A picture made of coloured glass provided the spur for Huddersfield woman Paula McQuilkin to set up her own business.
Now she is selling exquisitive items of jewellery made from glass, gold and silver which she designs and makes herself – and has proved a sparkling success on a demanding programme which nurtures up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
Pauline, who lives at Birchencliffe, was one of just three budding entrepreneurs out of 65 contenders to win £1,000 each after successfully pitching her business to a judging panel from RBS/NatWest and KPMG in Leeds as part of the Entrepreneurial Spark programme, which providing support for fledgling firms with the potential to become the big businesses of tomorrow.
Pauline became interested in the art of making glass jewellery during a visit to Wales last year when she was captivated by a picture of a house on a hill made with coloured glass. She said: “I couldn’t afford to buy it, but I decided to work with glass myself.”
She undertook a course in March last year and also studied the techniques involved in books. Paula set up her workshop in her garage and began to make a few pieces, which she gave as presents to friends.
Now she is making jewellery including brooches, necklaces, pendants and cufflinks combining coloured glass with gold and silver under the brand name Isiko, which means “culture” in the Zulu language.
The brand officially launched with an event in Leeds last week.
Paula is winning customers through recommendation and is also selling items online after launching a website to showcase her classic and contemporary ranges as well as commission pieces.
Paula, who grew up in Fartown and attended All Saints’ High School, studied fashion design and technology in Leeds before gaining a degree in psychology. She worked in pastoral support at Huddersfield Technical College and later at Bradford College before returning to Kirklees College as a team leader.
Through Entrepreneurial Spark, Paula is one of 70 fledgling entrepreneurs able to use a special incubator in Leeds where the start-ups can make use of free IT and wifi and get support from a pool of business mentors. There are also opportunities for networking and workshops.
Paula said her success in landing the £1,000 prize in the Entepreneurial Spark competition would provide a boost to her business.
“Eight of us out of 65 businesses were selected to give a one-minute pitch about their organisation and what they were trying to achieve,” she said.
“I got some coverage in NatWest’s newsletter and an email congratulating me from the bank. The networking opportunities presented by Entrepreneurial Spark are also invaluable.”
