Credit crunch leads to a new business
Being made redundant due to the credit crunch was just the push a mum of three needed to set up a new dress shop in north Norfolk.Lucy Mears was made redundant from her IT job of eight years just before Christmas.
Being made redundant due to the credit crunch was just the push a mum of three needed to set up a new dress shop in north Norfolk.
Lucy Mears was made redundant from her IT job of eight years just before Christmas.
But instead of letting it beat her she has followed a dream and set up Layla Mays, an evening and prom dress shop with clothes for hire and to buy.
It is named after Mrs Mear's daughter Layla May and is based at the old Reepham Station in Reepham, opposite Kerry's Pine.
You may also want to watch:
It is something she has always wanted to do - and in fact has run a dress hire agency from her home at Bintree before.
But having a permanent job in IT it always seemed too big a jump.
Most Read
- 1 Why this Norfolk village is one of the best in the UK
- 2 Wartime spirit fills north Norfolk as 1940s weekend returns
- 3 End of an era as cafe owner hangs up apron after 26 years
- 4 Man airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries after fight near pub
- 5 Location revealed for new major music festival with '90s flavour'
- 6 'Proud to be a Cromer fisherman' - Tributes paid to Norfolk stalwart
- 7 Cromer: gang throw glass bottles at group near beach
- 8 Parts of Norfolk at risk of heavy downpours
- 9 Tribute shows planned in memory of Paul Eastwood
- 10 'I couldn't believe my eyes' - snorkeller finds 125-year-old shipwreck
'I was made redundant before Christmas, they were making cut-backs and working part-time I was an obvious choice,' she said.
'I did some voluntary work at the high school in Reepham and looked at business ideas and found this building empty.
'I had run a business from home renting dresses. It was just a case of looking at the jobs section and saying I didn't want to do any of those jobs so what could I do a bit more interesting that would earn a bit of income.'
She has used the contacts she made during that time to help launch her new business at The Little Shop.
As well as prom and evening dresses, the shop stocks shoes by Mima Lee, a shoe designer from Melton Constable, glass jewellery by A Splash of Colour based at nearby Bawdeswell, and Swarovski jewellery made by jewellers based in Poringland, Norwich.
She also has some children's clothes and will have a range of Soil Association certified organic clothing.
Mrs Mears has three children, two boys and one girl, aged five to 16, with husband builder Ian and has lived in Norfolk more than 20 years.
