With coronavirus leading to devastation amongst many businesses, it also gave some the chance to embark on new journeys.
One Ballymoney woman decided to take voluntary redundancy and create her own business and 18 months later Olivia Burns is now planning for a Christmas pop-up shop due to demand.
Olivia's Haven is a luxury home-fragrance company and all handmade products are inspired by Olivia's own love for experimenting.
Olivia says their pop-up shop will give customers the opportunity to purchase products including the limited edition festive scents and gift ranges, and an exclusive new scent, 'Christmas in the Alps'.
"I have always had a love of scent and the strong sense of memories they can evoke," she added.
"I started experimenting with wax and fragrance oils to make my own and really enjoyed the process. I was confident that I had identified a gap in the market for a home fragrance collection with a luxury, sophisticated scent profile that was visually stunning and at an attainable price point.
"I spent a further year perfecting the range and working alongside an illustrator to create fun and vibrant packaging that resulted in a beautiful brand and a growing portfolio of luxury products.
“Launching a new business as the world was going into lockdown was certainly daunting. The physical way of retail had been shut down almost overnight and Olivia’s Haven had no digital footprint at that stage. However, I quickly developed my business model of 100% direct, online sales which was supported by a creative and targeted digital and social media strategy and I’m delighted to say that despite the extremely challenging trading conditions, we have thrived over the last 18 months.
"I’ve been blown away by the support we’ve received from our customer base throughout Northern Ireland and I’m so proud that our products are now being shipped across the world on a daily basis."
Olivia has recently opened a 5,000 sq ft workshop in Ballymoney, where her team hand-pour everything on site.
"We are thrilled to be opening a Christmas pop-up shop on November 27 until Christmas Eve, we'll have the opportunity to meet some of our lovely customers in person, where they can purchase the perfect festive gifts, including an exclusive new scent, Christmas in the Alps, which will only be available in store.
"It’s a very exciting time for the growing Olivia’s Haven team and we have strategic growth plans in place to help us continue on the path of building a digital-first, modern and global brand on the North Coast of Northern Ireland."
For more information on Olivia's Haven, click here.
