'Upholstery was a creative outlet to improve my mental health and led to my new business'

After enjoying an upholstery class as a creative outlet while she was struggling with her mental health, Sophie Lewis was inspired to start hello_falcon.

The business provides upholstery services and bespoke soft furnishings as well as smaller pieces from the leftover offcuts.

Sophie shares her inspiring story and explains how the Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme has help improve her entrepreneurial skills and knowledge.

The free Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is advice from more than 30 business experts in 218 bitesize videos.  
 
If you're already an Enterprise Nation member, log-in to your learning dashboard to access the e-learning. If you're not an Enterprise Nation member, you can join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator for free here.

How did you come up with your business idea?

I have struggled with my mental health for a few years and in 2019 I had several counselling sessions. It was during this time that I started taking weekend craft courses including pottery, sewing and upholstery. In September 2019 I upholstered my first chair. It was a lovely Parker Knoll rocking chair, which I stripped back to its bare bones, sanded and then reupholstered in a soft mustard velvet.  This was by far my favourite course and I really enjoyed completing a project from start to finish in such a short period of time, in comparison to my day job where a project can be running for years.

I have always enjoyed visiting antique shops and looking at old pieces of furniture and upholstery provided me with a creative outlet to help improve my mental health. This led to the creation of hello_falcon.

As I continued upholstering different pieces of furniture, I was left with various sizes of offcut fabric that I didn't want to send to landfill. I decided to expand my business to include a range of limited cushions, coin purses, zipper pouches and leather items. All of our items are handmade made in Manchester and many are one-of-a-kind pieces because we use offcuts.

What start-up challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

The initial set up of the business and getting my first sale was quite a daunting challenge as there is a lot of information to absorb at the start of this process. It was also quite challenging to generate regular traffic to the site, which I found improved as I developed the hello_falcon brand. The online small business community is amazing and there are so many supportive groups that provide great advice.

How has the Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme helped you?

The Amazon Small Business Accelerator has so many amazing videos that have helped to develop my small business. I feel I have benefited the most from those focusing on how to use social media and creating content.

I found it very useful to understand how to maximise my social media presence whilst driving traffic to my store. It was also interesting to discover that different types of advertising and storytelling are more suited to certain types of media platform, but you can re-use images and tweak depending on the audience.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your business?

COVID-19 has created a couple of delays in the development of aspects of my business due to material supplier problems. This has now been resolved and I have some new chairs coming soon.

Last year we were due to take part in our first makers market, but because of lockdown this was delayed. We have a couple of dates in the diary, and I can't wait to meet people face-to-face.

One of my main takeaways from the pandemic is that I am more adaptable and resilient than I thought and the continued running of hello_falcon via social media, product development and production has provided an outlet and some routine, which has helped with my mental health.

What are your plans for the future of your business?

My aim is to continue to develop hello_falcon with the aim of making 100 sales this year. As my business grows, I plan to get a designated studio space rather than my dining room. This will enable me to take on more commission orders and expand my current range. Currently, most of my sales are in the UK but my aim is to offer shipping for smaller items to Europe and beyond.

What are your top tips for business success based on your own experiences so far?

Do as much training as possible. The Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is a great programme with loads of amazing videos.

I would also advise taking the time to invest the time in your small business, develop a few products and get a clear brand image before you launch.

Social media is amazing and any new start-up should make the most of it. Using videos on social media really help people understand your business.

The free Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is advice from more than 30 business experts in 218 bitesize videos.  
 
If you're already an Enterprise Nation member, log-in to your learning dashboard to access the e-learning. If you're not an Enterprise Nation member, you can join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator for free here.