Team Size
1
Revenue
Not Disclosed
Location
Scotland
STart Date
Nov 2019
Our inspiring female entrepreneur today is Lynda, the founder of Dusty Daisy. Dusty Daisy is a handmade luxury wedding invitation and stationery brand from Scotland.
It was great to hear Lynda’s amazing journey and how she started her wedding stationery business from scratch up to building a recognizable luxury brand for all wedding stationery needs. Read on to find out more.
INTRODUCTION
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND THE BUSINESS YOU STARTED.
Hello, my name is Lynda. I am a mum, wife, friend and career-focused strong woman. Dusty Daisy was born through my passion for high-quality tailored invitations. My desire to make invitations began when I could not find the design I had created in my head. My love of stationery also inspired me. Not only are quality invitations special to keep as a reminder of your special day but they are also the first impression of your day that your guests receive. As we know first impressions are so important in any walk of life.
As the kids were growing up and becoming more independent, I decided to do a diploma course in graphic design and wedding planning. The two courses were perfect to study together as they complimented each other beautifully. I qualified with a distinction in both. As the business is growing we are moving into the wedding planning side of things, and loving every minute of sharing magical moments.
Since founding Dusty Daisy my learning never stops which inspires me to pass on my knowledge and enthusiasm to both the Dusty Daisy team and our customers.
WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE AND HOW DO YOU STAY PRODUCTIVE?
My day starts around 7 am with everyday household chores, I then settle in my office/work room, where I check my schedule and emails. I might have invitations ready to be dispatched, some in the process of proofing and some about to start design. I communicate with my clients on a daily basis as this is key to perfecting a client’s vision for their tailored stationery. I stay productive because I love what I do and I get so much job satisfaction from finished product to happy satisfied clients.
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
PLEASE DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF LAUNCHING YOUR BUSINESS.
My business started as I was fed up seeing a run of the mill invitations, even on ‘bespoke’ websites every invitation seemed to be a copy from somewhere else. I have always been passionate about papercraft and as a hobby, I found it very therapeutic to sit and make cards for all occasions so in 2019 I decided the time was right to set up my own wedding invitation business.
When thinking of what to call my business I didn’t want all the usual one you see when you search as I felt I was putting myself in the same ‘league’ if you like – where I wanted to be a stand out luxury brand. The name Dusty Daisy is from my childhood, Dusty was my west highland terrier who lived at my grandmother’s house (I practically lived there too) and Daisy was my Grandmother’s name, two of the most precious things in the world to me.
Financially I was broke so I had to make samples from craft materials I already had. I would put notices locally in shop windows and I started a Facebook page. I was amazed at how quickly things grew. My husband has now given up his job to help with the business.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT AND YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE SINCE YOU STARTED YOUR BUSINESS?
I am proud of how far I have come in a short space of time through sheer hard work and determination. My biggest achievement is securing an order from America, which I was overwhelmed with, it was fabulous.
Greatest challenges have been doing everything on my own at the beginning, advertising, designing, making samples, talking to potential partners for collaborations and recommendations and building my own website which takes up so much time. It is truly exhausting but worth every second.
WHAT STRATEGY DID YOU USE TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? AND HOW?
I had everything in writing regarding my goals. I set myself realistic timelines and dreams of business size and finance, I would look at these goals every day. Every morning when I woke up I would say a few lines to myself about being successful and I was good enough to make it happen, I also made myself a vision board that would sit in front of where I worked every day.
My core values are Integrity, Reliability, Exceed expectations, Empower growth & learning, focus & ambition.
Our level of customer care is second to none. We strive to exceed customer expectations through customer service, products & delivery. We have very strong values when it comes to meeting and serving our customers. Integrity is at the forefront: we are honest, transparent, reliable and exceed expectations.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS?
We are growing day by day. I plan to continue to serve my clients to the highest standard and I will continue contacting relevant people/businesses where we may see an opportunity for collaborations or recommendations. I would love to be the ‘go-to’ business for wedding stationery.
RECOMMENDATIONS & FINAL THOUGHTS
ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES OR TOOLS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS THAT HAVE HELPED YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS?
Just a lot of hard work and determination.
WHAT OR WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE IN BUSINESS AND WHY?
My greatest influence is Sara Davies. She is such an inspiration. She had a vision and she went for it with huge success as a result.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER WOMEN WHO WANT TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS?
Go for it but do your research, don’t just jump in. Things don’t happen overnight. Don’t fork out expenses unnecessarily as this can be a fatal mistake. Take advice from anywhere you can. The business gateway is great. Hold your head up, be positive and say to yourself ‘I will make this happen’.
Violeta Semenova
Founder
theBizLadies
Welcome to the Biz Ladies interview series!
If you’re new to these series, I interview women entrepreneurs on how they started their business, what was the idea behind it, how they got where they are, the struggles, the reality and more.
By sharing their stories, we want to inspire other women to get started.
If you are interested to share your own story on the Biz Ladies LET ME KNOW!