How long have you been trading for?This one, three months. 🙂

Biggest challenges as a small business:I think the biggest challenge for any small business is cutting through the noise and being seen and heard. I’ve been running a crafty business for about 18 months (I’m a busy bunny) and it’s taken this long for leads to start coming in proactively for that! I’ve spent a lot of time reaching out to people and being ignored – I’m a great believer in answering emails, even to say no! That’s why I’ve recently started some markets as well as I want to help others be seen too.

What’s your Unique Selling Point? I think people buy from people. I’m myself (which I’m hoping isn’t why it’s taken a while to build :)), and I bring my personality into what I do.

What marketing strategies have worked for you so far? Face to face – when I can open a door! Facebook looks great but there’s so many people, so much noise and so much competition that it can be hard to get cut through, even if you pay to boost. And I’m way too old to understand Instagram or TikTok. 🙂

How do you maintain a positive reputation? Just by doing what I say I will. I’m a freelance PR and writer in my day job, so I know that reputation is everything!

Do you have any future plans for growth and expansion? My ambition is to be happy and at peace with a portfolio career, so I’d love all my avenues to be making a bit more money. For Scentsy specifically, I’d like to build a loyal customer base who love nice smells so I can be more creative with the deals and bundles I can offer!

What do you think a Role of small business is in supporting the local economy? I believe we’re all better off if we support each other. Small and micro-businesses can be agile in a way bigger ones can’t always be, and they have more control – so offering a raffle prize for a local charity is a one person decision not something for a committee to agonise over!

How has the community has supported you? I’ve had some great support from parts of the local community for different aspects of my ventures and I’ve tried to offer the same.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Ali’s Amazing Aromas (I love alliteration) – Independent Scentsy Consultant offers the full range of Scentsy home fragrance products. This includes wax warmers, wax bars and bricks, room sprays, scent circles, cleaning products, cuddly buddies and hand and body products to name just a few. We also have licenced Disney products which are quickly taking over my home. You can order on my website or through me for free local delivery! Find me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/alisamazingaromas