A vintage shop opens its doors in Barry with support from Business Wales and the Barriers Grant.
Introduction to business
Fussy is a new vintage shop located in a converted train carriage at the Goodsheds in Barry. Launched by Yvette Clark, the shop offers unique vintage pieces, inspired by the 70s, 80s and 90s, including clothing, homeware, jewellery and accessories.
Fussy prides itself on inspiring individuality in a stylish and sustainable way, instilling an idea of a slower way of shopping, producing less and using what has already been made.
Business Wales support
Yvette attended a ‘Starting and Running your Own Business’ webinar, after which she worked with our adviser Hywel Bassett on her business plan and financial forecasts.
Hywel advised on start-up costs, marketing and funding requirements, and assisted Yvette with her successful application for a Business Wales Barriers Grant of £2,000.
- Successfully started the business
- Created 1 job
- Secured £2,000 from the Barriers Grant towards the purchase of stock and equipment
- Signed up to the Business Wales Green Growth Pledge to ensure Fussy operates in a sustainable and responsible manner
We caught up with Yvette to find out more about her start-up journey and her ambitions for the future.
Why did you decide to set up your own business?
I’ve always wanted to have my own shop and be my own boss. I never thought it would take a pandemic for that to happen, but here I am! Being faced with redundancy was just the push I needed to pursue my lifetime ambition of selling vintage clothing full time.
Throughout every job I have had, I’ve never been able to shake off buying and selling vintage clothes and making money out of true, original, one-off pieces that are sustainable and kind to the environment. I am so proud that I’ve given myself this job!
What challenges did you face?
Deciding to open a retail shop in the middle of a pandemic with all of retail shut may sound completely crazy but I knew I had to stick it out, ride the wave and stay positive until the time I was able to open – after all, I can’t imagine myself being happy doing anything else!
Getting the keys to my shop was exciting but also overwhelming – I came to the realisation that I had signed a contract on an old train carriage that I needed to renovate completely with shop fittings and stock. I am terrible at maths and I have never been able to budget properly. So after using up all of my savings and earnings from online sales, I realised it wasn’t going to be easy, especially with the unknown of when I could possibly open.
Focusing on marketing and getting the word out about my shop has been a big challenge.
However, designing a website and launching my online shop has already made a huge impact.
How have our adviser and the Business Wales Barriers Grant helped you overcome these challenges?
As part of my redundancy, I was eligible for ReAct training. After a couple of courses, I decided to put together a business plan for my own shop and got in touch with Business Wales.
After attending the free ‘Starting and Running your own Business’ webinar, I began putting my plan into action with support from my adviser Hywel Bassett, who has a huge wealth of experience and knowledge and has provided me with invaluable support throughout my journey. With his help, everything fell into place and he was always available to lend his expertise. I always look forward to speaking with Hywel; he has really helped me overcome all the concerns and challenges I have faced.
Being awarded with the Barriers Grant, which specifically helps women in business, has given me a huge moral boost and the confidence to make my shop an even bigger success. I’m hugely grateful for it.
Future plans and ambitions
I have been so excited to open and curious to see what the future brings. I’m happy to be able to offer such a unique, sustainable shopping experience for customers to enjoy and find their own individual style. I’d also love to attract more customers that wouldn’t usually shop vintage and encourage them to take a slower approach to shopping! So why not follow @fussyhome on Instagram to check our latest stock and come visit us in person in the Goodsheds!
If you want to read more success stories of how Business Wales has helped other people like you to start or grow their businesses, visit https://businesswales.gov.wales/case-studies or follow @_businesswales / @_busnescymru on Twitter