Images October 2019 Digital Edition

www.images-magazine.com OCTOBER 2019 images 39 IS DECORATOR PROFILE their family from Crawley to Devon, ending up in the village of Winkleigh. “We realised we could take the business anywhere in the UK,” Gemma says. “We decided to stick a pin on a map and move somewhere prettier.” The business expanded into Gemma and Dan’s new garage, and they then took on their first member of staff. “It’s scary employing people,” Gemma admits. “You get so passionate about things that it is hard to hand over to someone else. You are giving them a little bit of your heart. But we were lucky as she was wonderful.” The couple now have four other people working with them, although Gemma adds: “I never wanted to be the boss person; I wanted everyone to work with me.” The business has since moved to an old building converted into a shop with a workshop, sewing room and office where orders are processed and fulfilled. Customised designs Rocket & Rose supplies all kinds of custom-made garments for babies to 11-year-olds, from T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies to dresses and skirts as well as accessories such as bags and hats. There are also ‘Matchy Matchy’ sets so mums and dads can sport the same designs as their children – think matching T-shirts with the slogans “Daddysaurus” and “Jamesosaurus”. The key to their success is providing personalised designs for orders as small as one at an affordable price. “We let our customers choose what print colours and finishes they want. You can choose a white T-shirt but have any colour of dinosaur on there. I want them to feel they are the designer as well, even though it is pre-designed by me. It makes people feel extra special.” One of their most popular lines is pregnancy announcement garments, such as a T-shirt for a couple’s first child to wear at a family party. “They are telling us before they tell their families which is just crazy,” says Gemma. “Just being allowed in on that secret is wonderful.” Gemma is always coming up with new designs. “I take inspiration mostly from what my kids are into. It’s all about unicorns and dinosaurs. I don’t think that will ever get boring. If there are slogans that the kids come home with, it’s something I work on straightaway. It’s very much what I loved as a kid. I have just turned 40 but to be able to design T-shirts with sparkly unicorns or a T-rex, I love it. The glitter is so magical.” Although the company name was inspired by two images that represent what boys and girls are into, as many of the slogans testify, the choices are up to parents and children. “We are very much gender-neutral: girls like dinosaurs and boys like unicorns too.” Next steps Rocket & Rose sells via online sites NotOnTheHighStreet.com and Etsy, as well as its own website, reaching customers through Facebook and Instagram where it has 24,500 and 12,600 followers, respectively. But the business is about to take another big step: it is working on a range of organic children’s T-shirts for wholesale, aimed at boutiques and larger retailers. Due to launch in February 2020 at the INDX Kidswear show in Birmingham, it’s a ‘keepsake’ range of garments to celebrate events such as birthdays, featuring designs not found in the rest of the range. The T-shirts are made with organic cotton from traceable sources, and a percentage of sales will be donated to a local hospital. The new range is in line with the company’s environmental credentials: it doesn’t use plastic, all packaging is recycled and bags are fully biodegradable. Its garment supplier is PenCarrie, which is also based in Devon. “It’s all about keeping it as local as possible and trying to be as environmentally friendly as we can,” says Gemma. Despite the growth of Rocket & Rose, Gemma and Dan still manage to balance business with family life. “The whole point of this was that we wanted to be mum and dad to our kids together,” says Gemma. “It’s very important to us that we finish when the kids finish school. We all go home together and all have dinner together. I still do admin in the evening, but I’m there with them until they go to bed.” Gemma suspects that other women may be deterred from following a similar path to her because they are unsure whether they can juggle running a successful business with having children and because of the lack of support for budding female entrepreneurs. “Unless you study business, there’s no help out there telling you what to do. If you’re busy raising a family, or even not raising a family, there are no resources to really help you unless you pay through the nose for it. ”I know there are tons of mums out there running little craft businesses from their kitchen table, which is exactly where I started. I think maybe they don’t have the confidence to move forward or they don’t have the support from their family as I did. But I’m testament you can do it.” She adds that, in her case, being a mum is actually a big advantage from a business perspective. “Our target market is basically me. I have three young children who love wearing sparkly and slogan T-shirts!” www.rocketandrose.com We let our customers choose what print colours and finishes they want Gemma Bennett, director of Rocket & Rose The company uses Dae Ha UK garment films exclusively Rocket & Rose supplies custom-made garments for children up to the age of 11