The Little Yorkshire Scent Kitchen - Behind the brand

Behind The Brand

THE LITTLE YORKSHIRE SCENT KITCHEN

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m Nicola, I’m 33 and born and bred amongst the beautiful hills of Yorkshire. I’m passionate about nature and all the things we can get from her in all forms be it physically, spiritually and mentally. I like getting out for walks and being creative be it via art, cooking/baking or creating things for myself and my shop. I also LOVE plants! If I could have my way I’d turn our home into a jungle.

What made you start your company?

So I’ve always loved essential oils and beauty etc and years ago I trained in beauty therapy so have an understanding of skin and the human body and how cosmetics affect it. In summer 2021 I had a very bad fall which resulted in me fracturing my humerus bone (upper arm) very badly to the point it wasn’t even attached, think Harry Potter in the chamber of secrets when he gets hit in quidditch. So to fix it I had to have surgery to put plates and pins in and I have a large scar as a result. It became sore, itchy and very tight and all the products I could find to help were chemical and I didn’t want that so I made my own blend with Almond oil and a range of essential oils that would promote healing, reduce inflammation and itchiness and I got instant relief with the itchiness and over time the scar flattened and was less inflamed. I wanted others to see what nature can do for them and so I created my bath milk and then began selling that and I’ve just thought of more and more things to create so The Little Yorkshire Scent Kitchen was born.

Tell me about your product and brand?

So I have a range of different products both for the body and for the home, and most products have an impact emotionally/mentally too. The botanical Bath range are products that are aimed at reducing any ailments people may have such as aches/pains and colds etc but also some that will help balance your Chakra’s and aid sleep and help people who are aiming to assist their spiritual side with more spiritual blends such as Flower of Life and Mystic Moon as I’m quite a spiritual person myself and I find it helps to promote self awareness to meditate better and ground myself. My aim is to provide a complete therapeutic spa experience so you’d indulge in a bath milk or salt and then burn one of the coordinating wax melts to then create the perfect ambience to really envelop all your senses. I am all about nature and the environment, I don’t use anything that can not be obtained from Mother Earth, even my preservatives are natural and the majority of containers are reusable or recyclable, so as to not be a burden of the environment.

What struggles have you faced when starting up a business?

Sales and advertising! It was very disheartening to open up and barely get off the ground but slowly but surely it’s picking up and the orders are starting to roll in now.

How did you overcome them?

I worked! I’ve timed my posts to coincide with when online traffic levels are higher, I’ve had friends share my posts and stories etc to reach a broader audience and I’ve done low cost giveaways in an effort to build up a following which in turn gains you more advertising. I’ve also teamed up with non profit marketing teams to gain more exposure. I will be up late at night as to what is lacking on the market for me to fill the gap and also what is popular. It’s tough going but hopefully it’ll be worth it.

Any advice for others just getting started?

RESEARCH!!! Do your research, know and test your products, set budgets, do not spend beyond your means. You need to know your products to be able to answer questions from customers, and to be able to provide a good quality item. So often lately I’ve seen people just jump on something thinking ‘I’m gonna do that’ and they have no background or experience and just think you can walk into an industry when in fact I spent 1 month alone just researching and testing on how best to make something that seems so simple like wax melts, when in fact for good quality there’s more to it than just melting wax!

Do you have a favourite quote?

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated” – Dr Maya Angelou You have to grow to be strong and not give up, even on days where you want to. I am incredibly proud of the woman I’ve become and the internal strength I have, given how many times I’ve been knocked down. The most recent was the surgeons telling me I’d likely never straighten my arm, it’s currently 95% straight already and I’m still working on it.

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