Danielle Leese Ceramics creates beautiful handmade and decorated

Danielle Leese Ceramics creates beautiful handmade and decorated items of ceramic pottery. Items include a wide range from smaller pieces of ceramic jewellery through to larger scale decorative pieces. Your Logo The SPEED Plus project I applied for the project after it was recommended to me by a number of past applicants. It has been a great benefit to me as it has not only allowed me to meet others in a similar situation but it has also supported me through my first year and taught me the basics of running a business. The entire programme has been very useful but the support of my chosen mentor who worked with me on a one to one basis has been incredibly valuable at every stage. This guidance has allowed me to take my business from a non profitable hobby to a now steadily growing business with small amounts of income coming in at a steady but growing rate, but the benefits are also seen in every aspect from the products, branding, packaging, record keeping, too much, much more. What advice would you give graduates considering applying for SPEED Plus? Whilst on this course I have learnt about many aspects of running your own business but I have also learnt to have confidence in myself and what I do and that sometimes you just need go for it and once something has been achieved you realize that it isn’t always as hard as you first expected. Overall this programme has given me the confidence to keep trying. "Danielle's Ceramics are beautifully, delicately made in an amazing range of colours. Gorgeous!" The Future In the next few years I intend to have a recognizable brand which customers will return to. I also hope to be making regular profit which will be put towards further growth, including employing extra staff to keep up with a growing demand. To achieve this my business will need to continue to develop to suit changing needs and wants of customers, this will also develop into where and how products are shown and sold. Overall I will need to use the skills that I have learnt from the, such as organization, financing and approaching potential customers to continue to move forward. Image