Hatty Fawcett, founder of Seek & Adore

Hatty Fawcett is the founder of Seek & Adore, a website that brings together the work of designer makers for customers looking to discover unique and beautiful things, including homewares, jewellery and handmade gift ideas. A champion of small business, she works tirelessly on behalf of the many designer makers on her site, to whom she aims to ‘give a voice' online. We caught up with Hatty to talk more about the business, her working life and how she unwinds at the end of a long week (hint - a sleeping bag is key!)

The idea for Seek & Adore came to me… in January 2010. My husband and I had just completed a loft conversion and we had two new rooms to decorate. I wanted the rooms to express our personality with unique and original pieces that we loved. Whilst I knew that there are many talented designer makers around the country, they were not easy to find online.

As I researched the idea further… I discovered that there are thousands of talented designer makers but many of them are not natural marketers. I've worked in e-commerce for the last 14 years and thought it would be a privilege to use these skills to help promote our talented designer-makers.

I wasted a lot of time… trying to raise money to start the business. In the end, I put my money where my mouth is - I gave up my well paid job in marketing and invested my life savings into the business. It felt like a scary thing to do, but if you are not willing to invest in your idea, why should you expect anyone else to?

Each of the designer makers we represent… runs a small business. As consumers, when we buy from these designer makers, we not only boost the economy but we find pieces for our home that better express our personality. Big corporations and the march of globalisation are making us all the same. I'd like to see a return to boutique businesses with style.

You might not know this but… I'm not artistic like the designer makers that Seek & Adore represents. That said, I am creative in my own way. I sing in three choirs and play the bassoon - although I don't practise enough!

I'm always inspired by… entrepreneurs and people who get up and make something happen, rather than just talking about it. I love talking to other entrepreneurs and learning from their experience and advice.

I use my mother as a sounding board… She didn't grow up with the internet and so she doesn't find it as intuitive as some. I often ask her to look at the site and to tell me what she finds difficult or confusing. She's a good barometer for our customers. If she struggles, so will others - and we want Seek & Adore to be easy to use.

I work from home so my "commute" involves… climbing the stairs to the loft conversion office. I usually start work at 8am. I have a team of four who work three days a week and they arrive at 9.30. We usually agree what needs doing for the day over a cup of tea. Then it's heads down on our respective "To do" lists until lunchtime.

As the office is in my home… we all eat lunch together round our kitchen table. It's a good way for us to update each other on what's going on, or to brainstorm ideas for taking the business to the next stage.

I often have meetings in the afternoon... and I like to spend at least one day a month at a craft fair or open studio event meeting designer makers. I'm lucky that visiting craft fairs and looking at beautiful pieces counts as work!

I used to be scared of failing… but I've realised that is ridiculous. There are times when I don't have the answers, but I've learnt that the best thing to do is to talk to people and ask for their opinion. They usually love to help and are full of advice from their own experience.

I share a vegetable plot… on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset with my brother and sister. We use it as a place to camp at weekends. I love it - the pace of life is so different there. It's a great place to go to get away from the hurley-burley of life and to take time out to think. I always come back refreshed, invigorated - and full of new ideas! We don't camp in the winter months though and I miss it dreadfully.

I live in… a semi-detached Edwardian house (built in 1907) in South London. We're lucky enough to have some of the original features, which I love. However, we've also updated parts of the house. Our style is modern and minimal which allows for the occasional statement piece to do the talking.

The person I most admire is… my grandmother. She set-up and ran her own business (a school) during the 2nd World War - which wasn't really a time when women did things like that. She didn't let the order of the day dictate what she did. She's 96 now and still as bright as a button. When I want to chew over a business problem she's always there - and often has some surprising, sound advice.

My grandfather was an artist… and we have a number of his paintings on our walls. I love them - in their own right but also for their sentimental value. If our house was burning down, I would have to save them first. After that it would be the cat. I assume my hubby would look after himself!

You might not know this, but... I love camping, so, while I'm not too bothered about home comforts, a good sleeping bag is important!

My favourite website is… WindGuru.com. I'm a keen sailor and it's important to know what the wind is doing. Sometimes I even look when I'm not going sailing - just to imagine what it would be like being out on the water.

Interview by Emily Jenkinson

4th November 2011