Friday 27 November 2020

Ellie gets creative with new business Ellie Francesca Design

When the UK lockdown restrictions were announced in March, life and business changed as we know it. For many aspiring entrepreneurs, lockdown gave them the opportunity to knuckle down and work on their enterprise ideas. This was the case for Ellie Francesca Watson who in October launched her e-commerce shop Ellie Francesca Design 



Working as a freelance artist, Ellie was making income through commissions and funding from community projects and workshops whilst working a part-time job at a Chinese takeaway. To gain steady income well into the future, she started to devise a plan to commercialise her work and open her own e-commerce shop.

Instead of taking a step back during the lockdown, Ellie used her time at home to focus on opening her own Etsy shop. Following a recommendation from a fellow artist at the Hazlehurst Studio, she decided to investigate The Women’s Organisation and what support could be offered to her. 

She was set up with business advisor Jo Mountfort who got straight to work helping Ellie reinvent herself and her work as a brand. 

She told us: “Every time I spoke to Jo, she really engaged and involved herself with my concept and vision. She fully understood who I was marketing my products at and has been a crucial step in both promoting and expanding my range at the shop. She was also really great at suggesting webinars and programmes that would be beneficial to me”

The Women’s Organisation gave her the opportunity to attend a range of webinars and business training – something that Ellie took advantage of during the initial stages of lockdown. 

She continued “The Women’s Organisation really helped the process become less overwhelming, the webinars gave me a reason to get up and focus, at a time when it would have been easy to lose motivation. I’ve really enjoyed the networking and hearing stories from other Liverpool based entrepreneurs, especially the ones nearer my age group”

Ellie Francesca Design officially launched in October, selling hand drawn portrait prints and greetings cards of iconic and well-loved musicians through an e-commerce shop on Esty. A self-confessed old soul, Ellie has used her love of music and record collecting to inspire the artwork she creates.

Starting a business during a pandemic is not the only hurdle Ellie has had to overcome, making it all the sweeter that she can now call herself a business owner. In 2018, she faced the most challenging year of her life when her health began to decline, resulting in her having to drop out of university and take a step away from her art. 

The physical challenges from her health condition left her suffering with the performance in both of her hands - every creatives worst nightmare. After a diagnosis Rheumatoid Arthritis in the spring of 2019, and time out to recoup, things started to look up. 

Ellie told us “I’m actually thankful that my personal circumstances were a little rocky for a while, in the long term it has driven me forward and taught me to become more resilient!”

With sales and commissions rolling in, Ellie is now thinking about new ventures such as series for pioneering women and work to pay tribute to NHS workers across the country.

What has Ellie learned from starting her business?

“The business is still very new and it’s very much a learning process, but I’ve learned now to fixate and worry about the small details that can always be resolved. I have probably written enough names down in my notebook to keep me sketching away till I am 80! Thanks to the Women’s Organisation, who’ve helped me get my business up and running, I’m now in a position where I feel the possibilities are endless and the skies the limit.”

To find out more about Ellie Francesca Design you can check out her Etsy, Instagram & Facebook

If you have been inspired by Ellie’s story and are interested in starting or growing a business of your own, then Enterprise Hub can help!

Get in touch if you are thinking of starting a business in the Liverpool City Region or have a new business under three years old. You can speak to our team via enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk or 0151 706 8113.



Wednesday 11 November 2020

Search launched for LCR Tech Climbers 2021

The search is on to find the stars of Liverpool City Region’s digital sector for inclusion in the LCR Tech Climbers 2021 list.

Following the success of the inaugural list in 2019, the second list promises to be even bigger and better and will showcase the top performing technology-led businesses that make Liverpool City Region one of the UK’s most exciting tech destinations.

The list is being run in association with BusinessCloud and will be unveiled at an exclusive event in 2021 and published online.

Entries to the 2021 list will be judged on:

  • The impact of the technology or service;
  • Innovation and IP development potential; and
  • Investment potential of the technology.

Entries close on December 14th and will be revealed at an exclusive launch event on January 28th, 2021.

The partners for LCR Tech Climbers 2021 are Growth Platform, Brabners; MSIF; Invest Liverpool; ZUT Media; and Gather.

Piers Dryden, partner at Brabners, said: “Brabners Technology Sector Group is passionate about supporting the region’s innovative businesses and is delighted to be part of LCR Tech Climbers 2021.

“The region has a vibrant technology ecosystem and it’s exciting to see so many smart and innovative businesses developing solutions and services that fuel economic, social and commercial growth. They will shape our collective future as the region emerges from the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.”

Helen Cross, digital and creative champion at Growth Platform said: “We set Tech Climbers up to showcase the brilliant people and products behind the growth and resilience in the region. There are so many great stories of leadership and tenacity emerging from the technology community at the moment, and I’m really proud that with our partners we’ve made this happen again in 2021.”

David Walters, investment manager at MSIF, said: “We are thrilled to be part of this year’s LCR Tech Climbers – celebrating the best of the region’s scale-up and early stage technology talent.

“In 2021 the investment teams at MSIF are becoming even more focussed on supporting tech in the region through equity and loan vehicles as well as our extensive eco-system of technology thought leaders.

 “The LCR is becoming a beacon for rich IP and product-led tech whether that is AI, digital or increasingly Immersive technology companies.

“Tech Climbers is a great way to further showcase the remit of talent the LCR holds and will further demonstrate why Liverpool is one of the UK’s best tech destinations.”

For more and to enter details go to http://www.techclimbers.co.uk