Amy Winters

Unique couture pieces are created for special events including fashion galas, concerts and award ceremonies. They use fabrics that react to sound, light and atmosphere which are especially suited to entertainment.

Amy was the winner of the Big Leap Competition 2008. Amy talks about the challenges of setting up a business and the importance of a business plan in helping her turn an idea into a reality.

What would you say has been your biggest challenge to date?

The shock of suddenly having so many different responsibilities concurrently and continuously! At University you only specialise in one subject. I trained as a designer at Central Saint Martin’s but design is probably only 20% of what I now do. You have to think of your business as your very own movie where you’re the producer, the scriptwriter, the director, and the designer, the actors and finally the audience are your customers. Everything needs to work well together for the product to be well received by the customer.  

What are you doing to manage this challenge?

Focused Determination. You have to have a clear goal in mind and keep following it. Furthermore you need to be realistic about your own skills. For example our business strengths are in creativity, marketing and business development but we know we need to work on sales. Training courses are excellent for turning weaknesses into strengths. I found in the Striding Out Bootcamp, the ICT, accountancy and legal sessions particularly useful.

Do you wish you had done anything differently?

I have no regrets. Mistakes are important. The best way to learn is through trial and error. Some of my best opportunities have sprung up in unexpected situations.

How has a completed business plan helped your business?

It has given us credibility but more importantly, a real opportunity to raise finance for the business. New opportunities are now open to us. We have recently been shortlisted for the Channel 4Talent award and received £30,000 of R&D funding from the Technology Strategy Board. 

How has winning awards helped your business and progress?

For us personally it’s a gratefully received morale boost. But more importantly awards raise credibility and offer more promotion than hiring a PR agency.

How do you and your business partner make your relationship work effectively?

We grew together at St. Martin’s and so always shared a likeminded vision. Collaboration is a great tool. The most vital thing is the second opinion, if there is an important decision to be made, a proposal or if we face a challenge seeking the opinion and brainstorming with your business partner is vital. One of the most important things is to play to each other’s weakness and strengths to create an efficient operation. 

What would you recommend to other people starting up a business from your experience?

There are opportunities out there which need to be taken advantage off. At the beginning business start-up can be daunting. You have no boss to guide you and create a structured career path. The best advice I would give is to seek out a mentor or support group.   

Striding Out gave us that essential (and inspiring) piece of training in what turned out to be a supportive environment. The interactive seminars, tasks and support network of the programme helped us transform a basic idea into what is now an investment-ready business. We are now working with primary technological companies and have even been featured on Sky News. Striding Out has offered entrepreneurs like us that vital push which turns ideas into business reality.