From kitchen table to £1m turnover in two years for Castleford entrepreneur Stacey

But that is exactly what Stacey Dennis has done.

When she was made redundant two years ago, the Castleford-based entrepreneur quickly dusted herself off and started her own firm from scratch, designing and making greeting cards.

Working initially from her kitchen table, her combined approach of hard work and a wicked sense of humour has seen her Love Layla Designs attract an international customer base and interest from some of the UK’s largest card retailers.

Named after her little girl, her birthday and anniversary cards business is now set to turnover £1m this year and has more than 500 designs in its portfolio. Today Love Layla Designs employs seven people and has recently opened its first franchise in Australia.

Ms Dennis said: “I named the business after my daughter, who turned three in December. We launched in February 2015, when we had £30 left in the bank account. I was determined to build a business that could secure her future. As a designer, I knew I had the tools to start a card business, but I didn’t anticipate how far we would go and in just two years.”