Cornish entrepreneur Hayley Jones has had a £10k Start Up Loan boost through SWIG Finance.
Jones, founder of Moon Phase Studio, received the Government-backed loan to help her customers attune to the moon phases.
As a mother to two young children, Jones needed to be able to work around family commitments and so she decided to start her own business.
With a degree in fashion textiles, she utilises her artistic creativity to craft moon phase calendars which are printed from hand-drawn designs. These calendars are intended to educate people on how to improve their lifestyle by working with the moon cycle.
Jones had produced moon phase calendars on a small scale before, so she knew the idea would work. Furthermore, the astrology market is increasing year-on-year and is now estimated to be worth £1.61 billion, with thanks in part to the anxieties and stresses caused by the pandemic. In fact, during the peak of the pandemic, the term “coronavirus astrology” was coined in response to the rising levels of interest.
As the business organically evolved, Jones began adding complimentary products to her e-commerce shop, which now includes Luna planting guides and ritual ‘Bath Teas’.
She has also set her sights on expanding internationally and has already begun exporting her products to the US. In time, she hopes to create at least one new job to cover the administration aspects of the business which will leave her with more time to spend on creating new artwork.
SWIG’s Start Up Loans officer, Nicki Kimberley, said: “Hayley has taken her creative talents and applied them to a fast-growth market, a great starting point for any successful business. Drawing upon her design skills, Hayley’s illustrations are educational, informative and aesthetically pleasing. We are excited to see how Hayley’s business evolves.”
