2) When did you start Fancy Fingers and Katie Louise Art and what/who inspired you to start the businesses?
Both businesses actually started up as hobbies and I never intended on them becoming jobs! I feel very lucky that I have been able to turn two hobbies that I have really enjoyed into jobs that I love.
Fancy Fingers started in 2013. After having my second child and not returning to work I decided to find something I could do for myself and to be able to switch off from ‘being Mum’ in the evenings. After completing a home course I soon realised I was passionate about ‘doing nails’ and decided to book a professional course and get fully qualified and learn everything in lots more detail. I needed a job that was going to work around my husband’s shifts and my two young children and this was absolutely perfect!
Katie Louise Art only started in July this year after finding a new love during lockdown. While I couldn’t be painting nails I decided to have a try at painting something different and spent many evenings learning lots of techniques and following tutorials which I really enjoyed. After sharing a couple of photos on my social media accounts I gained lots of interest from people asking about purchasing my paintings and I decided to set up ‘Katie Louise Art’.
I’m lucky that my Husband and Dad have always been very supportive with my ideas and encouraged me to pursue them. My Dad runs a business too, Delissimo in Buntingford, so I am often on the phone with him asking for his business advice which is always something I listen carefully to and appreciate his experience with!