What inspired you to set up The Handpicked Collection?

After the birth of my second child, I got tired of never having enough time to go shopping and find what I wanted, liked or needed. The internet or mail order shopping was the solution, but when it came to gift buying, I found there was too much choice available. I seemed to spend hours and hours trawling through different websites looking at gift ideas and I could not tell if what I was looking at was going to be good quality or living up to the description of it. I worked in PR and had always read magazines and liked buying things recommended by journalists, so came up with the idea of combining journalistic reviews with a mail order catalogue. So I gave up my PR work and set up The Handpicked Collection.

What most excites you about coming to work?

I love the variety of different things I get involved in. One day I will be choosing products / presents for review by the panel, another day I will be working on catalogue design and the next day I will be planning our marketing for the next few months. But the bit I most enjoy is probably the product selection.

What do you most enjoy buying?

I love researching for Christmas gifts for our Christmas catalogue. It is great fun as I have to keep a totally open mind because we feature unusual gift ideas for men, gifts for women and for kids. We try to cover all ages so someone can buy a present for their brother, grandmother and god-child, so it involves a huge amount of research but it is really interesting.

I used to waste a lot of time and energy worrying about things, but I am now much better at putting things in perspective. I find that taking a fresh look at a problem on a new day generally makes things seem a lot more achievable. My husband, who set up his own business a few years before me, has always had the attitude that any hurdle can be overcome. Instead of crumbling or panicking when a problem arises, you need to ask yourself “How can I get around the problem (and is there a fun way to do it!)”, and eventually you will find a solution, even if it is not something you originally planned to do.

What are you looking for in customer service when you shop online?

I think communication is the key thing. Problems will always arise, but as long as you feel someone is taking a personal interest in your problem, you feel a lot more relaxed about it. A couple of years ago I ordered several presents from a company, and the delivery arrived after ten days on 23rd December with about 4 gifts missing. Although I had not been charged, I was due to be leaving that evening to go to stay with family for Christmas. I therefore had to ring my husband who was out doing his last minute Christmas shopping while I looked after the children, and ask him to get four extra presents – and because he was in a hurry, the replacement gifts were not things we would normally have given these people. I totally understand that sometimes companies run out of stock, but they should let the customer know immediately. That company should have told me in advance they did not have the stock, and then I would have had time to buy alternative gifts.

I have a lot of respect for our customer service team. They take great pride in looking after the customers, and some of our most loyal customers are people who have had a little mishap with their first order, (something broken in delivery, or an out of stock item) but who have been so well looked after, instead of never shopping with us again, they repeatedly come back.

What advice would you give to a young company looking for investment?

Keep persevering. Funding is always a difficult area, but it is an absolutely crucial part of new and growing businesses. You have to be 100% happy and confident in your own mind that you have a great business; then you have to present why you are so confident to potential investors as clearly and quickly as possible. You might have to present a 100 times, before you find someone who shares your view, so stick with it and give yourself as much time as possible.

Do you have any unusual approaches to business success?

We work incredibly hard; we focus on getting the best people working for us; we try to manage cash as well as possible (which is tough but crucial when growing quickly). I’m afraid this is pretty common in most new businesses.

We do have a company policy that if my husband is keen on any product, not to put it in the catalogue as it is bound not to sell!

What are you most proud of in your career, or life to date?
I know it is a cliché, but I would definitely say I am most proud of my family. I am very lucky to have a great husband and three wonderful children, and they are the focus of my life and the reason I run my own business. I want my children to have all the opportunities I have had and more. I think the hardest thing I have done has been juggling a new business with three children under the age of 5 and I do feel proud that the business is growing whilst I have managed to maintain a decent (though never perfect) work / life balance.

Describe your perfect day.
At the weekends I like to have a lie in (my husband and I take turns to get the children up at the weekend) and then get up and go out and do something as a family – something like a cycle ride or a walk followed by a family lunch. Then in the afternoon it is nice to chill out at home. In the evening I like to have time to cook a really special meal for my husband, or go out and meet friends.

How do you unwind after work?
When I get home from work, I get bombarded by the children which is wonderful, but not relaxing. But once they are in bed and we have had supper it is reading that really unwinds me. I have always read a lot and however busy I am, I always have a book on the go. Also, I love jogging as a way to unwind. Exercise is a fantastic way to get rid of stress.

Do you listen to music? What is on your iPod?
I love music. At the moment my MP3 player, which I take jogging with me, has Alessandro Safina, Keane, Billy Joel and Il Divo on it – so a real mix!

If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking of changing their career what would it be?

If you are not enjoying what you are doing, then do seriously look at something new because doing something you believe in and enjoy makes a huge difference. You are far more likely to be successful at something you enjoy.

Info about The Handpicked Collection :

The Handpicked Collection www.handpickedcollection.com is a website and series of catalogues featuring stylish gift ideas and hidden gems. It differs from other websites in that everything in it has been vetted by an independent, expert panel of journalists, entrepreneurs and trendsetters aimed at giving customers the confidence to shop knowing that they’re getting something special. The panel vet every product featured, and their choices are unusual, inspirational and stylish. It aims to save you time and make shopping fun because instead of you having to sift through thousands of websites and trawl the high street, the panel has done the hard work and picked those products that stand out from the rest. Every gift is endorsed with helpful editorial explaining what makes it special.

Thank you so much for taking part in this interview.