What is your business background and how did you get involved with The Zip Yard?

“I previously managed transport and warehouse operations for DHL but always wanted to run my own business. Seven years ago, I decided to take the leap and set up an independent coffee shop with my business partner Michal Polak in Bedford High Street. As that was going well, we started to consider taking on a second business. Graeme Mulheron, who is the franchisee of the Bedford store, was one of our regular coffee shop customers and told me how The Zip Yard worked so we decided to go for it. I live in a village just outside Northampton so it made sense for me to run the store and we opened in December 2016.”

What were the key factors to consider?

“The most important thing was finding a good location and that’s exactly what we’ve got on St Giles Street in the town centre. You need footfall which you may struggle to get on a back street. It may cost more but it’s worth it in the long run. The one thing we had to do to meet planning regulations due to the location was to invert The Zip Yard logo so that it’s yellow on black – it’s the only one in the country. On day one we had zero customers. Two-and-a-half-years on, our trade is split into 50 per cent new customers and 50 per cent existing customers and we are still growing which is brilliant in just our third year. Like many High Streets across the country, Northampton’s has had its problems with shops including BHS and M&S closing but the council has got some ambitious ideas to boost the shopping – redevelop the centre of the town to create a more relaxed shopping experience with alfresco dining and generating more footfall – so I’m hoping they come to fruition. One positive development has been the university’s move to a new campus in the town centre and we offer a 15 per cent discount to students on what we call Student Tuesday. The store is also within walking distance of the hospital and we offer a 10 per cent discount for NHS staff. We also offer dry cleaning via an external company which in turn adds value for our customers.”

How does The Zip Yard differ from other alterations stores?

“The stores are bright and clean, there are changing rooms and bridal suites and customers can see the seamstresses working. They’re not hidden away in a room at the back or upstairs. We’ve got four seamstresses – three are Polish, one is Ukrainian. They are all excellent and happily settled in the UK. My first store manager, Jowita, was also Polish and she has just moved on. Sophie has now taken over the role. She has a passion for the industry and has experience in making professional blinds and working in the shop of a fabric warehouse.”

How do you attract new customers for The Zip Yard?

“Mainly through word of mouth – people who have spoken to someone that we’ve done a good job for. We also use Google advertising to ensure that we are the first business to be shown in a search and post regular updates on Facebook, Twitter and now on Instagram. We try and encourage our customers to write positive reviews. One of my best marketing strategies was my little yellow Citroen C1 that I purchased and had completely vinyl wrapped with The Zip Yard branding. I leave it in retail parks over the weekends and it is parked at the top of my drive, which is on a busy main road into Northampton, I’ve often had people knock on my door and ask about some work they need doing. It is also a conversation piece when a new customer comes into the shop and says that they saw The Zip Yard car.”