Here at Finishing Touches Too, we’re a small team that are so passionate about what we do. Our customers mean the world to us, and it's so important that we find new ways to connect with them and support them in finding the perfect gift, accessory or addition to their home!

And so, we decided now was the perfect time to start a blog. In our blog you’ll find some tips and guidance for gift buying, we’ll showcase some of our favourite products and you’ll get to meet some of the faces that make our little business a reality! We really are so excited about this new adventure, and we hope this will be a space for you to turn to and enjoy when you need some help or a few minutes to switch off.

To start off, we thought we would sit down with the Finishing Touches Too owner, Helen. Helen is the beating heart of Finishing Touches Too and you’ll absolutely love getting to know her a little better through this blog. Helen is so positive and devoted to her customers and we believe it's so important for you to get to know the minds behind the magic of the business. So, grab yourself a cup of something warm, put your feet up, and take some time to get to know Helen!

To start off, tell us a bit about yourself and Finishing Touches Too Helen!

Well to start off, I have always been self employed. I have always had my own business. Growing up, I was always quite creative and artsy and from a young age I could never see myself in a traditional job role. So opening a business was always something I wanted to do. I always knew that I wanted to work with people and that’s something that I love about my work so much. I’m from Limavady, and I always wanted to open a shop here, because it’s where I grew up and I knew it would be a great spot for a business! Location is key, and I was so delighted to get a premises in Market Street when I first started. Since then I have moved to a bigger premises but we’re still on Market Street which is so brilliant.

I would say that the journey of self employment is not an easy one. Your work doesn’t always end at five o’clock, but I have to say I absolutely love it and I’m delighted that life took me down this path! I would say it all came about very organically. I remember wanting certain things years ago, accessories or homeware pieces, and not knowing where to go to get them. And from there, the ideas flowed naturally and I knew that Finishing Touches was something I would absolutely love putting my heart and soul into.

Did you always aspire to work in this industry, or did you have different plans when you were younger?

When I was little I wanted to be a teacher! So of course, that’s very different to what I’m doing now. As I got older I knew creativity had a huge part to play in my career. I started out years ago working with a paint company. I would teach paint classes, I’d paint furniture and I’d even go into people’s homes and do some colour washing and stencil paintings. It’s a real shame that back then we didn’t take photographs of the work, because it would be great to see it now! But the great thing is that I’m still using my creativity now within the shop. Particularly when it comes to our personalised frames. It’s so brilliant to be able to use that creative flair to create meaningful gifts for people, and we can do it on the spot instore, so people can purchase straight away.  

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

I would say first of all, it doesn’t feel like a job. I feel very passionate about it and every day is different! I love every aspect from the deliveries coming to personalising gifts to helping customers with gift ideas or their accessories. I think my favourite thing might be speaking to customers and the community that has formed within the shop. We get customers returning all of the time and I’m always so delighted to see them.

All of the staff at Finishing Touches Too are women, which is amazing! How do you think this impacts your business?

I think the fact we are a business run by women is amazing for our customers, as they are able to come in and relate to us and connect with us a lot easier. The beauty of it is that the four of us are all very different and have lots of different perspectives to offer. Leona is married with four small children, Marie has three adult children, Wendy is in between and I feel like we can all offer a unique perspective which makes for a very welcoming environment for every woman! I think we have organically managed to create a very welcoming, relaxed work environment and the customers will always pick up on that. The four of us also have a great balance of skills that really benefit the shop. For example, we call Wendy our in store artist! She’s just so creative. And then we have Marie, who is so brilliant with words, she just knows how to communicate things with such ease. Leona is the youngest and she is just always so on trend. She can confidently help our customers with styling and has such a brilliant eye for what works. The environment we have created is just lovely.

You’re an amazing business woman! Do you have any advice for women who are thinking about going into business? 

I think I would say just always make sure you choose something that you have a passion for. I know myself, It’s so important that I truly believe in what I’m selling and truly love what I’m selling. I couldn’t go to work every day and sell something that I didn’t care about or didn’t like. You have to have the love for what you do. I think you always have to think about the passion first before you think about the money. Because if you believe in something and work hard, the money will come. I would also say, things take time. Don’t worry about mistakes for too long and don’t dwell on things. Just reflect on things, learn from them and keep going. 

Who is your greatest inspiration?

I would have to say my sister Marie is one of my greatest inspirations. She is always so positive and has been so supportive of me from when I first opened right up until now. She is always the first to say ‘Helen you can do it! You can do that!’ and she has always given me such helpful and positive advice. It’s amazing to have someone who always encourages you to be the best you can be and not put yourself down. Plus, she always has such a great eye for what’s on trend and is a huge help every day.

Do you have any favourite pieces from your store that you’d like to share with us?

I would have to say I absolutely love our bracelets, particularly the Life Charms range. I think because each of those pieces have a special meaning, whenever customers buy them it’s usually for a lovely occasion or there’s a special meaning behind the purchase. It’s the same with our personalised frames. Helping people create really special and thoughtful gifts is just great. It’s amazing to think that our products are creating special memories and moments for people and that’s what makes everything so worth it.

What are your hopes for the future?

I have to say I feel so happy with everything at the moment, and my hopes would be that the business keeps growing and that we can continue to expand and provide beautiful pieces for more and more people. We’d be delighted to keep growing online and reach new audiences. It’s great to continue to feel challenged and pushed forward and there’s not much more I could ask for.

So there you have it. A little insight into the mind behind Finishing Touches Too. We really hope you have enjoyed reading. If you have, feel free to let us know on social media. And be sure to tag us in any images that showcase some of your purchases from our store.

To have a look at the bracelets and frames Helen was referring to, click the links below!

https://www.finishingtouchestoo.co.uk/collections/bracelets

https://www.finishingtouchestoo.co.uk/collections/frames