BLOG: RISING STAR EMILY SU
Emily was introduced to HideOut Youth Zone through her friend who joined the Youth Zone to take part in Taekwondo sessions.
Emily began to come on a weekly basis and soon realised that HideOut had more to offer. Emily was signposted by Taekwondo Coach, Ash, to HideOut’s Employability and Enterprise (E&E) Coordinator, Laura, after hearing about Emily’s goal of exploring and pursuing her own Crochet business.
Emily worked closely with the E&E team to understand her business plan and make plans for the future. She was matched with a mentor though HideOut’s Mentoring scheme and supported in applying for a funding grant through The Rising Stars Foundation.
We sat down with Emily Su to find out more about her and her business.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
My name is Emily, I am 19 years old, and I took a gap year to focus on starting my own business. I have had a lot of help from HideOut with starting my own business, the first few months I did struggle with it, but I came to HideOut to ask for help and since then it has been taking off.
Why did you start coming to HideOut Youth Zone?
I was originally introduced to Hideout through my friend who came to do taekwondo. I really enjoyed coming so I started to come on a weekly basis! I quickly realised I could get more out of it in terms of support – especially for my business. A staff member asked me how my day was and it just started the conversation about my business… I was directed to Laura [Employability & Enterprise Coordinator], she has supported me a lot, she has helped me with a successful application to a grant and organised a mentor. All Laura’s support has been helpful to me and has really guided me to getting my business out there.
Can you tell me a little bit about your business?
My brand is a Crochet business called Timeless; I named it this because I create sustainable products. The main unique selling point is that I use plastic bags and old t-shirt and I turn them into plarn which is also very sustainable and great for the environment. I have been selling my items on Etsy and planning on creating my own website so I can sell my items there too.
What’s next for you, what are your goal and aspirations?
I would like to start doing my own markets – it would be a great way to interact with customers and I would be able to tell them what my business offers. On top of that I would like to have my own website where I can document everything and tell my own story. I am also working on new products and finding the products that work the best for me. Right now I am doing a bit of everything, but it would be great to have a set group of products to focus on.
What advice would you give other young people looking to start their own business?
I would definitely say reach out for support from someone in the industry or someone who has started their own business. It really has been beneficial and gave me insight to how a business should be run, and I would say learn as much as you can, so you make all your mistakes in the beginning!
We are pleased to share that Emily was successful in attaining the Rising Stars start-up grant and received an incredible £3688.55. This has gone towards essential equipment needed to support the development of her business.
Emily has even used her skills to deliver a crochet workshop on HideOut’s Junior Club session to increase her confidence and share her creative ability and success story with other young people.
We wish Emily all the best in her future career! If you would like to support Emily please see Emily’s business page below.
