Thursday 27 March 2014

Simply a Franchise in Focus: Alex who runs our Harrogate office


 I am Alexandra Stead and I cover the Harrogate Area, My venues include, Rudding Park, Wood Hall, Goldsborough Hall, Allerton Castle, and all the Harrogate Town Centre Hotels.


I was trained in Hotel Catering and Institutional Management and worked in hotels at home and abroad. I always enjoyed dealing with the customers and the fact that no two days were the same. Latterly I worked in a variety of small businesses being involved closely in the day to day running of the operation.
 I had known Sarah a number of years and was a huge admirer of her drive and enthusiasm as well as her business acumen. She told me of her idea when she started the company and always said she would like to have me on board. I had seen the company grow and when I was made redundant in 2011 due to the recession I did not need asking twice.
 I have never been someone who leaves the job when I leave the office. I would follow things up in my own time if it was necessary. As I worked for small companies I had always managed to make the job suit my lifestyle. Working for myself is not a whole lot different but the rewards and credits are mine not someone else’s.


It can be quite lonely working for yourself, with the franchise it is the best of both worlds as the support and back up from the rest of the team is second to none. Our marketing and website is something that would be hard to achieve as a sole trader, and Sarah has initially sourced some fantastic suppliers which ensures the quality of the brand.
Where do I see my business in a years time? In a years time I see the franchise having grown about 100% in the volume of orders and venues that are using our service. I also see myself having dressed some prestigious events. In three years I hope that this growth has continued and we have 2 or 3 teams out dressing events regularly. I would like to think that we will be the primary supplier in the Harrogate Area due to the quality of our product and the efficiency of our service.

 The last two years have been exciting and fun. I am constantly learning things about my business and even about myself. The wedding industry is a fun and vibrant one to be involved in and I have met some lovely people. I would recommended it to anyone!

Sunday 23 March 2014

Simply a Franchise in Focus: Claire from Aberdeen

    Introduce yourself, name, age, which region/ venues you cover...
    My name is Claire, I’m 33 and I cover the Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire area.  This includes a number of great venues, ranging from Fasque House to the south at Fettercairn, Glen Tanar Estate to the west at Aboyne and venues within the City of Aberdeen itself, including The Caledonian Thistle and Norwood Hall.  My territory also includes a lot of National Trust for Scotland venues, including Crathes, Drum and Fraser Castles.

    What is your background?
    I studied Land Economy at University and have been a Town Planning Consultant since leaving University 11 years ago.
    Why did you take a franchise with Simply Bows and Chair Covers?
    I got married in 2011 and loved every part of planning my wedding.  I struggled to find loose fitting chair covers and while I was searching, I came across Simply Bows and Chair Covers and noticed that they didn’t have a presence in Aberdeen.  I met with Sarah, who had so much enthusiasm for what she did, that I jumped at the chance of taking the product north to open the first office in Scotland. 

    Why do you love working for yourself?
    I love that I can fit working around my two children, which gives me the best of both worlds – being at home when they need me, but giving me the opportunity and independence to carry on working, and getting out and meeting people.    
    Why do you love being a Simply Bows and Chair Covers franchisee?
    I love working in the wedding and events industry as it’s such a happy, positive environment and meeting and helping brides achieve their vision for their wedding day is very rewarding.  The products we supply are of a really high quality, which, for me is an important consideration when planning a wedding or event.  Therefore, it’s easy to be positive about what I do on a day to day basis.  Also, Sarah, the Managing Director is very passionate about what she does and is always willing to offer support and advice in helping us grow our business. 

    Where do you see you, and your franchisee in 1 years time and also 3 years time?
    Since I opened the Aberdeen office 2 years ago, we’ve seen bookings increase year on year, so I see this continuing again in the next year.  I would also like to establish connections with more venues in the area.
In 3 years, I see the Aberdeen office well established in the area, recognised for supplying a quality product and providing great customer service.  I also see us adding to the number of venues we supply linen to as part of their wedding packages.  I love my job and know that this won't change!

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Simply Setting The Standard; The Tayside Wedding Collective

The Tayside Wedding Collective is a col­lec­tion of the very best Wedding Suppliers in Tayside and our Simply Bows and Chair Covers Dundee, Fife
and Perth office headed up by Susan and Vicki are thrilled to be invited to join them!
 
Each sup­plier in the collective is a full time pro­fes­sional Wedding Supplier, no mem­ber is invited to join unless they are well known to the exist­ing mem­bers, highly expe­ri­enced and completely pro­fes­sional in their field. 
As a future Bride or Groom plan­ning the biggest day of your lives, you will want the reas­sur­ance that your sup­pli­ers are pro­fes­sional, respon­si­ble and highly regarded in the local area. This web­site brings all the very best local sup­pli­ers together in one place, think of this like a vir­tual Wedding Show.
The Tayside Wedding Collective – the most sought after Wedding Suppliers in Tayside
If you are getting married in this area you really must take a look!

Saturday 15 March 2014

Simply a Wedding in a Minion!!

We recently came across this fabulous wedding cake via Twitter and immediately contacted the creators to find out about their inspiration as we thought it was so unique and quirky!
 
 
 
The creator was the owner of My Sweet Cupcakery, Bath....
 
"Our Minion wedding cake (Dave and Marilyn MonMinion) was so much fun! Inspiration wise I have always loved doing minion cakes and have done quite a lot in cupcake form and as bigger cakes. We had a wedding fayre coming up recently and I thought it would be a perfect way to show a different side rather than just the traditional cakes"

"Half way though making them i couldnt visualise some of it so had a google to see if i could find some inspiration and up pops a cake similar to the one i was making! So full credit goes to Gettys Cakes (although hers is better than mine!)"

My Sweet Cupcakery are based in Bath and are just coming up to their one year anniversary in their gorgeous shop. Lets hope they keep up their fabulous creativity and share lots more fabulously unique wedding cakes with us!

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Simply getting hitched and want to appear on TV?!

 
Are you getting married between March and August this year? If so why not check out the flyer below from a TV production crew looking for brides to be and their bridesmaids to feature new TV show....?!
 
 
 

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Simply Bringing Glamour to The Party!

The Cat Walks for Spring/Summer 2014 were adorned with Sequins and Embelishments.  Our Glitter and Glam Collection is a reflection of this shining elegance!
 
 
We have created some stunning chair veils, caps, and table runners that will enhance any wedding, private party or glamorous award ceremony.
 


This attention grabbing collection can be made in a variety of colours, so please do not hesitate to contact us for a bespoke quotation...
 
 
 
 


Sunday 2 March 2014

Simply Medieval Spendour: Langley Castle Spring Wedding Fayre

Wedding Fayre at Langley Castle

Sunday 16th March 2014

 

 

Doors open 11.00am - 4.00pm

Free entry
Lunch will also be served in The Josephine Restaurant and the menu will contain a selection of items from our wedding package for you to sample.
 
Whether you're looking for the finest florists, the most professional photographers or music to suit the mood, exhibitors covering all aspects of your wedding day are at hand.
If you are looking for your dream wedding venue come and talk with a member of the Langley Castle team, they would be happy to discuss your requirements and let you explore the public rooms and private bedrooms.