Simply Bows and Chair Covers, which dresses hotel dining chairs for gala banquets, has appointed its tenth franchisee and has five more in the pipeline.
The business was launched by a young Northumberland entrepreneur, Sarah Pittendrigh, who founded it in 2008 with support from Business Link after facing bankruptcy following the decline of her employer, an event organising company.
She began franchising two years ago and is now aiming to franchise internationally and reach 30 franchisees by the end of next year.
She discovered the market for her dressings for events such as balls, weddings and corporate functions, whilst helping to organise her brother’s wedding and operates the South Northumberland and County Durham territory.
She has been chosen Newcomer of the Year in the North-East Business Awards. The judges were impressed with the simplicity of her business proposition and its excellent financial strength.
“We did hundreds of events last year and we are now hoping to take the business into Europe and maybe even beyond,” she says. “I couldn’t have wished for a better start, even though people said I was mad to set up in a recession.”
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