My business started out as a hobby in lockdown but this year it has really taken off. I started my business as something to do during lockdown and also to gain some marketing experience as I was looking for a placement job at the time. I have always been business minded, from selling sweets outside my house, making bracelets for people in school and doing car boot sales. Within my business, I sell a range of fashion jewellery and accessories along with some handmade pieces which I taught myself to do. I have recently branched into sweatshirts which I designed myself. I work alone on all sides of the business from branding, sourcing and managing stock, shipment and developing my social media presence. My main business is online however I do attend local markets and have supplied some shops too. My most recent achievement with my business is my new ‘Sip n Sparkle’ events which are like the popular Paint n Sip events however with mine you make personalised jewellery. I had my first ever event in April in Camlough and it sold out in less than a week. I have since run three more events and each has sold out. This is a fun activity to do with friends and family and you get to take home something gorgeous to wear that you have made yourself. I have found in my local area there was a demand for something different to do at the weekends instead of going to a bar so I want to create an event where you can make jewellery, have fun and have a drink too. I work as a digital marketing executive as my full time job in Newry so my business is run in the evenings and weekends. It is just me operating the business so I do all the buying, marketing, packaging orders, website management and of course jewellery making. I run my business out of my sister’s bedroom, she moved to London so I took over her room as my office. It’s a small space but its perfect for my business. My family are a great help to me with my mum and sister helping with the events and markets and my dad is a joiner so he handmade all the jewellery stands for my markets. I’ve had other jewellery businesses ask where I get my stands from and my dad is delighted with his work. I couldn’t run my business without my family. My mum will always be on hand to post orders while I’m at work which really helps with getting things posted on time. Although it is busy working in my spare time, running a business is something I have always been passionate about and something I would love to do full-time in the future. I studied Communication, Advertising and Marketing at Ulster University so the marketing side of Apiphany is one of my favourite parts to work on. I find social media has been a big help to my business and as I continue to work on my own personal brand. I started posting on my own TikTok page during lockdown doing ‘Day in the Life’ vlogs, jewellery of the day videos and positivity posts to share my own life. I like to post some behind the scenes of Apiphany on TikTok and I feel people can see the work that goes into your business. I always say ‘people buy from people’ so if you can make a connection with your audience and explain why you do it, they are more likely to support you. As a result, I receive orders from TikTok and people coming up to me on nights out asking if I was the ‘jewellery girl’. Social media is a powerful tool and I think business should be utilising TikTok more. For Apiphany Jewellery in the future, I want to host more ‘Sip n Sparkle’ events across Northern Ireland, even getting hen party/birthday bookings would be amazing. I want to grow my range of jewellery for my online store and cater to more jewellery needs such as clip on earrings and men’s jewellery. My favourite part of my business is attending markets and meeting customers in real life, so if I can get into more markets or pop-up shops to showcase my business I would be delighted. My business holds a special place in my heart, and my ambition is to continue expanding Apiphany Jewellery until it becomes a renowned brand in Northern Ireland, celebrated for offering affordable jewellery for everyone.
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