My Journey to the Renfrewshire Wedding Directory.
Ok, so the Directory has been up and running for 10 weeks now so maybe it’s about time I gave you a sneak peek into my background and what made me set up in business.
I grew up in a small village in the West Coast of Scotland, (Tayvallich). It’s a very small picturesque place which provided me with vast amounts of freedom and ability to let my imagination run wild. Due to its local the area boasts a number of talented artists and I had the pleasure during my High School heats to be taught Art by the contemporary Artist Jolomo that coupled with my very creative Gran, set me off with the arts and crafts bug.
As a teenager I was very unsure what I wanted to do with my life so I packed myself off to study a BA in Hospitality Management in Glasgow. This provided me an excellent grounding in the business world and gave me the confidence to pursue a ‘career’. After graduation I quickly realised the Hotel business was not for me and took a position within a Ten Pin Bowling Alley to re-consider my options. Little did I know how well I would fit into the job and at 23 I was made General Manager and handed the keys!
I successfully managed this business for 6 years before settling down to have a family, unfortunately, shortly after the birth of my first daughter the company went into administration and I was eventually paid off along with the 36 staff in my care. This proved a turning point in my career when the realisation of a my needs no longer fitted snugly into my chosen industry.
Taking some time out and having further daughter gave me time to consider my options and self-employment seemed very attractive way to balance being a mum whilst still earning a crust. This decision to leave ‘paid’ employment led to the inception of i-craft, where I tried my hand at a few things before settling on producing handcrafted stationery and cakes. This business bowled along nicely for a couple of years allowing my daughters to get up in age a little and about 10 months ago I decided to take it up a notch with the view to earn a proper living. By coincidence at this time I met a group of Mum’s in a similar position to myself and gained their support and advice which gave me the confidence to really push the business.
At the tail end of last year with businesses really warming up I had a very proud moment when i-craft was short listed for Stationery Designer of the year by the Bridal Magazine, and although I didn’t win the overall award, I did revel in the knowledge that I was chosen as one of the 5 companies within the UK for this category.
In addition to the busy end of year for i-craft, I was also watching my brother organising his wedding in Renfrewshire and listening to his frustrations on finding local suppliers easily. This coupled with my own experience as a supplier of finding brides gave me my light bulb moment to create the Renfrewshire Wedding Directory. This allows brides to specifically focus on the Renfrewshire Area when looking for suppliers and services.
By the time all my research and web design was completed the Directory was launched at the end of November 2010 and although it is early days for the Renfrewshire Wedding Directory I have been overwhelmed by the support from local suppliers and brides and have been pleasantly surprised in the traffic coming to the site.As for the future, who knows, I have a million and one ideas and aspirations for both businesses and hopefully you will continue to follow and support me as I go on my journey…….
Thank You
Irene McNamee
Owner
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