Philippa seeing her florists business grow in Whitley Bay

Philippa Hudson has converted a former estate agency in Park View, Whitley Bay, in to Philippa’s Flowers.

The 27-year-old, who grew up in Whitley Bay, returned to college to complete a floristry course as a form of relaxation, but soon realised that she had a real flair and passion for creating artistic flower displays and began looking at ways of turning her new hobby in to a career.

Having completed her training, Philippa set up a small online business which she ran from home but within months her order book had grown so much that she decided to open her own dedicated shop

She enlisted the help of North Tyneside Council’s Business Factory to help her to secure suitable premises to support her business growth.

Philippa said: “I toyed with the idea of taking a unit away from the high street to concentrate solely on events and corporate clients but I love the day to day floristry as well as big events so set my sights on finding a retail unit on Park View, Whitley Bay.

“It’s such a busy shopping street with so many gorgeous independent businesses; whilst this adds to its appeal, it also makes it difficult to secure premises.

“The Business Factory offered me the support of a specialist property consultant who helped me to navigate the minefield of commercial leases and reduce the potential burden on my shoulders.

“Paul was a godsend and gave me the confidence to know exactly what I was responsible for, allowing me to pull together a pretty watertight business plan.”

And within weeks of opening business is blooming; Philippa has a growing list of regular corporate clients.

Philippa added: “I would recommend that anyone thinking about starting a business or existing businesses who need specialist advice and support should make contact with The Business Factory.

“I had no idea they would be able to help me with such specialist support but they have a number of professional consultants on hand to help with a wide range of business issues.”

For more information about the support available through The Business Factory visit www.businessfactorynt.co.uk