AMID continued debate about how best to support small businesses in Scotland a young entrepreneur says funders should not let a focus on measures such as turnover blind them to the wider contribution a firm can make.

Name:

Emma Douglas.

Age:

28.

What is your business called?

Timeless White Wedding Planning.

Where is it based?

Aberdeen.

What services does it offer?

We offer high-end wedding planning in Scotland with tailored packages to suit and beautiful romantic destination weddings in Scotland.

To whom does it sell?

Clients UK wide and internationally who are planning weddings with an above-average budget. A survey found the average Scottish wedding costs around £30,000. The majority of Timeless White clients have a budget of £40,000 or more with the largest wedding we have assisted on coming in at around £150,000.

I’ve helped around 400 couples plan their weddings in hotels across the country as well as private estates such as Achnagairn Castle in Inverness and Fasque House near Fettercairn.

What is its turnover?

The turnover is £60,000 and this has grown by 15 per cent year on year for the last five.

How many employees?

Two in total. I employed my intern on a more permanent basis in 2016.

When was it formed?

The company was formed in July 2010 from my bedroom desk when I was still studying in my third year of university. For the first two years of my degree I studied Entrepreneurship and Marketing at Strathclyde University and I then moved to the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to finish my degree in Management and Marketing. I was there when I was inspired to create something of my own. I had just turned 21 and I always had ambitions to start my own company.

Why did you take the plunge?

A seed had been planted when I was about 16 that I should work with weddings. I had made a goodbye film for a friend who was moving away, and her parents commented on how touching it was and said I would be great working with weddings. Then, when I was a student, I asked to shadow another planner and did this for about 18 months. I felt there was a gap in the market for a luxury wedding planning service in Aberdeen and decided to go for it. I had always wanted to make and create something for myself and I’m passionate about the creation of something from nothing. That’s why weddings and events are interesting to me. They start off as just an idea or a date and soon something beautiful comes together. Even though I was young when I decided to take the plunge I had the confidence to liaise with clients and I knew I would put in the hard work to pull every wedding off.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I was still studying when I set up the business. Marketing skills, coming up with ideas and thinking like an entrepreneur were a big part of my degree so it stood me in good stead.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

The costs weren’t extortionate and were sourced from my own personal savings at the time. I have built up my own portfolio of systems, databases and ways of working. These required a big investment in time.

What was your biggest break?

I was extremely lucky in that the second wedding I planned had a very big budget, of around £140,000, and so I very quickly had something major to stick my teeth into and something very beautiful to add to my portfolio to show future clients as an example of my work. This also gave me the opportunity to work with other suppliers within the big budget bracket.

What was your worst moment?

According to a US survey, being a wedding planner is the most stressful job after healthcare, the forces and the emergency services! So, in my seven years of running Timeless White there have definitely been moments where I’ve put myself under a lot of pressure.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

I’m very much a person that feeds off seeing people have a wonderful time and genuine fun. I enjoy the service side of what I’m doing and the brand building and marketing aspects too.

People joke and ask me if I have come across Bridezillas in my line of work, but I can honestly say that my clients are very reasonable and we tend to be aligned with attitude towards the day.

What are your ambitions for the firm?

I want to continue to establish Timeless White Wedding Planning as the premium supplier of wedding planning and coordination – not only within Scotland.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

One of the key issues I have is that it is hard to define whether my business is importing or exporting and this makes it difficult to access funding. Also, some funding bodies only consider the turnover of a business and don’t necessarily look at the overall contribution it is making. Although Timeless White doesn’t turnover a huge amount of money, that doesn’t mean we’re not bringing a lot of international money into the country. I think sometimes the right to funding is focussed too much on business income and not on business impact.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

You should never set up a business if your heart is not in it because you need the enthusiasm and the stamina to get through the hard stuff. I’ve learned now not to feel shy to show people that my heart is fully in my business.

How do you relax?

I enjoy a good gym session and I never take a phone or a watch with me. It’s a time to completely switch off and enjoy a bit of escapism.