We believe that it’s never too late to start doing what you love and these two mums just go to prove it! Meet cousins Lisa and Wendy, the talented duo who joined forces in 2007 to turn Wendy’s post-divorce shop business into a successful online home boutique… Vintagevibe.
Lisa Nutley (pink top) and Wendy Thomas, cousins and founders of Vintagevibe at their offices and storage facility. Commissioned by Claire Echavarry for First Voice Magazine.
1. How are you doing what you love?
Lisa: We sell interesting and quirky home accessories, like large mirrors, bedroom furniture and statement lighting through our online shop Vintagevibe. We are passionate about offering affordable pieces, which are a little different.
2. What is your background? Talk us through your journey to this point…
Lisa: I have a corporate business background in accounts and was an assistant Bursar at a private school. However I’ve always had a strong entrepreneurial spirit and from a young age I ran a stall at a market selling pop badges.
Wendy: My career background was sales. My first was for job for IPC publishing at their old Bowling Green Offices selling advertising space. I went on to break sales records selling, binding, laminating and collating office equipment for the General Binding Company as a London based sales rep.
I married two years after leaving school, having just completed my A-levels, and in 1983 gave up work to become the last generation of career housewife. I revelled in raising a family. I was married to an antiques dealer so I helped out doing all things that he didn’t have time for, like choosing fabrics for upholstery projects, paperwork, and meeting and greeting the dealers who would buy from our home, etc. We also moved house eight times in 25 years, renovating bashed up houses to supplement our income. Vintagevibe marked the start of a new chapter in my career.
3. Where did the idea for your business come from?
Lisa: I was helping Wendy with the accounts and VAT returns for her shop in Tunbridge Wells where she sold large reproduction mirrors, dressing tables, chandeliers, and quirky gifts. At the time few people we selling items like this online so we realised we had an opportunity to fill the gap in the market and leapt on it. We started on a softly softly basis with an eBay and then Amazon shop, then finally our own website.
Wendy: We wanted to create an aspirational website with cool style shots, unusual offerings and quirky gifts. We were ahead of the game for a number of years and were able to grow the business very quickly. We know all our products really well and our USP is the fact we are customer-focused and are always happy to pick up the phone – something that’s very unusual these days.
4. How did you bring your idea for Vintagevibe to life? What role did you play?
Wendy: We invested £50 each and a lot of our time. Lisa took photos of goods in my shop and put them on Ebay and, as we sold, we reinvested the money and bought more stock. It was an organic process and we soon learnt what our customers wanted. Friends then built a very basic website – in exchange for dinner! Back then we were both holding down full-time day jobs and working around Vintagevibe.
The business now has turned over almost £1millon and we a top seller on ebay and we have a large customer base on the website. We now have five employees, all in the family, and we all work really well together.
5. Why is work so important to you?
Wendy: We both wanted to do something that interested us after raising our families and we love working as part of a team. We’d come to realise that we no longer wanted the humdrum of London and this new business opportunity gave us the freedom and flexibility to do what we loved.
6. Talk us through a typical day in your life…
Lisa: We both work Monday to Friday from our new showroom at the Hop Farm Paddock Wood and keep on top of the business from home at the weekends. We start the day with a great cup of coffee from the Italian restaurant next door then process the online orders for collection by either our delivery specialist or for smaller items Parcelforce. We love our customers and have lots of contact with them, making sure that everything runs smoothly from taking the orders online or over the phone to managing delivery demands. We have a steady stream of trade customers from places like the showroom to hairdressers, beauticians and nail bars to gastro pubs.
Hard at work!
7. How did your career change after having children?
Lisa: I went from working 8.30am to 6pm in an office to working 24 hours! I had already started doing accounts for a few clients while on the tail end of my first pregnancy so once my first child was born I had accounts I could do from home. When I had my second baby I finished off some accounts while I was in labour! I had him at home in the night and by morning there were more accounts on my doorstep waiting for me. No gaps in my career!
Wendy: It was a big shock to get divorced and re-enter the work force in 2005 but looking back I realise that I was actually feeling quite bored at home, and a little lost for a while as the children started making their own lives. I had no tech or Internet skills and could barely send a text, but I did have a love of interiors and the home so a shop was the obvious next move. I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do to earn money, and it suited my skill set. The business plan consisted of trying to find great stuff at bargain prices and being a nice person, which made my friends laugh…
Early days: Lisa (L) and Wendy (R) unpacking stock in the Vintagevibe warehouse
8. What valuable lessons have your children learnt from your work/work ethic and what careers advice do you give them?
Wendy: My children have always been my biggest motivation. They are all grown up now and they have always inspired me to strive for success. My daughters are artistic and self-employed: one is in the film industry and the other is a performing dancer and singer/song writer.
Lisa: My eldest son works in finance while the other is writing his dissertation in business studies. I raised my children to believe in themselves, to pursue their passions and to do whatever suits their skills set.
9. What challenges have you faced and what sacrifices have you had to make along the way? How do you feel about these?
Both: At times it has been a hard slog! We work long hours and are constantly reinventing the business so we evolve and progress in line with our customers’ needs.
10. What have been your biggest highlights/proudest moments in the last year or two?
Wendy: Last year we were invited to Google’s offices in London for a meeting with MPs Ed Vaizey and Anna Soubry, along with the CEO’s of BT, Vodaphone, Virgin Media, FSB, and Talk Talk to discuss the key to unlocking the UK’s economic growth potential. I gave a three-minute speech on how we use Digital Technology in our business.
Lisa: Also last year we were also cover girls in SBS magazine and the Federation of Small Business Voice magazine and chosen as ‘Portrait of the month’ by eminent photographer Peter Searle, who has recently photographed Philip Green and Tony Blair.
A visit from Mark Franks, host of Channel 4’s The French Collection
Last month we had fun when Mark Franks from Channel 4’s The French Collection came to our shop to film us buying a dresser from a contestant. We also had celebrity visits from Dame Kelly Holmes, Jessica Pietersen and the late Paul Daniels.
11. What’s next for you?
Lisa: In March we took over a large shop and warehouse showroom at The Hopfarm in Paddock Wood, Kent. People are always asking us if they can come and view our products so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to take the business to the next level and showcase our gorgeous goodies in a beautiful setting.
Wendy making herself at home at The Hop Farm
Vintagevibe shop at The Hop Farm
12. And long term?
Wendy: We are so full on now that we would love to be able to take a step back and have more time off during the week to catch up with friends and family. We plan to take alternative Fridays off over the summer so we can enjoy long weekends and travel more to get inspiration for Vintagevibe.co.uk
13. Many women lose themselves when they become a mum. What advice would you give any mum who’d like to do what she loves but isn’t sure how that translates to their life?
Lisa: We are both big believers in doing what you can with whatever you have. When we started out we had time but we also had no money so we started our business with just £50 each. It also pays to play to your strengths. Wendy is artistic, creative and has a strong background in interiors, while I have a good head for figures and great administrative skills. The first step is to identify what you really enjoy doing, and what you’re good at. The rest will follow.
Wendy: Figure out what you enjoy doing and work out how to spend more time doing it! I loved spending time raising my family – I had the time of my life. Now I’m enjoying this chapter; doing something for myself. It’s never too late to start a business, change careers or change the course of your life.
For more information visit Vintagevibe or connect with Lisa and Wendy on Facebook.
