Leeds mum opens first gift shop Little Boo Loves in Farsley after turning crafty side hustle into thriving business

Victoria Bruce set up online gift shop Little Boo Loves from her kitchen table in 2014 after struggling to find the decor she wanted for her daughter's bedroom.

Painting and delivering her gifts well into the night, while working full time and looking after her two daughters, Victoria kept the business small for the first six years.

But in April 2020, she was made redundant from her job in property management.

Faced with no childcare for her one-year-old during lockdown, she decided to throw all her efforts into Little Boo Loves in the hope she could sustain the business full time.

Victoria, 38, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "It meant I could look after my toddler and home-school, while trying to do something for myself.

“I hoped it would take off, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much.”

Little Boo Loves sells cards, small gifts, home decor and accessories and many of the items are hand-painted and can be personalised for special occasions.

The business quickly took over Victoria's house in Pudsey, with stock filling every room, and she created a workshop in her garage to manage the flood of orders coming in - with the bulk of orders made through online marketplace Etsy.

“My customers have been brilliant and so supportive," Victoria added.

With no sign of orders slowing down, Victoria snapped up a unit in Farsley's Springfield Mills in November last year.

“It’s a beautiful area and I love this site," she said.

"There’s a space at the front that I figured could work as a shop.

“It’s something different to what I’ve been doing and hopefully it will bring more people in.

“It’s nerve-wracking, putting myself out there. It’s something outside my comfort zone.”

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The Little Boo Loves shop opened last weekend and Victoria had to pinch herself while standing in the space she had created.

"I love being my own boss and having the freedom to do things my own way," she added.

"It brings a real sense of achievement - I’m proud of myself because I’ve built this on my own, no one has done this for me.

"It's all down to me and the support of my customers.

“And it’s lovely knowing my girls are proud of what I do."

Victoria's daughters, now three and nine, love helping her out in the shop.

With the cost of living crisis taking a hold, Victoria said it has never been more important to shop local to keep independent business alive.

She added: "When you shop independent and from a small business, you’re supporting someone’s dream.

"This is my job - it pays my bills and puts food on the table for my kids. And it's the same for any small business.

"If people don’t support small, then those small businesses can’t exist.

"And they offer something different.

"It’s not the same as buying generic things from big retailers.

"You can get gifts that are unique and made to your taste, stuff you won’t see on every street corner.”