Young mum made redundant whilst on maternity leave has just launched a new business on the web, selling a unique range of jewellery, cufflinks and giftware.Lisa Anguish, 33 from Newton Longville in Buckinghamshire decided direct action was needed and set up the website with the help of her husband Canton.Lisa explains, "I was planning to return to work part-time for financial reasons and when that became no longer an option with the company I was working for, I started to think about alternative ways to earn an income which would enable me to stay at home with my daughter as much as possible.
Childcare is so expensive these days and this seemed like the perfect way to combine motherhood with a career.
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"Taking the company name ‘Calica' from a combination of Canton's name, her own name and that of their 14 month old daughter Caitlin, Lisa launched the business at the end of last year.
Calica's current stock includes a collection of jewellery ranging from surf pendants and hand-painted wooden bracelets to chic silver and gemstone earrings, and an unusual range of hand-engraved silver jewellery.Gifts for men include novelty cufflinks, which are rapidly increasing in popularity. Calica's ever-growing range includes miniature Aston Martin Tax Discs for the car lover, Laptop cufflinks for computer whizzkids, Guinness or Budweiser cufflinks for beer lovers, music themed links and even a range of cufflinks based on popular TV programmes such as Only Fools & Horses and the Mr Men!The website also sells photograph frames, candleholders and other gifts and accessories. And Lisa intends to keep the site fresh with constantly updated stock. Lisa adds, "I am constantly reviewing my suppliers and am always on the look out for new ideas so that I can offer people something different.
In addition, if a customer has a particular requirement that they can't find, I will do my best to source it for them. We aim to offer a first class service and pride ourselves on our attention to detail, excellent friendly service, stylish presentation and speedy delivery times."Lisa admits that it has not been an easy ride at times. "There have been many occasions when I have seriously thought about stopping all of this and going back to work.
There's no doubt in my mind that there are much easier ways to earn a living - my days are completely dedicated to taking care of Caitlin so work doesn't usually start until after she has gone to bed and continues into the early hours. It has been a steep learning curve - I am trying to do everything myself to keep costs to a minimum, so I have had to learn all aspects of running a business fast.
But I can honestly say that I have loved every minute and wouldn't change it for the world. In fact I am already planning my next business!"Log on to www.calica.co.uk where you can view Calica's current range, shop securely online or join their mailing list to be kept informed of their latest offers..