Our first birthday! Five lessons from our first year in business

February 19, 2025

A year ago today our very first Tinker & Tallulah lampshade made its way into the world. It doesn’t seem five minutes since we were sat around our kitchen table surrounded by a mountain of velvet and fringe samples. But, a lot can change in 365 days.

We are so grateful to everyone who has supported our journey - our customers, fellow small biz owners and the friendships we’ve built on instagram - you are all amazing!

So in the spirit of community, here are our top five lessons from our first year in business.

Mindset, mindset, mindset. This has been a gamechanger for us. It’s probably the most important thing that has turned our dream into reality. Podcasts are a great place to start which focus on small business and self-development advice such as:
- Jake Humphreys and Damian Hughes: The High Performance Podcast
- Holly Tucker: Conversations of Inspiration
- Steven Bartlett: The Diary of a CEO
Say yes as much as you can. We couldn’t believe it when we were approached not once, but twice by a Hollywood film set (more details to be shared soon!). Make a habit of saying yes to every opportunity that comes your way, however scary it may be - feel the fear and do it anyway. Other examples include taking a large international order and trying out a new selling platform - just keep moving forwards.
Think BIG. Run your business like you are one of the brands you adore. Advertise in an interiors magazine, collaborate with instagram influencers, book that professional photoshoot and send a press release. What have you got to lose? Every small action you make on a daily basis will lead to greater things down the line.
Set clear boundaries when working with family. As a husband and wife team (what were we thinking?), our best advice is to establish clear work areas. So for us, Rach loves talking to our customers, managing our social media channels and interior design, whereas Liam loves making our beautiful lampshades and understands the financial side of things. They say opposites attract and luckily for us we enjoy different aspects of the business.
Do something you love. It’s a stark statistic that 60% of UK small businesses fail in the first three years. This could be for numerous reasons like cash flow problems or not having a business plan. But for us, we wholeheartedly believe that if you do something you love, which gives you purpose, then you’re more likely to be successful.