NatWest Back Her Business has provided £1,000 of match funding
Equipment Upgrade for a Small Creative Business
Long Eaton, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Paper Veil is a creative micro-business specialising in bespoke portraits & illustrations and due to COVID-19 is struggling to survive.
Summary
My name is Laura, I'm an illustrator/designer and my business is called Paper Veil. I specialise in custom hand-drawn portraits, illustrations and stationery and take great pride in creating beautiful and personal artwork that my customers cherish. It started out as a simple freelance project in 2015 but since then has taken a bit of a back seat due to other life commitments so it's never had the proper love and attention it needs (and deserves) to really bloom.
2020 was going to be the year that I really developed the brand and devoted more time into making it work. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic added to the pressure of trying to grow a small business and created the very uncertain landscape for lots of British small businesses (us included) that we're in now. As a result, I'm struggling to successfully navigate Paper Veil through it.
I (like many others) have also been made redundant from the stable day-job I was using to fund Paper Veil and pay my bills with. The need to make Paper Veil into the successful business I know it can be has now never been greater and I'm hoping this is where you lovely people might be willing to help out.
What do I need?
In order to manage the daily tasks and reproduce the beautiful portraits and stationery to the highest possible quality, Paper Veil would benefit immensely from a serious equipment upgrade. It would then be able to reach it's full creative potential and hit the ground running as we (hopefully) see the back of this really difficult time.
The most useful thing right now would be some new equipment to meet the needs of the business and be able to offer a better and faster service with less waste. The great news is that Paper Veil can qualify for a small business grant to cover some of these costs IF I can front the rest of the money needed. Hence this page! It hasn't been an ideal start to the year (for any of us really) and this is why Paper Veil hasn't got enough money to make the upfront payment needed to qualify for the grant.
The only things really needed are a new computer that can handle the industry design software and a professional quality printer that can process thick fine art papers and print gallery-quality reproductions that my customers deserve. Neither of which I have at the moment or have the funds to buy. Limiting Paper Veil from being the successful, cost-efficient business that can provide the income I need.
My gratitude
I can't express enough how grateful I'd be for any support at all, no matter how small. All of it will go towards enabling Paper Veil to be able to take major steps into becoming a sustainable business and by helping Paper Veil, you'd be helping an independent artist to realise their dream and turn their skill into their livelihood.
Thank you! ????
This project successfully funded on 16th August 2020