Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - March/April 2021

81 UP & COMING VENUS & THE CAT Tel: +44 (0)7487 237883 E: hello@venusandthecat.com www.venusandthecat.com joy. We definitely think that lockdown has started a buying behaviour of consumers focusing in on their home environments and we think it’s a trend that’s here to stay. Launching to the reception we have during lockdown gives us great optimism for business in normal circumstances. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? We’re very active on social media, with active profiles on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn. Each of them is important in different ways; our products are very visual so Instagram feels like a natural home to get that impact, reach and engagement, and it’s also where a lot of artists interact and share pictures of their work. Pinterest allows people who are actively searching for inspiration to pin our products to their boards to save for later, LinkedIn allows us to communicate with trade professionals like interior designers and stylists and Twitter is brilliant for communicating with journalists. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? We’re very new ourselves, but our main tips would be firstly, to always do or create something you love. When things get hard, it really helps to be passionate about something to get you through. Secondly, always do your research to make sure there’s a market and that you’re not simply setting out on a passion project. Then, be regimented in your planning; we went from initial idea to launch in less than six months purely with organisation and structure. Believe in yourself and what you do, because it’s what will drive you on to get better and do more. And finally, as hard as it might be, try to stop every so often and celebrate the wins and successes you’ve had. What can we expect in the future from the company? The next thing we are launching is our ‘Giving Back’ range, coming early 2021; we’re taking the original artwork that decorates our homeware and printing it on to t-shirts and tote bags, with 25% of proceeds being given to our charity, Centerpoint. We’re also in the early stages of planning the next ceramic pieces and the artists that we will collaborate with.