Fiona's Passion for Fashion

Retail venture is proven success

After working for others in the retail sector for years, Fiona Murphy decided she too wanted to be her own boss and by combining her passion for fashion and her deep love of shopping she's recently snipped the ribbon on her very own retail enterprise - 'Boudoir Boutique' – in downtown Londonderry.

"I had thought and talked about doing it for long enough – I knew the time was now," said Fiona, who signed herself up to Invest Northern Ireland's Go for it programme to help her get the business off the ground.

Fiona said that while it's still early days, feedback from her growing clientele has been heartening. "I've only been open since April but I'm delighted to say that I've gained a loyal band of followers who are spreading the word in person and online."

A keen social networker, Fiona has a dedicated site for Boudoir Boutique, where she regularly posts up-to-date photographs of her latest stock or news of events or discounts to be had. "You would be amazed how many people come into the shop to buy something they've see online," she said.

For someone who started out in the midst of recession, Fiona has adapted well to the challenges facing the retail industry.

"I made sure I would get my price point and stock levels correct, right from the start and I do make sure I introduce new stock regularly. That's definitely helped me because people keep coming back to see what's new. I'm now looking at employing staff to help me out in busier periods."

With her keen head for business, Fiona signed herself up for Invest Northern Ireland's Go for it programme to make sure she had all the tools she needed to help make her venture a success.

"The expert advice and support I received with Go for it definitely helped me to move things forward – both in my mind and in practice. From the start, I was assigned a personal adviser who helped me to work out what aspects of business I needed to learn most.

"For me, I was keen to know more about business and financial planning, selling, networking and tax – it didn't let me down."

Fiona said she's looking forward to growing her business in the years ahead, sourcing exciting new styles and consolidating her growing customer base.

"It's an exciting time in my life," she said. "I can't imagine ever going back."

The Go for it Programme is provided by Invest Northern Ireland and is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund. For details, log on to www.goforitni.com.