Congratulations! Llongyfarchiadau!
Pig & Pip
Retail Business of the Year 2023
Why did you enter the Torfaen & Monmouthshire Business Awards?
I’ve been working tirelessly on my business for the last 3 years since I left my job as a full time primary school teacher and wanted to share what I had created with a wider audience and hopefully engage with more customers and like minded businesses from within the county.
What did winning mean for you or your business?
It was incredible to be recognised amongst a group who have achieved so much success themselves. Setting up and running a business alone is really tough and it’s hard to see how far you’ve come as you’re constantly working on or towards so many different things. Winning the award helped me to reflect on how far I’ve come and importantly where I see the business going in the future.
What did you think of the awards ceremony?
When I arrived I was overwhelmed by the amount of people and the range of businesses and experience that filled the room. Once I sat down and realised that I was among like minded people, ironically some even lived less than a mile from me in my little village, I was reassured and spent the evening having very interesting conversations which have led to proactive connections being made.
What’s been a challenge for you or your business during the last year and how did you overcome it?
Over the last year I have found raising the profile of my business a relentless task! Despite being on the high street in Chepstow, people say they have never heard of us and walked past many times without even coming in. I have taken to social media and utilised the local press to let people know what the shop is all about, what we offer and how they can be apart of it. Winning the award has definitely helped in that respect and I still get people coming in to congratulate me on it.
What’s been a highlight for you or your business over the last year and why?
Since winning the award, I have secured some wholesale orders and am on the verge of signing a contract for an exclusive space to house my sewing school. Having this space has been a target of mine since the lessons started to take off just over a year ago so I’m delighted to be in the position to expand my business in this way.
What are your goals for 2024?
To develop my sewing workshop offering to include bigger parties (birthday, hen dos etc), corporate workshops and sessions for schools. I may also be in the position to employ someone to help with the manufacture of my clothing.
What’s the best thing about running a business in Torfaen & Monmouthshire?
Most definitely the support I have received from certain individuals at MCC and those who work for Town Square who I wouldn’t have connected with had it not been for the awards.
