Happy Friday folks! Today’s guest is guaranteed to get you feeling a little festive… I’m over the moon to welcome Jade, Founder of The Nordic Nest to The Business Diaries today. Now I’ve followed Jade for a looooong time, initially through her home account (Our Somerset Nest) before coming across her new brand.

The Nordic Nest was established almost accidentally (I’ll let Jade tell the story), and now offers a gorgeous range of simple handmade items with a focus on personalised Christmas baubles. I personally have purchased a number of decorative items over the festive period and can say wholeheartedly, her customer service was brilliant and the products are truly special.

I jumped at the chance to be able to chat to Jade about The Nordic Nest and I hope you enjoy reading about her journey. The interview is packed with inspirational quotes, helpful advice and a little insight into running a small business behind the scenes. Enjoy!

How long have you been running your business for? How was your business born?

My business was born at the start of October 2021 when someone had seen me making Christmas decorations for my own tree on my home Instagram account - ‘Our Somerset Nest’ and approached me asking whether I’d be making them to sell. It never actually occurred to me A) people would want something I made or B) that I could ever sell them! From there I offered to make them at a small cost if people would like them and from there the interest grew and I decided to create a dedicate space where people could enquire, buy and share some Christmas love.

What did you want to do for a career? Was this something you’d always intended on doing?

I’ve always been extremely creative and love crafting/ ‘faffing’ around the house (I think this is where my passion for interiors came from and styling). I’m currently on maternity leave from my full time job in HR (something very different from the creative role I take on with these little projects). I think I’ve always wanted to do something creative, however finding the confidence to take the plunge has always been hard. I think accidentally falling into this has been the best way to establish a little business. The intention is to go back to work part time and continue growing my little business.

What is one thing you know now that you would have told yourself when you first launched your business?

Don’t be so nervous at taking the plunge and believe in yourself more.

What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a business owner, and how have you overcome it?

I think for me it’s finding the balance with my home and work life. I don’t like to say no to people and so I would often be sitting at home crafting at midnight in order to ‘squeeze’ people in - who wants to let people down at Christmas?! However I think I’ve had to learn to organise my time better and say no when it’s just not feasible.

Another challenge has been trying to think of ideas which set you apart from other small businesses. I would be thinking of such elaborate ideas but sometimes I really believe in keeping things simple and is something I live by in my home and decorations I buy.

Tell me an invaluable lesson you have learnt as a business owner?

You can do it - there will always be someone who is rooting for you. Rome wasn’t built in a day so be patient so don’t rush things - take your time and make it right.

Being self-employed can be a struggle! How do you stay motivated? Do you have any productivity tips?

I think the blessing with social media nowadays is that people can share videos and pictures of products styled in their homes. Seeing so many wonderful posts and stories as well as comments has really pushed me. I’ve absolutely loved that so many people love what I’ve made.

Is there anyone (within the industry, celebrity, friend or family member) who inspires you and what you do for a living?

I’ve come across other small businesses that have grown over the past year and have really inspired me. One is Bougie Wax - a lovely lady who has started her business in similar circumstances so I can relate to in many ways.

Name me your go-to podcast, audio book or song that you listen to while working?

I was actually watching a lot of Kirsty’s homemade Christmas during the last week of preparing orders prior to sending. It really kept me motivated and had a real christmassy touch to my evenings.

I’m all about supporting small businesses. How can your followers / customers / clients support your biz?

At the point of sending products to customers I have an automated message I send asking if people would kindly share and tag my business in and posts or stories they may add on their accounts. This really has gained me so many followers and additional orders so I’d definitely continue to follow this way of advertising. A small thing like that really goes such a long way in helping a business.

What’s one thing you dislike about being a business owner?

Sometimes the pressure of getting everything done can be overwhelming. I think being employed is a totally different kind of pressure - I’ve always been someone to go the extra mile but as I’ve said previously it’s not always something you can achieve your business is solely you. So learning to say no occasionally has been so tough but something I think most businesses have to go through.

What’s one thing you love about being a business owner?

Being able to push myself and see so many people love what you do! I absolutely love it and still can’t believe one person has liked what I’ve created, let alone hundreds!

What is a common myth about your business / field of expertise?

That crafting is easy. I think even I thought it wouldn’t be as time consuming as it is but when you factor in bespoke orders, packaging and sending - it really does take a lot longer than people expect.

If your business could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?

For its simplicity and passionate owner to make products that make people excited/ happy. Something I want to live by is adding to the ‘customer experience’. It’s something I massively appreciate when I’m purchasing something and so want to ensure the same is weaved into my business.

What’s something your followers / customers / clients wouldn’t know about you?

A lot of them didn’t realise how I accidentally came into this line of work and that I have a home account on Instagram where it all began.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting their own business?

Have patience and faith. You can get there just be persistent and stay motivated. If you have the urge to do something - go get it! You’ll never know unless you try.

What do you have in store for your business? Is there anything exciting around the corner?

I’m already thinking about Easter and getting so excited with a few products I have in the pipeline. I’m sticking with personalised items because I think it’s such a lovely touch (as well as a few non personalised options). I try to aim for the big holidays at the moment as I’m a one man band and want to invest as much time as possible getting prepped.

Describe being a business owner in three words. (E.G Rewarding, freedom, challenging).

Rewarding, motivating, confidence-boosting.