Flower preservation business blooms under support from Inspiring Enterprise
Flower preservation business blooms under support from Inspiring Enterprise
Danielle Eveleigh’s new business, Eve Epoxy specialises in preserving fresh flowers from wedding bouquets or memorials into a piece of art which can be kept forever. Alongside the flower preservation, she also creates other pieces like ash memorials and home décor such as coasters, trinket trays, jewellery dishes and many more items!
First Contact with Inspiring Enterprise
She first heard about Inspiring Enterprise through her work coach at the job centre. An appointment was arranged with Enterprise Specialist, Julie Stevenson and she had an initial chat with her about what the project could do to help her with her growing business and helped her understand what’s required when you are self-employed. As Danielle says, Julie’s explanations were very clear,
“I had just recently registered myself as self-employed and I had no idea what to really do. I knew I could make things and sell things but understanding the whole financial side of running a business felt really daunting to me. I had my zoom sessions with Julie and she was able to explain everything so perfectly and gave such constructive advice that it all became a little less scary.”
Business Blossoms
Danielle’s business didn’t necessarily immediately take off the ground like she had hoped it would, but she feels things are looking up,
“It is most definitely in a much stronger position now than it was at the beginning and it’s getting stronger every day.”
The support that was given by the project has meant that Danielle has been able to make some confident business decisions,
“I’ve been able to better understand how to run my business from a financial aspect and this has made a huge impact to the growth of Eve Epoxy as I’ve been able to better value my work and my time which results in being able to invest in better equipment, better materials and therefore, better confidence for promoting and networking.”
Support from Inspiring Enterprise
Danielle felt that the course that she went through with Julie, was structured very well.
“It helped that every aspect of the programme had been broken down into the individual sessions, which were quite widely spread out across the weeks, so there was never an overwhelming amount of information given at any one time. It was all explained and presented in a very detailed and informative way and anything that was covered in the sessions was always sent through on email after so it could always be referred to.”
She also felt that Julie herself was great at advising and supporting her,
“Julie was a great advisor throughout. Always extremely helpful and happy to explain everything and anything in as much detail as possible. Her genuine interest in my business meant she was able to have a better understanding of what exactly she needed to advise on, to help me with the growth and expansion of it all.”
A Colourful and Busy Future
Danielle has big ambitions for Eve Epoxy,
“In the future, I’d like to see my business stacked with orders for wedding bouquets, I’d like to attend all the wedding fayres, be nominated as one of UK’S best flower preservation artists but most of all be financially stable & content.”
Danielle’s Top Tip for Future Entrepreneurs
“If you’re anything like me and you’re deciding to quit your job and start your business up, before being in a financially stable enough position to do so, don’t! Don’t rush into it! “
“Consider your future and where you would like to be and then most importantly, consider the work you need to do to get there and what that involves. Reaching goals always feels more rewarding after a challenging journey getting there.”
You can find out more about Eve Epoxy on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Inspiring Enterprise
WSX Enterprise Ltd is a business support organisation delivering a range of start-up, business growth and digital skills projects across the UK.
Their Inspiring Enterprise project ran from 2016 until 2023 in Hampshire and Surrey. Our team of experts advised, mentored and supported over 1000 people to find a better future by moving them into self-employment, employment or training.
The project is currently not taking any new enquiries and will finish in April 2023.
It was funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and the European Union European Social Fund.
