BusinessWings.co.uk

Violet May is female-orientated, both in terms of your customers and your team…

Claire: We’ve got a team of female designers behind the product. These kinds of products are usually designed by men.

I primarily did it because there aren’t any products out there that are functional and stylish. Can they be functional and fabulous? For instance, one of our lead products is a gorgeous leather laptop case with a beautiful, padded, satin interior and a shoulder strap that makes it easy to carry.

It’s definitely an undeveloped sector. There’s no brand out there specifically for women; designed by women, for women.

Where are you producing the goods?

Claire: We do all the product design and development in London and prototype and manufacture in Spain.

I want to be able to vouch for the origin of my products – and I can honestly say that no children were involved in the making of them. It’s something I feel strongly about.

I discovered that many of the big luxury brands had moved their production to Asia, and many people said it wouldn’t be financially viable to manufacture in Europe. But I felt that with 10 years of craftsmanship you get in Spain and Italy – surely there’s a way to do it. If you are a private limited company maybe you could decide to not make as much profit.

It’s a family-run operation in Spain. I have been there four times and luckily I speak Spanish. Each piece is handmade and you get control over the quality.

That’s great. Obviously it is a matter of conscience for you rather than a response to market demands, but you are nevertheless reflecting a growing concern among consumers about how products affect people and the environment…

Claire: It’s something I’m going to publicise. Knowing the origin of things is more and more important to consumers, and my target demographic – 25-55 year olds, or ‘ABC1’ females – particularly care.

Why have you gone into business now?

Claire: I felt there was a gap in the market for this and I’m passionate about accessories and fashion, so I researched it and wrote a business plan. I have written a million and one business plans before but always killed the plan off. This one just wouldn’t go away – so I had to do it.

I was looking through the Evening Standard and I saw a new company doing laptop cases. I thought: “I have got to do this!”

You also have to be ready. It takes a lot of courage to start your own business and to put your money where your mouth is, and I don’t think I was ready until that point.

Why not?

Claire: I left the corporate world when I left Corporate America, so I wasn’t afraid of leaving that.

My dad was a businessman and had a few ventures. With one of them we lost everything, and that was one of the things that held me back for a long time. But you eventually realise that you are not your own parents; you are your own person.

You still have your finger in a lot of pies despite starting Violet May…

Claire: While I have been starting Violet May I still had to provide for myself. I did a job-share where I’d work two and a half days a week and I’m still a non-executive director for another company as well – so development time has taken longer.

What in your previous experience has given you the best preparation for building your own business?

Claire: I’ve been involved in lots of entrepreneurial companies. I worked for Corporate America for eight years, where I learnt a lot about growing a business. I opened their European division in my mid-20s and grew it from a standing start to £1.8m in 18 months. Although that was under the auspices of a larger organisation, I didn’t have anyone in Europe to liaise with, only back-up in the States.

But there’s still something about doing it for yourself that is so different. I try to emotionally detach from it, otherwise your perception can get skewed and you don’t make clear decisions. This is a danger when it’s your own cash at stake.

Speaking of cash, how did you finance it?

Claire: I re-mortgaged my house to release equity. It’s a cash-intensive business because you have a lot of your cash tied up in your inventory.

It’s going to be an online business, so I guess you can save on premises…

Claire: Yes, I’m trying to keep overheads down to a minimum initially, so I’m operating from home. We have wall-to-wall boxes! All the money I might have spent on storage, I want to spend on online marketing.

I spent a lot of money on the trademarks and the design rights for the product across 25 European countries – that doesn’t come cheap. But it stops people ripping off our design so I felt it was an important investment.

So it’s a choice between sacrificing your own personal comfort and sacrificing investment that will protect and publicise your business…

Claire: Exactly. When you’re bootstrapping it at the beginning you can’t have everything – you can’t have the plush office and the PA – so I’m living in a warehouse!

Did it cost more than envisioned?

Claire: About what I planned for. The business I worked for in the States was manufacturing so I know how much it costs to get a product to market.

How many people do you employ?

Claire: I’m not employing anyone as a PAYE employee. I have three people that work with me on a consultative basis: a product designer, a branding expert and someone in a non-executive role – someone to challenge my thinking. He brings a lot of growth strategy experience to my business, and although I know about that as well, two heads are better than one.

My background is more sales and marketing. I’m pretty good at the financial side as well – and you have to be.

What are the best bits of running your own business?

Claire: You get to live the dream! When something is in your heart, to not do it is way more uncomfortable than doing it. I can’t imagine what that would feel like if I had not done it. Your 80 years old and you’re sitting in your rocking chair – are you going to think “I really regret giving that a go” if you do it? No – you’re going to think ‘why didn’t I find the courage?” if you don’t do it. It’s my rocking chair theory!

I’ve been fighting my destiny – I was born to do something like this.

And the worst bits…

Claire: Feeling lonely and isolated. Of course you have people you can talk to, but no one else is responsible, so making those decisions yourself can be quite lonely. I quite liked the idea of having a business partner, but I just haven’t met the right person yet.

Also, you can put the work in, but you cannot control the outcome.

And the Spanish way of doing business is different to the English way. I’m not going to change them so I had to change my own attitudes to accommodate that.

But it’s also one of the best bits. It’s a husband, wife and brother team. I have become part of the family – I love that. They have really gone above and beyond the call of duty to support me.

Also, I get to put into practice all the things I have thought when I’ve been running other people’s businesses or watching them do it.

How big do you see this business growing, ultimately?

Claire: In 12 to 18 months time I plan to move into the Japanese and Chinese markets. Ultimately, I would like to see Violet May become the leading global luxury business accessories brand for women.

Modest ambitions then! How fast do you see the business growing?

Claire: I’ve not even started selling, so I don’t think it’s wise to quantify like that. Ask me that in 12 months time!

Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Claire: Do it! If you don’t get it out there then you’ll never know.

Also, Cash is the lifeblood of any business – that is why so many businesses die within the first three years. You need a flow of it through the business. That doesn’t mean you have to start off with loads; you just have to manage it properly.

I think it is really important to do the stuff that people think is really boring. The thing that is often left out in a start-up situation is the financial modelling – and as draining as it sounds, it is invaluable. Without it, it’s like driving round the M25 with a blindfold on. That’s how you end up bankrupting yourself.

And that applies as much to a small fish and chip shop as a Hotel or a health club…

Claire: Absolutely. A vision without cash flow is a hallucination! You can’t make things a reality unless you have fuel in the engine.

But, though there are many factors, you also need a whole lot of luck. And who am I to give advice anyway – I just like to share my experiences!