Enterprise Nation

Siobhan and Craig Hymes set up their own design agency in September 2006. A few months later Craig quit his full time job to join the business full time and the happy couple haven’t looked back since. Want to know their secret to success of being in love and in business?

Our story

The main factor for starting our business was that I was fed up of Craig complaining that he "could do it better himself." So we gave ourselves 6 months to make the business pay and reached our first goal within 3 months. 

We originally met at a software company where Craig designed the packaging and I sold it to retailers, so we knew we could work together. All my friends were aghast at the thought of spending 24 hours a day with their husband but I love it.

Craig is upstairs in his studio and I'm downstairs in the office. Most of the time we run the business harmoniously, although there has been the odd heated debate!

Our secret to success

The secret is communication!

Every morning we have a discussion regarding what needs to be done that day - whether it be calling clients for artwork, setting up appointments, chasing payments etc. Even though you are working in the same place you mustn't assume that your partner knows what you are doing.

When you run your own business you put a lot more time into it but you chose those hours. We are now able to attend school assemblies but we can still be working until midnight!

• Siobhan and Craig Hymes are the co-founders of InchPunch Design