P L A T F O R M
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P A S S I O N
How we are
Independent Businesses
I've been exploring small independent businesses. Predominantly artisan led businesses and gift shops.
How did they come to exist, what drives them, what trials and tribulations they face and how they continue to survive….. Or not.
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Small independent creative businesses are at the heart of our communities. They provide a variety of goods, services and a wealth of experience and knowledge that you can't get in supermarkets and the high street.
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These passionate business owners, provide platforms for creatives and service providers and are in constantly evolving to keep up with trends and the fleeting attention of the general public.
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They we're there for us during the pandemic, offering door to door deliveries. Can we be there for them during these uncertain times to come.
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Meet Kate, Hayley, Sam & Emily and find out more.
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Boss Birds Parlour
3 Years Old
Owners: Lisa & Kate
After being hit with a lockdown just 6 months after launching, Boss Birds Parlour has come through the other side fighting thanks to the endurance and persistence of owners and sisters Lisa & Kate. Learning to adapt to the ever changing economy is what has kept this independent business alive. From door to door visits during the covid - 19 Pandemic to expanding services to accommodate the ever changing public interests and hurdles presented by Brexit.
Lisa explains "Footfall has decreased since covid, more and more people work from home now. During lockdown I spent my time building up the website and I had the most amount of driveway chats I've ever had in my life. We now deliver all over the UK and our custom base is predominately in London, but were not just a gift shop, we offer talking therapies, holistic therapies, Indian head massages and we have Emily our beautician too. Everyone says we have a lovely energy in here, people just come in for a chat. You need to find out what your customers' needs are and how you can offer it the best way possible, It's pinnacle to businesses survival, If you can't adapt quickly you won't survive.
For us the shop is not just about gifts, it's about supporting makers and creators and service providers, together you can do things a lot better. When you have a team and you all working towards the same goal and fighting for the same cause, it feels like your not in it alone. So many people need a platform, they have the passion we provide the platform.
Unfortunately, BREXIT has forced crafters to increase their prices with the price of import costs now. It's TOUGH, right now the economy is on its knees and with the energy crisis I don’t think we have an easy road ahead of us, I think there are a lot of mountains we have to climb. It's not about competition, It's all about collaboration and the more you can work with people the better. I believe more than ever, independents need to unite and say ''this who we are, this is why you need to come to us, this is why were different' you don’t get the same personable experience from a large company that you do with an independent."
Concept Corner
5 Years Old
Owner: Hayley Matthews
After 5 years of trading as an Independent Hayley has given Concept Corner a whole new revamp, in celebration of the shops 5th anniversary. Being one of the first independent stores of an artisan nature on Sea bank Road, New Brighton, helping and housing artisans and service providers that have now branched out to their own platform, Concept Corner is at the heart of a hub of local, butchers, green grocers and other independents.
Hayley explains, "I started this because I just wanted to help people, Not all artisans want to do the website side of a business, so that’s what I can provide. Marketing your business alone is like a 5 man job, its hard finding the time to do it all.
Sea bank road has changed over the years, and all the independent here offer extras, it's now a hub of locals offering local produce. We offer a lot of local art relating to New Brighton, and have a long standing spot for the charity, African hope for single mums – People want to contribute to that.
Location is key and now people working from home has affected everything. You have to change and evolve, we now concentrate on workshops, offering, Sound baths, Womb healing, Yoga, Meditation, Tarot card readings, Reflexologist and Reiki.
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During lockdown I offered click and collect and it was all locals that supported us, but even during lockdown, the sales were more than what they are now. More people now work from home and foot fall is low, rent is rising, it's hard for everybody. We're hoping that come Christmas, everyone will come together and support the local independent businesses as they have done throughout lockdown."
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The Barn
4 Years Old
Owner: Samantha Peddie
From creating candles and launching Wirral Candle Company, The Barn was eventually born. Sam went from candle making as a hobby and creating and distributing a local magazine that promoted independents to being an independent business owner, Sam explains:
"I was trying to find the people I related to. To go from what I was doing to getting the premises, was a big leap. It's an extension of my comfort zone, I love my seating area, I can chat to customers, and were dog friendly. You can come in, shop for a gift, do a workshop have a coffee and a cake. We're not a coffee shop though, we don’t try to be.
We do nice artisan cakes, great coffee from a local roaster, patisserie on a Saturday. but we're not trying to compete with the high street. We offer independents artwork and it nearly all has a conscience or is plastic free, sitting with our values. We mainly focus on the workshops, such as Scented workshops, Ceramics, Doodle watercolour, Upcycle crafts, Beginners sewing and book club to name a few. I love teaching other people, its my passion. If we didn’t do workshops we wouldn’t exist. If we were just a gift shop we would only be open Saturdays, We have to offer what sells, You'll never survive as just a retail shop. We always intended to host workshops.
It's not recovered post covid, and now it's all recession and fuel bills now. Everyone's disposable income is being saved, they have to have a purpose to come in, so the workshops are a godsend to us. Foot fall isn't big mid week, Saturdays are busy for us. We're not on a high street, were on a high network area, but that doesn't mean people spend. We do have a good following and a good online presence, so we were fortunate there
I'm not sure it will recover for a long time; All I hear of is more and more closures. Now you're seeing the effect of the current crisis as leases are up for renewal, people are recessing and re-evaluating."
Cor - Conscious
CLOSED
Owner: Emily Gleaves
Just 6 months after launching her rebrand from Waste Not Want Not to Cor - Conscious, unfortunately Emily has been forced roll her shutters down for the last time. Emily is passionate about Eco change and waste not want not was a zero waste, reuse and refill store. Emily explains the reasons for rebranding and her thoughts on the future for artisans and independents.
"We were restructuring the business model, removing the food, keeping liquid refills, laundry, bathroom and self care sells well too. It became more astatically appealing, It's easier to sell, people are attracted to happy vibrant stuff. It’s a shame about having to get rid of the food, but I have to adapt to what people want, I hoped that when people come in to find the stuff they're interested in, I can use my knowledge to educate them on how eco friendly everything is in here.
Because of covid, business has reduced, people working from home. Our footfall reduced, we used to have loads of people coming in on their break and now nothing. A lot of people buy online, but ultimately, I wanted to try and get people through the door. If people had the choice, I believe they would choose to go the shops, but they just don’t have the time and its not fair, with work, and family life they're just too busy. We need more shops, more going on to make it more appealing. Things are moving really slow here, there is regeneration plans that are happening over the years and which of the businesses are going to survive during this? Where is the help for them to get them through this time? It’s a shame that so many of the eco waste business have closed over the past 18 months.
Where is the incentive for smaller business to create eco friendly businesses like this? There Isn't anything. We need multiple organisations, the government with a plan to make changes, but this won't happen. Businesses like this will whittle away, so why will anyone else want to even try and attempt it, eventually there's going to be nobody doing this because there's no help.
Fuel bills coming in, cost of food, stock cost increasing and have done since Brexit. Most small businesses will hang on till the very last minute. Even pop ups without a premises are closing because of cost of food, they would have to increase their prices to survive.
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How do artisan's survive from this, even platforms like Etsy have increased costs. I want to help the planet, reduce our consumption, educate people and give them products that will help them make a difference. Youve got to have the fight in you and just keep going."
