Celebrating Our First Year
I can’t quite believe that it is one year since I invited my
friends to Church Street to celebrate the launch of LOVEHOOKS.
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| Bathroom Yachts Robe Rack |
It has been an eventful year with highs and lows but most of
all it has been filled with hooks. As with all new businesses the start was
slow and intense. The Internet is very different place to how I left it 4 years
ago when I was offering Moorstyles with Adrian Jennings Antiques. It was then
that the inspiration for this website was born, but it took the encouragement
by an entrepreneur who believed in me to push me to register the name,
LOVEHOOKS, in July 2012. Five months of research, statistics, business plans,
figures, web design, stock sourcing interspersed with parenthood and a few
rugby games brought me to the point of achieving successful backing from the
bank and my beloved parents whilst working full time for another company. That
was the easy part leading up to the launch party which was great fun.
After being ‘live’ for two months, I only then realised what
a different place the internet was and how I had been left behind in my
understanding of the technology and the importance of social media. It’s not so easy and the competition is
enormous. Getting to the top of Google is no mean feat and I have to thank Skyline Marketing for their
perseverance and patience with me.
The beginning of 2012 was a strain and my partial relocation
to Gloucestershire leaving my son to get through his A levels virtually alone
was tough all round, but he is successfully ensconced at Bath Spa University
and the full relocation of the business is just about complete.
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| Farmhouse Cast Iron Coat Rack |
The Devon County Show in May was great fun, exhausting, and
expensive. The FSB members were hugely supportive and I learned a great deal
and commenced BLOGGING!! The opportunity was invaluable though, as I was able
to meet my customers and hear what they had to say and what they liked. The stand
was much admired. In fact just this week I received a card in the post from a
lady who had met us at the show.
We have our increasing number of friends on FACEBOOK who we keep informed
of new stock arriving in, and encourage with discount codes. Twitter…..well we are still
learning. Not really got to grips with it yet but try to remember to tweet.
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| Somerset Pine Hall Coat Rack |
And so the HOOKS. The
hallway hooks have been very
popular but the childrens
have been the most fun and the most popular of all. A variety of animals have
been posted all over the country, in fact Europe and beyond. Israel is the
furthest we’ve shipped to, a couple of times to Germany and just last week a
desperate gent in Denmark who after scouring the whole of the internet found
exactly the coat rack for his daughter . He was utterly delighted with the Circus Express.
Our range has increased during the year, even though some lines
have ended new designs have come on board most recently BIG Jigs and
Bombay
Duck. There are now over 175 different hooks and coat racks to chose from.
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| Bombay Duck Single Button Hook |
We look forward to year two with great enthusiasm, and
belief that we will continue to offer the largest and most exciting collection
of hooks and coat racks in one place from one dedicated supplier.
Victoria xx
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