FROM cleaning out the kitchen cupboards to decluttering the kid's bedrooms, many of us will have set some New Year's resolutions to help our homes run smoothly this year.
But while some may see it as an arduous chore, for Lauren Allen, tidying up and organising has always been a hobby she's enjoyed – so much so, she's made a very successful business out of it.
In November 2020, the 33-year-old, from Orpington in Kent, was decluttering her home during the Covid-19 lockdown when she had a lightbulb moment – there wasn't a one-stop-shop for all things home storage.
So the mum-of-two decided to get creative – using a label maker she already had and just £17 worth of stock she ordered online.
And what started out as a fun hobby soon turned into 'Not a Boring Box'- a sustainable and affordable home organisation store that now turns over an impressive £6-8k per month, with sales predicted to exceed £100-£150,000 for next year.
Speaking to Fabulous, exclusively for our Bossing It series, Lauren, who shares a six-year-old son and daughter, four, with husband Greig, explained: ‘I've always loved being organised and efficient with every aspect of my time.
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"During lockdown, I was spending a lot of time organising things at my home and realised that I couldn’t find a one-stop-shop for all things home storage in the UK."
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The budding entrepreneur, who was working in risk auditing at a tech firm at the time, said it wasn't the first time she'd realised there was a gap in the market for a home organisation store that was sleek and modern, but didn't cost the earth.
However, free time lockdown provided her with the perfect opportunity to finally set the wheels in motion.
"I'd had the idea in the back of my head for a few years that we didn't have a really cool store that had all things home storage and organisation," she explained.
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"I don't love going to somewhere like John Lewis where you have to plough through if you're looking for something specific.
"It's always been in my head and it wasn't until lockdown where I thought, do you know what? I'll just start it."
With no time like the present, Lauren headed straight to eBay to purchase some stock.
"I bought some hand wash bottles, created labels to turn them into a final product and then sold them on Etsy and eBay," she said.
"I just thought I'd see if they sell.
"I didn't even tell my husband in case he thought I was mental for doing something so random!"
But Lauren had no need to worry because the initial products sold out within a week – providing her with reassurance that there was indeed a gap in the market for her business idea.
Other products quickly followed.
"I was so keen on making it a one-stop shop for all things storage and organisation, a hand wash bottle wasn't going to cut it," the mum-of-two explained.
During lockdown, I was spending a lot of time organising things at my home and realised that I couldn’t find a one-stop-shop for all things home storage in the UK
"I got more bottles, plus then I added spice jars onto that.
"Once they sold out, I immediately re-bought the spice jars, re-bought the bottles and added large fridge storage jars.
"I gradually built it up that way."
Lauren continued to expand her home storage range and started promoting the products on Instagram, all while working away at her normal 9am-5pm job.
"I'd sit on the floor in the spare room while my husband was working at his desk," Lauren recalled.
"At the start I didn't really have any expectations so it was more of a hobby, something on the side to make a little bit of extra money."
"It was more because it was something I wanted to do, it was just fun and enjoyable.
"But as time went on I actually ended up really enjoying it more than I thought and loved having my own business."
A few months into the venture, Lauren decided she wanted to try and grow it into a bigger brand and handed in her notice.
Since March 2021, Lauren has solely focused on Not a Boring Box – and the company has continued to go from strength to strength.
"I reached a point where I knew I could feasibly live off it," she explained.
"Now, the company turns over between £6-£8k per month at and I hope that next year it'd certainly exceed £100-£150k."
To help with increasing demand, Lauren also hired her first employee in April 2021, before taking on a second in September last year.
At the start I didn't really have any expectations so it was more of a hobby, something on the side to make a little bit of extra money
"There's three of us – there are two girls that help me pack orders so I can focus my time on more strategic tasks," Lauren said.
"But if we're having a busy day then I'll help pack orders and my husband will help, too."
Now, Not a Boring Box offers just about every storage option you’ll ever need, from jewellery organiser trays to soap dispensers and pasta jars.
And what's more is they're all designed to look just as stunning as they are handy.
The spice jars with bamboo lids, which start from £4, are especially popular – as they’re reusable and perfect for decanting all of your favourite spices.
"We have so many products," Lauren explained. "We have fridge storage bins, really big fridge storage jars for cereal, and we just recently started stocking turntables which have been doing really well."
Alongside kitchen products, Lauren also has the bedroom, office, and dressing room covered, too – from helpful baskets for children’s toys, such as their £39 ‘Stuff’ and ‘Mess’ baskets, to a £14 bamboo cable storage box to hide messy cables.
"The aim is to keep it as affordable as possible," Lauren explained.
LAUREN’S TOP BUSINESS TIPS
- Just start. If you have a business idea, just start and don't leave it too long/before it is too late.
- Try it alongside your day job – minimise your risk initially to see if your idea has potential – you can start something on the side with a small budget.
- Don't compare. If other businesses look like an overnight success, they probably aren't but remember you only see the good bits on social media.
- Put a lot of focus on great customer service. Customers have a lot of choice these days in terms of where to shop, so give them a reason to come back to you.
- Reinvest. It is a privilege to be able to do this but if you can, reinvest as much profit as you can back into the business so you can grow quicker.
"The cheapest thing we've got on there in a spice jar label which is £1 and the most expensive thing we have on there is a rolling cart trolley which is £110."
She continued: "Some things are on the more expensive side – we stock a lot of brands like iDesign, but to compensate we have different brands which are on the lower end.
"It's trying to get that balance because I'm focused on trying to be as sustainable as possible.
To date, Lauren's biggest bulk order has been £1,000.
"You'll have some companies who would have ordered 10 times over the past few years who will just place orders every so often and build up their collection," she noted.
"Then you'll have customers who have more of a budget who can kit out a full pantry straight away.
"They'll do the majority bulk in one order and will then add little bits as and when they need them."
The turnover now is between £6-£8k per month and I'd hope for next year it'd certainly exceed £100-£150k
But no matter how small or large the order, each sale still gives the business owner the same buzz she got after she sold her very first hand wash bottle in November 2020.
"Every order goes past my eyes as it comes through on my phone so I get excited every time I get one," she enthused.
"I feel like even now I've grown to appreciate it more as time goes on.
"With the cost-of-living crisis, I feel so flattered that people actually choose to spend their money on something that I've created."
Since working for herself, Lauren hasn't looked back.
"I absolutely love the flexibility and don't think I could ever give that up now," she said.
"There's a misconception because people think when you start your own business you can spend so much time with your family and potentially work less.
"I actually work a lot more but I don't mind working on a weekend or working in the evening if it means I get to drop the kids off at school, pick them up, take them to their clubs and everything.
"The flexibility and freedom to do what you want is amazing."
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As for the future, Lauren added: "My aim is to cover everything.
"I'm constantly looking to expand the range and making sure I've got everything covered so if you think to yourself, 'I need to store this at that home' you can come to the website and it'll be there."
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