Rising star: Emmy Scarterfield
Nov 24 2009
Emmy Scarterfield, creator of wedding collection Emmy Shoes and descendant of Harrods founder Charles Digby Harrod, has proved that when it comes to business she has a lot of sole.
Where did you get the idea?
I always knew that I wanted to design my own collection. Then suddenly in my late 20s it seemed that all my friends were getting married. But when I went shopping with them, I discovered the only wedding shoes available were all hideous and expensive.
Where did you get the funding?
Through friends and relatives. I also put £4,000 of my own savings into the business. In the bridal market it is normal to ask for 50 per cent upfront. So that means our overheads haven’t been huge and the business has been self-funding.
What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned?
It can be difficult to separate yourself from what you are doing when it is a reflection of your tastes and passions. But sometimes it’s important not to get too involved and remember that you are still running a business.
How do you market yourself?
Currently through our PR company. Initially I did all that myself, but as the company grew I saw that benefits of using a good PR firm to get our message out there.
Where next?
It’s all up in the air at the moment. The next step is to make the website more customer focused. We are also looking to go international.
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