Kim Dobson worked at Baileys in Cowes until the store closed in September last year and she was made redundant. After a spell at Hurst’s in Cowes, Kim took the plunge and opened her own shop in June this year. Bella is on Cowes High Street, at the bottom of Market Hill, and is open 7 days a week.
“I was inspired by working with Derek at Baileys,” Kim says. “I got to know the buying side of the business and I enjoyed it. It wasn’t like work. My new shop sells a lot of quirky clothes, often from Italy. ‘Life’s too short to wear boring clothes’ is my motto! The people who like my shop really love it.”
“It’s the first time I’ve ever run a shop and it can be a bit solitary running your own business. The Start-up course filled in a lot of the gaps for me, explaining all about tax and VAT. My mentor Fiona has helped me a lot with advice on finance and she gives me a lot of encouragement.”
