One of the most rewarding aspects of my job has to be the opportunity to help creative, enterprising people promote their businesses through my features.
Several years ago, I was interviewing Caroline Ivory about her fabulous rural home when she happened to mention that she was aiming to buy a shop in the nearby village of Westbourne, near Emsworth in Hampshire.
Well, I’m thrilled that interior designer, Caroline, followed her dream and worked incredibly hard to open Ivory&Pitch – a home accessories shop that stocks beautiful, quirky pieces, hand-picked to help customers create individual homes, plus Annie Sloan paint.
Having written many profile articles about careers and businesses over the years, it was an absolute pleasure to interview Caroline, tell her story and work alongside photographer colleague, Richard Gadsby, during a very busy shoot at the bustling store.
The result is a vibrant six-page My Country Business spread in this month’s (May 2016) Country Homes & Interiors.
It was humbling to receive such a gleeful email from Caroline the minute she received her subscription copy and, when I called to buy some Annie Sloan paint from Ivory&Pitch yesterday, I noticed dozens of copies of the magazine dotted around the shop. Caroline is, very generously, giving these away free to customers.
During my visit, I also spotted copies of local author Jane Cable’s latest books on several shelves. Jane, an accountant, who with her husband James, runs Cable Financial Directions, kindly took time out to come up with a raft of top tips for the small business advice page of this feature.
If you’d like your own business or home featured in one of the magazines I write for, do get in touch. I’m on 01243 792379 or mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk and would love to hear from you.
