You've gotta have faith, faith, faith!
May 2010
As a member of the Crawshawbooth Quakers, faith plays an important role in Diane Fairhurst's life, so when deciding on a name for her new business venture, 'Faith Flowers' was an obvious choice. Faith Flowers, situated in the heart of Crawshawbooth, offers everything from a simple bouquet to bespoke arrangements for weddings, funerals and corporate flowers.
The florists opened its doors the week before Mother's Day and since then, owner Diane hasn't looked back: 'I must have been crazy for opening Faith Flowers at such a stressful time in the floristry calendar but I saw it as the perfect opportunity to throw myself in at the deep end and promote the business to the local community and neighboring towns. But even knowing the industry didn't prepare me for how busy it would be when I opened'.
Diane decided to start her own business venture back in January, after working within the industry for just over 4 years. She says: 'One morning I woke up and decided that I was going to take a leap of faith and launch my own business - another reason for the name of the shop. I had an absolute intuitive conviction that it was the right time for me. I didn't know how or where I was going to do it but I knew it was something I wanted to do - and I haven't looked back since!'
Diane contacted Rossendale Enterprise to find out about the free support available to her and after speaking with Client Liaison Officer, Tracie McAna (pictured) she worked with business adviser, Martin Kemp to turn her business dreams into reality: 'The team at Rossendale Enterprise were a great help when launching my business - from advice on my shop lease, to helping me to write a business plan and assistance with applying for a business grant, they were there every step of the way. What's more, I now know that if I've ever got a problem or need a listening ear, the team at Rossendale Enterprise are always there to support me.'
'Its hard to believe that it was less than 6 months ago when I first met with my business adviser Martin to talk through my ideas for the first time, and now here I am, actually up and running and already developing a regular client base'.
Faith Flowers, ideally situated in Crawshawbooth, which is fast becoming a 'wedding village', is already working with several clients to create their wedding flowers. However Diane also specialises in beautiful funeral flowers; from a simple spray to bespoke designs made to the customer's requirements. Diane says: 'I think it's very important to create something beautiful for a client's last gift to their loved one, and all my funeral tributes are made with love and care. If a customer wants something unusual to reflect the life of their loved one, I am happy to discuss the possibilities and help the customer choose the perfect tribute.'
As well as a full consultancy service, Faith Flowers also offers a delivery service, corporate arrangements at reasonable rates and stocks a range of greetings cards and gifts, many of which are handmade by local businesses in Rossendale.
Of owning her own business, Diane says: 'There's no denying that working for yourself is hard but I wouldn't change it for the worId - I love being my own boss and being able to control the direction of the business. I wish I'd have done it years ago! I'd urge anyone to do the same; I promise you won't look back.'