Sarah Watkinson-Yull founder of, umm... Yull is a 21 year old unipreneur. Her company Yull sells ladies’ shoes that she designed herself, online and through stockists.
The brand as described on the Yull website:
Sarah says that Yull is ‘style over fashion’, a break from the current trend-following flow of impracticable and ephemeral shoe brands.
Yull is a mix of vibrant colours and playful patterns on classic designs accompanied by very wearable and timeless shoes that are hard to find in the existing market.
The brand is very patriotic and represents 'Britishness' incorporating the range with the English season's needs for fashion footwear in sporting and cultural events.
She studied at the Fashion Retail Academy for a year and also did a course at the London College of Fashion which was, 'starting a fashion business'. She is currently studying Business Management at Westminster University.
Sarah also studied business and economics at school after persuading the school education board and it only made sense that her two passions, business & fashion, should come together to provide her with a self made career. She also had the experience of seeing her family's business, trading aroma chemicals, first hand where she could learn about importing and exporting and also dealing with customers and suppliers.
One important factor when starting her business was finding a good supplier, which she did through Alibaba. She had too balance getting good quality and manageable minimum order quantities while also having to suss out if she could trust them.
Having always been an entrepreneur at heart, this step was inevitable and earlier this year she founded Yull, which she fully funded herself. Having had the initial idea a couple years back, she had time to work and save £10,000 stored safely in an ISA where the tax man can't get too. Over the two years she also got a lot of advice and ideas from friends, family and the Prince's trust.
The biggest challenges that Sarah has faced so far has been getting her shoes into retailers shops and also amassing free PR as she has a limited advertising budget. She recently showcased her collection at Oxford fashion week.
Her business is currently based out of her home in Oxfordshire and she has too manage her business and university work at the same time as she has no other employees at the moment.
Sarah carries much the same sentiments as many young entrepreneurs as she say, “If you really want to do something, then you should go for it.”
She is only at the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey but she is already looking to the future hoping to open her own shop and can't wait till the day she is randomly walking down the street and sees someone wearing Yull shoes. Good luck to her!
