Small Business Saturday Blog

I Sew 2 prides itself on being a unique place which will inspire and delight anyone who knits, crochets, or sews. The shop is filled with colourful displays of yarn and fabric, and it also runs workshops, often taught by local craftspeople, where customers can learn new skills and create something unique in a relaxed and fun environment.

Business at I Sew 2 has grown steadily, but the current pandemic had an immediate effect and, like so many other businesses, the shop has had to adapt. 

During the initial lockdown, Lianne would personally deliver orders to five different areas on rotation – a real boon to people looking to do something creative with their time during lockdown. Gradually she introduced customer collections, a take-away counter and a restricted access opening.

Campaigns like Shop Small, which encourages people to shop at small businesses by offering cashback to American Express cardholders, is something that gave Lianne’s business a boost over the summer, when the initiative was introduced to support small businesses during the pandemic.

Lianne says: “The summer campaign this year was great. To have the support of such a large organisation is tremendous.” She adds that the business has taken part in Small Business Saturday for the past two years and is thrilled to be one of the campaign’s SmallBiz100 in 2020.

This recognition reflects how much I Sew 2 is at the heart of the community. For example, Lianne and her team coordinated the stunning refurbishment of a local disused telephone box on the main street of Kirkintilloch. With the help of the community council, each panel inside the telephone box was made by local residents, businesses, or the regional embroiderer’s guild, creating a unique craft-display representing the local area. 

Lianne’s future plans include using a new, bigger workshop area, borne of necessity during the pandemic, for community-based activities. She has free ‘knit and natter’ sessions, workshops for sewing face-covering and an upcycle challenge in the works.

“This year has been difficult for so many businesses, but our future success lies in continuing to adapt to the changing circumstances”, says Lianne. This attitude and support from her loyal customers will no doubt help to sew success.