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Success stories - Holistic Silk

Here are some real life stories which chronicle the ups and downs of starting your own business and illustrate how the Portobello Business Centre can offer vital help

Innocent : Urban Kids : Lowie : Holistic Silk : Asquith : FreshMinds : Damaris :
Coco-Ribbon

Joanna Weakley who has a degree in textile design and has worked extensively in holistic health, runs Holistic Silk which sells an innovative, design-led range of luxury relaxation and travel products created to de-stress and support mind and body.

She started the business in January 2001 six months after she had first made contact with the Portobello Business Centre. She is now selling her products in outlets like Harrods, Harvey Nichols and the Organic Pharmacy. The company has been featured in top fashion magazines like Elle, Vogue and Harpers & Queen. Holistic Silk employs three outworkers and fifteen people in the Yorkshire factory it uses for manufacture the products.

"The Business Centre was my first port of call to get professional help with my business plan," says Joanna. "They also helped me to get start-up funding from New Life for Paddington and from the Princes Trust. I did the fashion management course which was brilliant, absolutely indispensable.

"It covered all the different aspects of running a fashion business and since the course my actual business experience has matched up perfectly with what we were told to expect. The course painted a realistic picture of running your own business and warned about getting over stressed. I also did the one day book keeping course which was very practical and helpful."

"Maria Stammers was my business adviser and provided me with a tremendous amount of help in getting my business plan right. I've used the business consultancy service that the PBC offers and that was very useful."

"I'm still trading after two and half years and I've got some big name outlets so I feel that I've been successful so far – with a great deal of help from the Business Centre. I'm hoping to expand Holistic Silk – I've already been selling abroad in places like Japan, Italy and France and I'd like to increase the international side of the business. I'm looking forward to getting more help from the staff at the PBC in doing that."

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