We spoke to Claire about the Bradford-based business, how it started and how it became so successful.
Q: What kind of work did you do before Claire?
A: At the age of 16, I started working part-time at a co-op while studying at Hanson Academy. Three years later, I was promoted to store manager and managed various stores in Bradford and Halifax.
Q: What year did you establish Dreamy Vinyls? How did you get started and running your business?
A: In 2018, while I was on maternity leave, we were also planning our wedding. We decided to purchase a Cricut machine to make our own signs and gifts. After introducing our signs in a Facebook wedding group, we started helping brides create DIY vinyl for their weddings. After creating a price list, the number of orders increased every week.
In 2019, when our youngest son Harvey was 9 months old, I didn't go back to work and expanded Dreamy Vinyls to include a gift range of Hen T-shirts, acrylic signs, aprons, glasses, tote bags, and more. We decided to introduce further items such as. bottle of water.
So we came up with the name Dreamy Vinyls and started a Facebook page.
Q: Have you always been creative?
A: No, not at all.
Q: Did you road test the product at your own wedding?
A: Yes, we got married in April 2019 and made our own sign using vinyl. I gave personalized items to my family. They loved it.
Q: When did Chris join?
A: Chris helped me out on his day off. I had so many orders that I couldn't keep up with the delivery deadlines as I was a full-time mom at the time. It was difficult to balance both.
Chris was laid off in May 2020 due to COVID-19. That's when we took a big risk and entered into a joint partnership to further expand into different products.
Q: Where is your product developed?
A: We work from a unit in our home in Eccles Hill and also use a spare room.
Q: What is your best-selling product and why do people like it?
A: Our best selling item is aprons. We introduced this in 2019 after using it at our wedding. We ship these weekly.
Q: When did you start incorporating items for children?
A: We have always made ring/snack security cases and hanging signs for children. Because these were very popular when I started and still are. These have become two of our favorite items. In response to customer requests, we have gradually introduced new products such as children's aprons and personalized teddy bears.
Small items include personalized glow foam sticks and
Unique sunglasses. We also manufacture personalized cold cups.
Q: Are ideas always floating around in your head?
A: Yes. Sometimes we receive messages from customers asking if we can manufacture a particular item. Often this is because a customer recommends us in a Facebook post or a family member or friend asks if something is possible. We then consider sourcing the product, respect your wishes, and put our own spin on it with the Dreamy Vinyls touch.
Q: Do your customers order from all over the world?
A: We ship across the UK, but we also manufacture products for customers who may be getting married overseas, such as Cyprus or Mexico.
Q: Do couples give feedback?
A: Yes, we have a review section on our Facebook page and website where you can find many positive reviews.
We always love seeing our customers' wedding photos where our items are displayed. That's really rewarding for us.
Q: What are your future plans?
Our youngest son, Ethan, started attending daycare part-time in September, and our oldest son is already in school full-time, so we have more time to focus on expanding our business with new products and new ideas. I can now concentrate.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say about your business?
A: At Dreamy Vinyls, we can tailor our prices to suit individual budgets, from DIY brides and grooms who want to create their own items to couples who want items made specifically to fit a theme.
We also work with project/event coordinators to provide signage and vinyl to venues across the country.
You can connect with us on our website, which has been running for 3 years, and on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. I have over 9000 followers on Facebook.
*For more information and to see the product range, please visit the couple's website dreamyvinyls.co.uk.
