Sue Harris

Name:

Sue Harris

Business:

Sue Magoos

Web site:

www.suemagoos.co.uk

Years in business:

1

Number of businesses:

1

My career began working in the retail sector. I was lucky enough to be employed by a guy who recognised that although my qualifications were not great, I had the potential to have a great career.

He was right and after starting in stores I made my way into field management within 18 months. That’s something I’m immensely proud of. Since the age of 19 I’ve worked in the retail trade and I worked for a major supermarket chain for 12 years before I was made redundant.

The idea to run my own business came completely out of the blue. Within three months of being made redundant I realised how difficult it was to find a position of the same caliber of what I was doing.

I decided to start my own business and retail was the only choice for me. This is because I am a passionate believer in what I sell, and that every customer should expect and receive a level of customer service that is second to none.

The idea to go into party supplies came from personal experience as when I got married I struggled to find favour boxes or sugared almonds. Also when I organized a party for one of my two sons I couldn’t find Thomas the Tank Engine themed products for it.

I did market research by asking friends and family and they asked their friends and work colleagues with children and there was a demand. I also spoke to people who had registered to get married at the Civic Centre and In Biz helped me with my market research.

My husband and children were a great support and I used our savings and the redundancy money to set up Sue Magoos, Party Supplies and Balloon Decoration for every occasion. I found premises in Frederick Street, Sunderland and opened in August 2007. I initially started with party supplies and trained in balloon decoration after a request from a customer which has definitely been worthwhile.

The name Sue Magoos is what my niece calls me and I thought as it’s a bit of s silly nickname with a good ring to it, it was right for a party themed business.

A mistake I learned very early on was that setting up the store cost more than I thought. My projections were out. So I would say always over budget when doing your projections. I relish every challenge the business throws at me, and I’m learning more every day.

On the lifestyle front the hours are great. One of my reasons for starting my own business was to get more work life balance and I get more time to spend with my sons. The customer base is quieter than expected but things are gradually picking up as I get customer referrals from word of mouth.

I would love to grow the business and expand it. I will hopefully have two or three outlets in the North East in the next five years. Ultimately I would love to be UK wide.

I would say to others that if you have a good idea and your market research tells you there is a gap in the market then go for it. You need to be able to listen to feedback constructively but don’t let people put you off.

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