11 Personal Highlights from the Last 11 Years
11 Personal Highlights from the Last 11 Years
Over the past 11 years I have built up a business from scratch and during the month of February (11 years exactly), I am looking back and reflecting on the moments that stuck out to me as the business grow.
1. The first client – of course you’ll never forget your first client as an entrepreneur. This was Mobeus Equity Partners, who very simply wanted photographic assets prints and put into frames.
2. The first rental contract – Marriott Harrison, who were my second client all the way back in 2013. They’ve been a client ever since, even after moving to a new office.
3. The first BIG project – This was winning a £125K contract with ALDI to provide around 250 prints for three of their buildings, in Nottingham, Darlington and Edinburgh.
4. The first project abroad – This came in 2022 and was for the Amsterdam office of a finance company for whom I’d provided historical photographs of Manchester. They asked me to do the same in Amsterdam.
5. First work trip abroad – Miami 2019! I went on my own and met up with some friends from the Association of Women Art Dealers and experienced Miami art Week and Miami Basel in all it’s glory.
6. First onsite installation in a different country – This was For Plaid’s Amsterdam office in June 2022. It’s caused some logistical headaches but the project was amazing and the staff were so happy.
7. First reception sculpture – Between the covid years, we managed to install the most beautiful sculpture by Nick Hornby into the reception of Premier Place for 6 months.
8. First event – I invented a team building game called Hunger Games Vs Art Attack, which I still play with clients. The first team to experience it though were Marriott Harrison, who seemed to have a great time.
9. First staff member. A big shout out to Genevieve, who came on board as my intern when I was pregnant and ran the show whilst I was continually sick all day every day. She became my administrator (twice) and flew on to much bigger and better things.
10. Going full time! In 2015 I managed to quite my full time job, and turned Art in offices from a side hustle into a proper business.
11. Our first office. In 2021 I took on 5 Kickstart staff – paid for by the government, to get young people back into work after Covid. Suddenly I had 6 people and nowhere to put us and we had to get an office ASAP. So I shall be forever grateful to Access fertility and The Workers League for housing the team as it expanded.
There have been so many great moments in building my business. I am grateful to all of the staff who have worked for me and every single client. I still do a little “chandler dance” every time I win business. That feeling will never grow old.