Taking the Plunge and Changing Lifestyles!

by Helen de Sarandy
(London, UK)

A Surrey-based business owner has discovered that the recession is not all gloom and doom.

Every day the news seems to be full of job cuts, budgets slashed and the recession.

But Helen de Sarandy from London, decided to turn the recession into a positive force by changing direction with her career and starting her own business - making beaded jewellery.

Helen has not 'looked back' since.

Helen was working as a teacher when the recession hit the school resulting in falling pupil numbers and she was made redundant. The redundancy gave Helen a chance to consider what she wanted to do with her career and also the time to take part in activities which she always wanted to do.

One of these was beaded jewellery making.

Helen said: "I was mesmerised by jewellery making. I loved experimenting with textures, bright colours and different styles. Friends liked the jewellery and many others did too, shown when I sold them at local school fairs in the run-up to Christmas. I ended up selling out of stock! I'd reached a turning point in my life and wasn't going to let it pass me by."

The next step was to get photographs of the jewellery called lariats (necklaces without any fiddly clasps - one end is simply tied around the other), so Helen could set up a website and sell the items online.

"I needed a photographer to take the shots for it and capture the many different colours accurately. So I approached my local photography club and they put me in touch with a member who did some stunning shots of my work. A few months later, I was online!"

Using her business studies skills from her teaching studies, Helen has now started her own business and six months down the line the orders are coming through.

Helen said: "It is an amazing sense of satisfaction when orders come through. 'Lariats' is growing into a real success and am delighted to be working for myself. For those considering the idea of branching out on your own – I would say 'follow your dream', but ensure that your product matches the demand and make sure you find the right people to help you, as I did."

Helen de Sarandy
Lariats