Enterprise Nation

The inspiration for Sue Guerrieri’s business came from shopping for her young daughter. She saw a gap in the market, did something about it and is well on her way to launching her own fashion collection. Not bad for 6 months worth of work! 

First of all, a little intro…

“At SugaPlum we know how hard it is to buy teen lingerie that’s right. When you buy teen underwear online from SugaPlum, you’ll discover that our innovative items are perfectly designed for teens.

But we don’t compromise on quality. Our lingerie – manufactured in Italy – is made of the finest fabrics and created with glamour and comfort in mind.”

And now it’s time for some questions…

When did you start SugaPlum?

I launched SugaPlum on 6th December 2007.

What were you doing before becoming your own boss?

I was working full time as a Civil Servant in Whitehall. Now I work part time.

How do you source your products?

My current collection comes from a company in Italy but the new collection I'm working on will be my own exclusive design. SugaPlum will be the label and I’ll get the line produced, depending on factory quotes, from the Far East or Europe.

Does your daughter help out?!

Geneva is very central to SugaPlum and she has worked with me on our new designs.

Your website is great – how did you get it designed and developed?

I've been very fortunate to have found a great bunch of guys called Sliced Creative. They have worked with us to create a fabulous website based only on emails and telephone calls. Without them I would be lost!

Can you tell us a bit about your home office?

My home office consists of my blackberry, laptop and my spare room where I keep all my products. It’s really basic at the moment as I continue to build the business.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans for SugaPlum are to launch my own collection, supply to a major department store and really improve SugaPlum's profile, in that I want people to know there is a store where mum's like me can buy nice girly age appropriate underwear for their daughters and not underwear that is sexy, racy, raunchy or from an adult collection.
 
Sue Guerrieri talks to Emma Jones

• SugaPlum