mornings or Pippa Dee parties with my Mother but it seems the industry has reinvented itself so that hostess parties include everything from Bodyshop to fine art.
Having tasted success, Susan recognised the growth of the direct sales industry and an opportunity for a capsule wardrobe called the Susan James Collection. Sadly the end of her marriage broke up more than the family and Susan decided to fold the company so that she could devote her time to her two children in this difficult period.
But once the children were a little more independent Susan’s entrepreneurial streak reappeared and two years ago she identified another gap to not only provide high quality but affordable accessories but in demonstrating the art of wearing these accessories.
‘’The USP was drawing together a collection of stunning and versatile accessories with a simple and fun styling presentation in a relaxed and friendly environment. I felt it was important to show women how to get the maximum out of the minimum in their wardrobe. I also decided that the presentation would show them how to make the best of ‘their best bits’ and add style, confidence and individuality to their wardrobes.’’
In May 2005 Susan put together a business plan and consulted with people in the direct sales industry to tap into their experience to develop her sales strategy.
The next step is one that often proves the most difficult for those establishing a business, and an area that historically has been more of a challenge for women, raising the cash to put the plan into practice.
Susan was fortunate enough to be referred to Clifford Peat, who has become her business mentor. Clifford, now a retired accountant and one of Susan’s principle investors, advised that Susan consider partial bank funding through the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme which would be matched by private equity through the Enterprise Investment Scheme. Within weeks Susan’s determination and hard work succeeded and she had raised the £200K she needed to get the business off the ground.
‘’Whilst I was always aware of the risk and challenges that I would face in starting out on my own, my focus has always been in finding solutions and moving on to the next step. I am always energised and excited about every new turn and ‘worry’ is never there long enough for me to notice – I sleep very soundly at night!.’
With the business in place, Susan set about sourcing the first collection and she found designers from all over the World – China, Hong Kong and South Africa who worked with Susan to develop products that are unique to Art of Accessorising.
In November, she launched the first ever collection and hasn’t looked back since! Now on collection number four, Susan is on plan for a turnover of £1million in her second year of trading and has 34 consultants who sell the products across the UK.
Susan’s background in direct sales meant that she was determined to get the structure right for her sales consultants whether someone who wanted to earn a bit of additional income alongside another job or around the children, or someone who really wanted to make a career from Art of Accessorising in the way she had.
The result has been so successful that when consultant Emma Collins did a thorough search of the direct sales opportunities, she found that Art of Accessorising is head and shoulders above the competition.
‘’I have already recommended the business to others and have two or three other people who are interested in joining – it is a fail safe option so I don’t think you can lose. I can put my hand on my heart and say that I researched the market very thoroughly and Art of Accessorising can’t be beaten for quality of product and commission levels. By recruiting my own team I am able to further my own commission, without taking anything away from the team members. My earning levels, and theirs, can only get better!
‘’As well as the financial rewards, I have had the opportunity to wear beautiful accessories as part of my job, meet new and interesting people and, for a mother-of-two like myself, going out in the evening is great fun! I’ve been pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoy it and how well it has gone – it’s great to have a focus beyond the children which my husband tells me makes me a nicer person to live with! ’’
Susan feels that the secret of her success has been that she based her plan on the basis of her own experience and not simply what seemed a good idea.
She said, ‘’I have walked the talk and continue to do so everyday. I am very much in touch with the consultants and customers, and I constantly refine, adapt and move with the demands of the market.
‘’I would advise anyone setting up their own business to find something they feel passionate about and then do it! Don’t look at challenges as problems but look to the new opportunities they bring. Stay focused and move towards your goal one step at a time.’’
For further information about Art of Accessorising visit www.artofaccessorising.com
