As the cost of living crisis continues, many people are looking for ways to earn extra cash.
Katie Williams & Evan Townsend from Liverpool started their business Arrow Gift Co with £50 between them.
Arrow Gift Co is an independent design studio specialising in greeting cards and gifts.
They explained to the money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk how they turned their business into a roaring success, on track to make £1million.
The pair started with about £50 between them in the bank. They began selling digital printable files on Etsy as they had no money to invest in printers or machinery.
Both siblings were working traditional jobs before they launched their business, however, eventually, they left their jobs to focus on their mental health, and to push the business to success.
Katie said: “Our business Arrow Gift Co started out purely as a way of paying our bills. From there, it grew organically as we found our niche and discovered a passion for creating a more unique range of greeting cards and gifts.
“We started out with about £50 between us in the bank. After a lot of hard work and saving every penny we could, we were eventually able to purchase our first printer, which is when things really started.”
The driving force behind their company as a whole is simply providing jobs for their family and creating generational wealth.
Katie hand-draws all of their designs and artwork which she is truly grateful for as she never gets bored and is passionate about arts and crafts.
In the beginning, the duo struggled as they couldn’t afford to cover the rent and monthly bills. They would “work all day and night just to keep the lights on”.
She said: “During this time, we had nothing in our personal bank accounts and would withdraw £20 each from our Etsy store per week just to get some shopping in.
“After the Covid lockdown, we found ourselves struggling financially – we were literally selling our personal belongings and furniture from our home just to keep the business afloat.
“We had no space to work out of – our greeting card printer was sat in the middle of Katie’s living room and we’d work from the dining table in her one-bed flat.
“As we began to grow, the workload became a lot to handle – at Christmas time we’d be so busy that we’d start making orders at 7am and wouldn’t stop until around 3am the next morning, then we’d wake up and start it all over again.”
Over the last year or two, the pair worked hard to restructure the business and now they’re making six figures and even looking to expand into larger premises and hiring more staff.
They have grown the business to the point where they have a very steady income all year round and have sold over 260,000 products on Etsy alone.
Katie continued: “Our main inspiration is our mum, her strong work ethic and relentless ‘never give up’ attitude has been what’s kept us going throughout a lot of the struggles and lows of running our business. The three of us run the company together and we could never have been in the position we are now without her.
“In the first few years we weren’t making any profit, we just about made enough money to keep things going. We’re now making six figures and are on track to break £1 million this year.
“Our advice for people looking to start their own business would be to put realistic expectations on yourself. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to just start – don’t overthink the tiny details.
“Make sure you research the market and figure out who your customers are, don’t be afraid to find a niche!”
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: “Katie and Evan’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience, passion, and unwavering determination. They started with just £50 and faced numerous obstacles along the way, but they never gave up.
“Their story reminds us that success comes to those who are willing to put in the hard work and believe in their dreams, no matter the circumstances.”
