This month’s ‘company spotlight’ is Katherine Allen Bridal. Kate Allen answers a few questions:-
1.How long has Katherine Allen been members of the Chamber?
Just over a year
2.What are the major benefits for your company being members of the Chamber?
Being part of the wider community is important for independent businesses and keeping in touch with what is happening in Banbury at a local business level is really valuable. What I particularly like is that the Chamber isn’t all about networking, but is informative and provides a hugely important civil service to its members, representing them with regards to local plans, parking, tax and so on.
3.Brief background of the company.
I started almost 8 years ago, when I was shopping for my own wedding dresses. I could see that Banbury had great potential as a retail market place and it was the perfect opportunity to provide a high-end bridal boutique. Although the town had been hit badly by the recession, it still has lots to offer small businesses.
4.Within the company what is your role?
I am the Managing Director and juggle lots of roles including sales, admin, accounts, marketing & social media. I have a fantastic Sales Manager who runs the shop on a day to day basis.
5.What are the main things going on in your company at the moment?
We are currently negotiating to take on a huge new label, which will hopefully be arriving in store at the end of June.
6.Do you think the business environment in Banbury is thriving?
I think it has the potential to thrive and whilst the big companies seem to be doing very well, the smaller ones are still struggling, particularly in the centre of town. A combination of ridiculously high rents and rates has seen the demise of many independent shops and the council and landlords need to do something to stop it continuing. Banbury just needs a bit of tlc!
