MAS helps fund women in business Two female entrepreneurs, Sian Bostwick and Lesley Bassett,
both from Kent, have been making the most of support and services available to
grow their businesses, with successful results. Award winning jewellery designer Sian, owner and founder of Sian Bostwick Jewellery, has reduced
the production time on her standard jewellery range dramatically as a result of
purchasing a range of new tools part-funded by the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS). Sian said: “Following a chance meeting with MAS at a local
Kent exhibition I have transformed the way my jewellery is produced. A workshop
review enabled MAS to provide 50% of the funding required to buy the necessary
tools to take production time of my standard jewellery range from three days to
two hours. “This is truly a significant achievement which has improved
productivity levels and shortened lead times whilst providing additional time
to concentrate on expanding the business and focus on marketing activities. MAS
also introduced me to UKTI which has enabled me to begin early discussions
regarding the process of taking my products abroad.” Sian hand crafts her jewellery out of a workshop in Kent
with delicate detail and beautifully contrasting colours, drawing on a love of
treasured myths, fairy tales and literature to create her Wonderland,
Springtime and Nautilus collections. Lesley, founder of Icinghouse,
has taken one of her cake decorating products to market with the help of MAS
funding, combined with their industry contacts and design and manufacturing
expertise. She commented: “As a former wedding cake maker, I have
extensive industry knowledge within this area. However, when I started out
designing cake decorating products I lacked the necessary funding, links and
connections needed to take an initial idea and concept through its many design,
production and approval stages required before becoming a reality. With the help of MAS, I have taken my Press-Ice
range of impression tools to market, which is just fantastic. Sales are already
in the 10s of 1000s, with more designs due to be launched before the end of the
year. “I am also currently working on another project involving a
wedding cake transportation solution, involving specially designed cardboard
boxes with polystyrene inserts – once again I will be calling on the services
of MAS, as without them I would never have got this far with my business.” There’s help out there for the entrepreneurs of Kent, to
keep small, innovative businesses like these thriving.
www.mymas.org | 
