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Andrea paints a bright future with the help of Let’s Do Mentoring

But the Knypersley artist has now found a business fairy godmother in Let’s Do Mentoring’s Jayne Phillips.

Andrea called on Let’s Do Mentoring for help after a chance meeting with a member of the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce team at a networking event.

Andrea previously worked as a designer for well known footwear company Pod.

A North Staffordshire girl, Andrea decided to turn her talent for painting into a business after returning to the area in recent times.

“I have always been artistic and I offered my services to paint a mural at a local church,” said Andrea who is married to well known local radio presenter Den Siegertsz.

“The response was good and it proved to me there was a demand for mural painting.”

This led to Andrea starting up Khromaworks and she has become a firm favourite with parents looking for the wow factor when redecorating their children’s bedrooms and play areas.

Added Andrea: “Having a business mentor has been a great help and I have really hit it off with Jayne.

“I work alone and it is wonderful to have someone to bounce ideas off.

“When I’m working I am in my own artistic bubble and it is good to have Jayne there to get me to focus on the business and helping to plot a way forward.

“Mentoring has helped me to set a proper pricing structure and to think about how to market my business.

“We decided to concentrate on children’s murals and related products such as a range of door plaques.

“I am currently growing the business slowly through word of mouth and social media such as Facebook.”

Jayne said: “Andrea is a delight to work with. Her enthusiasm and talent shines through and she is making good progress with Khromaworks.

“An early issue was getting her to charge a fair rate for the job. It can be difficult for artists to show their real value as people often do not understand the complexity of the work carried-out.”

“We are looking at marketing plans and analysing Khromaworks’ customer base.

“I see my role as being a critical friend to Andrea. Khromaworks is still a young business but is going into 2014 with confidence high.”

Positive outcomes

Business Practice:
Development of a business plan, which includes goal setting, and the implementation of a new marketing strategy to raise awareness of the company.

Prospects:
Potential for growth of client base and increased activity.