The Exploring Enterprise Programme supports local business, Angie Kelly Designs
Angie’s Start up Story:
Angie’s entrepreneurial journey with Causeway Enterprise Agency began in 2011, when she returned from working overseas for 20 years; she left these shores in 1992 to pursue a career in Haute Couture, and she realised her dream working for rich and famous families in Dubai making glamorous occasion dresses for 10 years, along the way gaining invaluable experience in design, sewing, alterations and dressmaking.
Angie made a move to Germany in 2002 and welcomed a baby daughter in 2004, she spent a few years raising her daughter and integrating into the German way of life, learning the language and soaking up the customs and culture.Angie missed her close-knit family based here on the North Coast and the support and friendship they could provide for herself and her young daughter and found herself returning to Northern Ireland for good in 2011.
As jobs were few and far between for a person with Angie’s skills in the Causeway area, she found herself wondering if self-employment would suit her talents and enable her to work around her young daughter and school. Word of mouth brought Angie to her local enterprise agency here in Coleraine, where she met with the Business Advisory team and talked to them about her skills and ideas. Angie was enrolled onto the Exploring Enterprise Course and completed training in enterprise, marketing and finance and gained a Level 2 qualification in Business Enterprise. On completion of the Exploring Enterprise course Angie volunteered for a vintage dress making shop Hope and Gloria, where she made the vintage clothing to sell in the shop called “The Attic sewing school” and trained volunteers in sewing practices out in the community.
Angie progressed her business with the assistance of a Go for it business plan and funding from Venture Causeway that provided the business with sewing machines, branding and mentoring to start her own business “Angie Kelly Designs” in 2013. Angie continues dressmaking, alterations and sewing classes to the present day and works part time in Flowerfield Portstewart, where she is their in-house sewing and free-hand embroidery tutor.Self-employment has enabled Angie to use her skill set, work doing something she loves and support her family as well. Angie believes that the best parts of the Exploring Enterprise Course were meeting new people and the ideas generation from the course.
Angie says: “I would definitely recommend to any entrepreneur with an idea to do a course at Causeway Enterprise Agency, where if you have a business idea, you can find out how you can develop the idea into a reality and gain support throughout your entrepreneurial journey”
To find out more about the Exploring Enterprise Programme call 028 70356318 or email info@causeway-enterprise.co.uk
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