Case Studies - Business Mentoring

@After leaving her post at a high-end parenting magazine in May 2008, Camilla Montrose then had to decide upon a position that would prove flexible enough to enable her to look after her two infant children.

Camilla's career up until this point consisted of having worked in the publishing industry for 15 years. In her most recent position, she enhanced her knowledge of children's wear, as there was a strong emphasis on children's fashion. Furthermore her own practical experience as a mother, meant that she had an abundance of good quality children's designer clothing that she didn't quite know what to do with. With the intuition that there may well be hundreds of other women in the same situation, a unique idea was put into motion and Little Fashion Rocks was born.

The company brought forward a new concept in children's fashion, recycling quality clothing. Camilla explains "as a mother you find yourself in a situation where you have so many clothes that have never been worn or have been once or twice and your children grow so quickly the clothes are in immaculate condition. Rather than letting them fester in the loft www.littlefashionrocks.com gives mothers the opportunity to pass on all the quality clothes they no longer need and buy some more with the proceeds! Recycling at its best". The business currently operates through her website where new and nearly new children's clothes are traded.

When trying to set up the business, Camilla faced an initial set back in the form of her budget constraints, which in turn hindered her primary business plan. As a novice in business, Camilla pursued expert advice from Hounslow for Business through accountants and businessmen Hugh Howell and Steve Mathews. They aided Camilla in producing a forecast of prospective profits, which uncovered severe warning signals, in that the input costs involved in establishing the company would not be recovered even after 24 months of trading. After analysing this situation and prioritising the welfare of her family, the business plan was altered, now encompassing a profit margin allowing Camilla to take out a salary from the business.
 

Since working with Hounslow for Business, Camilla regards the advice she received as "invaluable". For other businesses seeking business support from Hounslow for Business, she considers it to be "excellent, a really great free service which, in this day and age makes a refreshing change".

Please visit www.littlefashionrocks.com to learn more about the business and keep up with its progress.