Juliette's

Juliette Sinclair, owner of Juliette's, gained support through the Department for Enterprise's Micro Business Grant Scheme to help get her business off up and running.

Tell us a little bit about your business journey, when did you set up and what does your business offer?

I had a teaching career that I was growing increasingly disillusioned with, especially as the restrictive hours made it difficult to spend quality time with my family and children. I had already gone part-time and turned to cake decorating to supplement my income, rediscovering a passion I had enjoyed in the past. During lockdown, this evolved into producing creative baking resources for children, which sparked my enthusiasm for this unexpected path and eventually led me to the business model behind Juliette’s: a creative workshop in Peel that specialises in hosting bespoke events centred around all the things I love!

How has the Enterprise Support Scheme helped your business?

Although the financial assistance was extremely useful I actually found the mentoring aspect by far the most helpful part of the process. It was great to have someone neutral to discuss issues and ideas with and the scheduled meetings also gave me the incentive and accountability that was needed to keep my business ideas and paperwork up-to-date and relevant.

How did you find the experience of receiving support?

The whole process was extremely easy and help was always on hand whenever I had any questions or concerns. I altered my business model during the process for various reasons (including securing a venue that I hadn’t anticipated) and I was worried that this may throw the support off-course, but actually the team worked with me to help me to evolve my ideas without having to restart the process.

Tell us about your business – what do you enjoy most about the work you do?

I run creative workshops and events primarily focused on baking and cake decorating. As a sociable person, meeting new people is a huge bonus for me—I find people fascinating and love to chat and discover what makes them tick. This feeds back into my business, allowing me to adapt our offerings based on what my clients want to see more of. I also value time spent with family and friends, so creating special occasions where groups can come together, unwind, and enjoy each other’s company doing something lighthearted for a few hours is truly a privilege.

Why did you choose the Isle of Man as the destination for your business?

I was born on the Island and had never been in any doubt that it was somewhere that I wanted to stay. I had lived in England on a couple of occasions but always found myself drawn back to all the beauty and tranquillity that our lovely Island has to offer.

Outside of work, what do you like to do? How do you spend your free time?

I love to walk, so if I have a day off that’s usually what you’ll find me doing…and if I can coax the kids into joining me that’s all the better!  We’re really lucky to have Glen Wyllin beach a few minutes away so that’s where you’ll generally find us!

How did you hear about the support schemes offered by the Department for Enterprise?

I had a few friends suggest the scheme as they knew of people that had accessed it to grow their business with some success. Once I started looking into it I was surprised at how many diverse businesses had benefitted from the scheme and was keen to access the help available.

Would you recommend the support scheme to other businesses and what would be your top tips for going through the application process?

Yes, I would wholeheartedly recommend the scheme. It’s an incredibly easy process if you keep yourself organised, keep a diary and keep receipts!