Starting a business in a recession can be a tricky venture. YorkshireTimes spoke to Deborah Thornton and Jill Smith who started a local greeting card business last January called Colourbox Ltd.

"The idea for Colourbox was something that Jill and I had wanted to do for quite a while. Despite the economic climate, we still decided to go ahead with our venture. " explained Deborah.

"We were keen to fund the business ourselves without the need for a bank loan. There was so much to set up before launching the business from choosing a company name to setting up a limited company. Everything then had to be carefully costed and planned before committing to designing and printing any cards. It was essential to have a competitively priced product, yet still maintain good quality. Sourcing local suppliers was a major consideration, as well as having a good web site" said Jill.

Jill had spent 15 years working for a large greeting card manufacturer and had a wealth of experience of the market. The girls teamed up with renowned cartoonist Richard Skipworth to create their first card range of a humorous cat and dog called Archie & Lulu.

The girls took to the road to start selling their cards and as the range began to sell this provided enough funds to develop a second range called It's Time.

"This is a beautiful feminine range, we wanted to offer our customers something completely different from Archie, so we worked with the watercolour illustrator Annabel Spenceley" said Deborah.

Realising they needed their cards to be seen by a wider audience the girls decided it would be cost effective to attend a trade show at Harrogate Home and Gift Fair.

"It was ideal as the event organisers had a special rate for new businesses, enabling us to afford a stand. The four day trade show introduced us to new customers and contacts. We also launched our third range for children called Chill Zone" said Jill.

So how would Colourbox describe their first year of trading?

"It has been hard work but fun. We have learnt a lot along the way and met some lovely customers. We have become very good map readers and soon discovered a 'Sat Nav' is a must!!"

"Feedback from our customers has been very important to us and we have tried to implement, where possible, any suggestions they have had."

"We have kept our expenses to a minimum with careful business planning."

"Going forward, we are launching another range and want to widen our customer base even further. We may possibly sell our cards direct to the public via our website. We are looking forward to the challenges of 2012."

Colourbox is always looking for artists or agents. They can be contacted as follows:
E mail: sales@colourboxltd.co.uk
Tel: 0845 868 1027
Web Site: www.colourboxltd.com