About Isobel
Founder and CEO of Lavender Hill Clothing, a sustainable fashion company that manufacturers in UK and Europe
Ex Merchandise Coordinator at Burberry, for women’s apparel, and non-apparel pages online
UN delegate for women in the UK, advocating for gender equality and empowering women in business
Key ‘a-ha’ moments from the podcast
Business ideas often come from personal needs - think about the problems you face, and get creative on solving them. You may just have a business in the building!
“It all came from need…when I was working at burberry, I used to climb 6 flights of stairs and had to take all the layers off before I went up the stairs. I couldn’t find a decent t-shirt that was smart enough and not see-through.
“I researched the market and found that there are not very many UK or European based t-shirt brands…our climate is different, and we need something thicker. I looked into it, found interesting fabrics…and I’ve been selling it for the past 10 years”
Starting a business does not need to be complex - put money away in a ‘business starter fund’ and set goals in a realistic yet motivating manner
“I started my business with £10,000 that I earned from cooking for families, and I started the business out of the fear of not being able to pay my bills…this is the same thing that gets me out of bed everyday. You’ve got to be motivated to do better every time”
“It’s important to be realistic about goals. I set 3 goals - a stretch goal, a minimalistic goal, and try to get in the middle of them both”
Customers can be multi-faceted, and interested in different things. Pay attention to what draws their attention beyond just buying your product, and you can help improve the experience for them
“We had customers calling up to ask if they could help us pick and pack [when we were distributing face masks]. The customers wanted to get more involved than just buying face masks for good”
Getting external funding is not always necessary - ask yourself if it will make a big difference, and don’t do it without trying to grow your business organically
“I did get a couple of offers from angel investors, but I decided that we did not need the funding. I asked myself - is this funding going to make a big difference, and given we had done this before organically, I decided not to do it”
Know just not what business you want to build, but what type of business you want to build - don’t discount sustainable growth!
“Sustainable growth is so important. If we can grow 5-10% every year, the growth will compound. And that is the type of business I want to build”
Consumer showcases are a great way to learn about your customer
“Customers are so open about their thoughts in person than they will ever be with you over email. It’s little snippets that I learnt from consumer shows that allowed us to push forward with great products”
Isobel’s advice to women who want to build businesses on their own terms
“You got to go out and try…be persistent and carry on. Even when people are critical of you and your business. They are not doing it, they don’t know the issues. So, be resilient and persistent.
You got to enjoy it as well. If you stop enjoying it, then step back. You 100% have to enjoy and be passionate about what you do. Follow your purpose…”
Isobel Ridley, using fashion to do business for good