When did you start your own business and why?
“I remember the day clearly. I was in the garden with my dad, discussing the shutdown of his business. He ran a hardware firm, but after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease he had to give it up. He asked me if I’d like to buy his stock.
“I was going through a challenging time, having just separated from my husband, but the sale of my marital home meant I had some money. I had a lightbulb moment and thought ‘this is my chance’, so I went for it and bought all the remaining stock. And Mandy’s Tools was born.”
“I would often be the only woman but that never bothered me”
What was it like in the beginning?
”I was a self-employed trader initially and it was tough work, especially being a single mum with a young child. In the beginning I was working 15-hour days. My son was two at the time and as a single mum, I needed to juggle a lot.
“Most of my time was spent travelling to auctions in my van, which was an old banger. Some days I would start at 4am and not get home until 7pm. It was physically very draining and being a very male orientated industry, I would often be the only woman. But that never bothered me.”
Was it hard moving your business online?
“No, in fact it was very easy. I immersed myself in learning all about eBay policies and best practice for doing things like my listings. For example, you need to take good photos and to get the pricing right.
“I pressed the button and officially listed the first item on my eBay shop in 2010. It was a bag of linchpins. But I didn’t make any sales for several days and was starting to feel despondent and to doubt myself – especially with the competition I was up against.
“Then I sold my first pack. And then another. I was so excited I was jumping up and down!”
How did you grow the business?
“My sales on eBay continued to increase steadily, week by week, and I added more and more items over time. Eventually, when I reached a certain level of revenue, I decided it was time to invest in some bricks and mortar. I had always dreamt of having a big warehouse with Mandy’s Tools written above the door.
“This was another learning curve for me, becoming a boss. But I was determined to make it work and today, I have six fantastic ladies on my team. We work hard to sustain our feedback on eBay and deal with an average 400 to 450 orders a week. Recently, we also became an eBay global shipping company, selling to customers in the UK, but also in Europe and America too.
“For me, having an eBay shop was the perfect stepping stone to launch and grow a successful business. Overall, it’s been the greatest challenge I’ve ever faced and I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved. It just goes to show that anything is possible.”
