The 4th annual eBay for Business Awards are have now closed for entries to win the grand prize totalling a humongous £20,000 in cash. We’re looking forward to hearing the stories of those that have entered when the finalists are revealed and the category and grand prize winner is announced. In the meantime we continue to revisit some of last year’s winners, today we look at Pegs & Pearls.
Pegs & Pearls One Year On
Pegs and Pearls was established on eBay in 2012, when Victoria Eagle, from Hertfordshire, started designing her own wedding invitations. As a new mother suffering from post-natal depression, Victoria was also struggling with being unemployed, having worked her whole life, and was seeking a role that fitted around her family life and offered a sense of independence.
A few months later, the business took off, and has since become Victoria’s full-time job which she manages from home. Pegs and Pearls now stocks a whole range of invitations, from birthday and engagement party invites, to thank you cards and framed prints.
Last year Victoria was crowned the winner of the ‘Be Your Own Boss’ Seller Award at the eBay for Business Awards 2019
How did you use the prize money from your award?
I used the £1,000 towards a family holiday we had at Christmas which was fabulous!
How has your business grown in the past year since the awards?
Unfortunately, the pandemic affected my business quite badly as weddings and events still haven’t really come back fully after lockdown. That said, the media exposure since winning has been great and I’ve even been contacted by mums who are looking to start their own small business.
Did the pandemic impact your business?
Weddings would normally be big business but with events cancelled and only small numbers allowed my business has suffered. Sadly because of this I’m 50% down year-on-year. If it had been a normal year, I’m sure the exposure since winning would have been massive for me and my business.
Was eBay a helpful lifeline during the pandemic?
Just the fact I could still sell from home while in lockdown means a lot to me and was hugely helpful. I was able to use the time to try to come up with new designs – and I did develop a line of prints for the home which have done well.
What are your future plans for your business?
I’m hoping to rebuild back to where I was before the pandemic. I’m hopeful with life starting to return to normal that my business will come back strongly.
Do you have any tips for this year’s contestants?
Just go for it! As a one-woman business, I never thought I would win but it was a wonderful surprise.
