An entrepreneur will open her first physical shop soon – after winning the space in a competition.
Sarah Taylor started her handmade dog accessory business Sew Very Pretty after inheriting a sewing machine from her 90-year-old nan.
In almost four years of trading online, she has had over 2,000 orders on Etsy and shipped to over 20 countries.
On Saturday, 12 August she will open Sew Very Dog at Longton Exchange, in Stoke-on-Trent, after winning a competition held by the shopping centre to win a rent-free unit for a year.
Sarah, from nearby Dresden, said: “I’m still in disbelief that I won the shop. I was nominated by different people and chosen at random from over 140 others.
“The support on social media has been really kind and lots of people are keen for me to open.
“I can’t wait to get going now.”
Sarah decided to set up her own business during maternity leave and started out making aprons and bunting before quickly moving on to dog accessories.
Her business’s mascot is Ruby, her two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier/American Bulldog cross.
The town centre shop, in a unit which has been empty for over 15 years, will also stock other things for dogs such as toys, grooming products and natural treats.
Sarah added: “I don’t want to be an average pet shop, I want to provide something different for people and their pets, like my handmade items and one-off pieces.
“The precinct is coming back to life again now with lots of new businesses moving in and all our neighbours are lovely.”
Centre Manager Chris Ward said: “The standard of entries for the competition was fantastic and we had lots of creative businesses coming forward.
“Sarah has a real passion for what she does and has a great energy. I’m sure other people will agree when she opens.”
Chris added: “We have had a number of new arrivals at the centre in recent months and Longton has a real buzz about it.
“We’re planning to keep the positive feeling going by bringing more variety in.”
Congratulations Sarah on your competition win, and most importantly, good luck for the future.
It’s wonderful to hear that new shops are starting to open in towns across the country and reviving shopping areas. Customers are ready for more independent, artisan and interesting shops and looking for a good old fashioned shopping experience, something the internet just cannot supply.
I’m sure you will be a great success.