Inspiring small businesses: Buttercrumble
In our ‘Inspiring small businesses’ series, we share and celebrate great stories from small business owners who started and run their own business. By bringing you closer to these inspiring businesses we hope that you find motivation, tips, and ideas for building yours. Next up we are sharing the inspiring story behind Buttercrumble, a creative communications studio based in Leeds, told by Co-Founder and Creative Director Abigail Baldwin.
What's the story behind your business?
Buttercrumble was formed by myself and twin sister, Chloe. We’ve always loved being creative together. Ever since we could pick up a pencil — we’ve been drawing! Whilst at college, we started sharing our creations online to gain feedback. We learnt, we persisted, we developed. Eventually, we started receiving commissions. From this point, we knew it could be our future if we knuckled down and rolled our sleeves up! We continued to partner up through the rest of school and university, until we graduated and entered the “real world”.
Whilst working different design jobs in Leeds, we felt we weren’t fully able to utilise our illustration skills. After research and discussion, we discovered there was a gap in the market for a creative studio that weaves illustration and graphic design seamlessly. This visual style works perfectly for the young-at-heart brands we love to partner with.
In 2017, we left our stable design roles, and started running Buttercrumble full-time. Since then, we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with organisations such as Chester Zoo, the Royal Armouries and John Lewis.
What inspired you to start your own business?
Drawing has always appealed to me because the only limit was our imagination. I have always felt a similar way to running my own business — although it’s a lot more complicated! The opportunity to design our own lives and to work together with my twin sister truly motivated me.
What is the most difficult aspect of running your own business?
Spinning plates! There are so many elements within a business which require supervision. From doing the actual “do” to accounting and managing clients. Design is my true passion, but I have to combine this with project management and communicating with the team. It can easily overwhelm you. That’s why organisation is key! Get into the habit of writing tasks down so you remember.
What is the best thing about running your own business?
I admire other business owners — it’s a noble pursuit to try and earn your own living through what you love. If we are able to support them on their journey, I know we are doing good things with our times.
We’ve had clients who were so embarrassed of their former brands that they were ashamed to market their businesses. Running your own business is tough enough without being bashful over your brand. We love to create a transformation and instil confidence in the people we partner with. In every expression of our work, we try and bring the same sense of positivity and love for creativity.
To find out more about Buttercrumble, visit their website or follow them on Instagram and Twitter.