A
South Lanarkshire sewing studio has expanded its offering and optimised its
website, boosting sign-ups to its sewing classes, after receiving support from DigitalBoost, Scotland’s national digital upskilling programme,
delivered by Business Gateway.
Hamilton-based Sew
You Can offers more than twenty classes and courses aimed at beginners
looking to learn, to more advanced individuals looking to improve their skills,
and classes for children.
The business was founded
in 2021 by Amanda Gilfedder, a qualified primary school teacher and mother of
two. She always had ambitions to start a business with a love for sewing and
dressmaking, but she was apprehensive about the risks involved. Amanda was
however spurred on and grew in confidence after contacting Business Gateway in
July 2021 with an initial enquiry regarding taxes for start-ups.
As part of the support
Amanda received from Business Gateway, she completed a Digital Health Check to
assess the business's needs and specialist support in developing her website.
This was delivered through the DigitalBoost programme.
Amanda had originally
built a basic website for Sew You Can, intended for selling physical
products, rather than a platform for booking classes. Working 1:1 with a
digital consultant from DigitalBoost, Amanda learned step-by-step how to build
a more functional website with plugins which resulted in her creating a new
website with a built-in model for class bookings, helping her operations to
become more efficient.
Since launching in 2021,
as well as the DigitalBoost support, Amanda has also accessed a package of
support from Business Gateway’s start-up services including advice on leasing
premises, HR guidance and marketing.
Consumer demand has
meant that Sew You Can has recently moved into a larger site with two
semi-open plan studios and a haberdashery shop, where customers can purchase
fabrics for making their creations at home.
Additionally, in
response to customer demand for a broader range of classes, Amanda has hired
five freelance tutors to teach quilting, knitting and crocheting.
Amanda Gilfedder,
Founder of Sew You Can, said, “I
initially approached Business Gateway with one question around taxes for new
businesses, but during my initial conversations with my adviser, Jaz, we really
clicked. It was the first time I had spoken to anyone, outside of my family,
about my business and her enthusiasm and positive feedback gave me the
confidence boost I needed, and I started to think I could really do this.
“Thanks to the
advice I have received from Business Gateway and the clear direction given by
its DigitalBoost team, I have been able to not only make my dream a reality but
develop it into a fully-fledged business which is growing in demand every
day.
“A bi-product of the
business that I am really proud of is the community we have created. Most
people come back repeatedly and have become fast friends. The classes offer
escapism for many, while learning a new skill, and there is always lots of
laughter.”
Jaz Gharra McBeth,
adviser at Business Gateway, said: “Amanda’s passion for
sewing, coupled with her natural ability to teach, is what sets Sew You Can
apart. It is rewarding to have seen her confidence grow and her business thrive
through the support of DigitalBoost, which really optimised her website.
“Business Gateway has
also helped Amanda identify funding opportunities that she is eligible for,
which would assist in purchasing sewing machines. The business currently hires
all sewing machines for its classes. Working with Business Gateway, Sew You
Can are looking to apply for additional funding this year.”
To find out how Business Gateway’s DigitalBoost programme can help
your business, visit: www.bgateway.com/resources/digitalboost/.