Work life: 'If you have an idea you believe in, others will too'

Where do you work?

We run our own business Ruby & Bean based in our own studio at Lamplugh.

Having our own work space is fantastic as it enables us to go to work whenever we need to rather than being tied to an office or having it all at our homes.

How long have you done this job?

We started our business in October 2017 so we are still relatively new to the small business world and learning all the time.

Take us through a typical day:

Our day starts as soon as the school run is over or when we have had a least two strong cups of coffee. The benefit of being the ‘boss’ means we can pick and chose our hours, although we do aim to work Tuesday to Thursday when we can.

Although we say we work ‘part time’ lots of our work continues at home as there really aren’t enough hours in the day!

Being the only two in the business means we have to wear many hats… from printing, sewing, packing and photographing all the makes, we then also have the website and social media to maintain.

On a typical studio day we collate orders and reply to emails before getting to work on screen printing a wide range of clothes for both adults and kids.

Once the printing is over then all the makes are labelled, ironed and packaged ready to be sent around the country.

Our amazing loyal customer base spreads from Scotland down to Devon with many of our returning customers becoming good friends, which definitely sets us apart from the bigger businesses.

With Amy’s background in fashion design, we are aware that keeping up with trends is super important so every couple of months much of our time is spent coming up with new designs and screens and picking new colours and garments, which certainly keeps us on our toes trying to think of something new or current!

What do you like most about the job?

We are self-employed which means we have flexible working hours which is essential to our family lives.

Releasing new designs and products is also always really rewarding and exciting.

Because we are responsible for the entirety of our business we also get to make decisions that either work better for us or suit our ethos.

In May this year we made the bold decision to make our business more sustainable by using more organic cotton fabrics and recycled materials. The ink we use is environmentally friendly water-based ink too, so it’s much kinder to both the environment and skin, which is incredibly important to us as we print children’s clothes.

By changing many of our garments to organic has meant that we had to increase our prices slightly, which has had a bit of a knock on effect with sales, but, slowly, people are realising that not only is the quality of the clothing so much nicer, but that we are all responsible for doing our bit to protect the world in which we live.

Living in the Lake District is a huge privilege and it also highlights to us how important it is to keep our business as environmentally conscious as possible, so even though they may seem like small steps we strongly believe that by doing so we can encourage others around us to do the same.

So from the organic cotton and recycled materials; compostable packaging and recycled card labels our brand is making head way with only more exciting changes to come.

What do you like least?

Being self-employed means you have to do everything yourselves and that can often mean some late nights at the computer once the kids are in bed.

Having to be responsible for the paperwork and accounts side of things is something we both dislike… we spend more than we probably should, so don’t like to be reminded of that!

Why did you want to do this job?

We both had creative backgrounds before starting Ruby and Bean and wanted to do something in this field which also worked around our families.

As the business has developed over the two years we have become more passionate about the ethical side, which keeps us motivated and encouraged to see so many positive changes happening in the fashion world.

What jobs have you done previously?

Amy has worked in fashion and bridal wear and Louise was a primary school teacher for 12 years. Trying something so different was a risk but so far it has paid off for our wellbeing if nothing else.

What qualifications or experience do you need?

Amy has a degree in fashion which has definitely helped with some of the decision making at the start. Louise has a photography degree, which in some ways helps with the website and social media aspect of the business, although it’s often a job we prefer the experts to do and are lucky to work with some fabulous local photographers.

What is a typical salary for this job?

Erm this can vary depending on sales etc. We are still a relatively new business so we still need to keep money in the pot... we pay ourselves well in hoodies and sweaters though!

Any advice for people wanting to get into your profession?

Just give it a try! If you’ve got an idea you believe in then others will too!