Our customer stories: Instyle Ascot

When did you start Instyle Ascot?

We started Instyle Ascot in October 2022.

What made you want to start your own business?

Niamh and I had initially discussed the idea of starting a small business as a proactive step to take control of my career path. During that period, I was navigating a dynamic job market while exploring various career opportunities. This encouraged me to explore my passions and eventually led to our exciting journey. My mum’s friend posted on Facebook that she wanted someone to sell her clothes on her behalf as she didn’t have the time. Given my prior success in selling my own clothes online with the help of Niamh, I eagerly jumped at the opportunity.

What advice would you give someone wanting to start a side business?

My two main pieces or advice are: 1) Be ready to sacrifice a significant portion of your social life to fully commit to your work. 2) I would also recommend using a shared calendar with your business partner (if you have one).

How would you describe your business?

Our business incentivises people to have a clear out of their old clothing and donate to us to sell on a 50-50, commission basis, meaning they too profit from the sale, earning half of what we sell the item for.

Why did you choose to run your business from a self-storage unit, rather than a traditional business/ office location?

We were originally using my bedroom and my brother’s room to store our items, however we quickly expanded as there was such a great demand for our services, so much so we had a waiting list. We then rented a storage unit. This has now allowed us to progress our business further, taking on a lot more clients and selling on a much bigger scale.

What are your business plans/ goals for the future?

We would love to open a preloved shop and are currently working on making that happen! And eventually expand our services into different areas around the UK. We have created our own website and will be utilising that to sell clothes, as opposed to using second hand platforms.

How much money did you use to start up your business?

We initially didn’t invest any money into the company as the clothes were previously donated to us, however we put a lot of time into getting it off the ground. This has significantly helped us grow as now we know what is likely to sell better! We are investing money now into the bricks-and-mortar shop and whilst scary, this is also really exciting.

What was the turnover if your first year of trading from a self-storage unit?

Approximately £15k-£16k, however we haven’t completed a financial report for the year yet.

What was the one unexpected thing you’ve learned/discovered during your new venture?

We quickly discovered how many people are turning to purchasing preloved items from second hand apps such as Vinted and Depop. We’ve had many of our items sell within minutes of uploading!