Susan James, Art of Accessorising
Susan James is a mother of two teenage children and a successful entrepreneur. Several years ago, Susan spotted a gap in the market for high quality, chic and affordable accessories.
Having started her career in hotel management in her native Bombay, Susan found herself in the UK with two young children, a husband who worked away from home and no driving licence. However, she discovered direct sales fashion when her children were young and very quickly she had become one of their highest performing consultants.
She had long harboured the idea of establishing her own business, and her work in the fashion industry gave her much inspiration. However the breakdown of her marriage at a crucial stage in her children’s development led her to delay her dream until the children were older.
The idea for Art of Accessorising came whilst Susan was working in the City providing a wardrobe service to senior female executives. She recognised that what makes a really well dressed woman is how to use accessories to balance proportions. From this she developed an idea to demonstrate the art of accessorising and how structural changes draw the eye to a woman’s best physical attribute. Susan also recognised the tremendous opportunity that direct sales provided as a distribution method that would enable the accessories to be demonstrated.
Once Susan had put together her business plan, she realised she needed an initial capital investment of £200K but as a single parent she had little or no funds of her own. She set about what could be viewed as a formidable task, but determined she secured a bank loan of £100K through the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme, and raised the remaining £100K from family and friends under the Enterprise Investment Scheme.
Eighteen months after launching the business, Susan has a team of 43 consultants and a database of 1500 customers. Her first year turnover was £230K and this is set to increase to £1m in year two!
Susan credits her success to the enduring influence of her mother. As a young girl she was encouraged to nurture her dreams and she inherited her mother’s motto to ‘Fill your life with experiences, not excuses’. This has inspired in Susan an ability to inspire others with her experiences, a positive outlook on life and a genuine passion for fashion that gives the Art of Accessorising founder a head start in the success stakes.
