This is the first in a new series of interviews with the amazing members of The Best 90 Days Ever to find out more about their small business and how they got started.
First up we have Sioned, the founder of Mwydro and the loveliest person to be friends with. Sioned came to stay recently and joined us for our 'A Morning of Marketing' session all the way from North Wales! She even made me this GIF as a thank you, how amazing is that? Read more about Mwydro in the blog post below.
Hi Sioned! Tell us about you and your business Mwydro
Hi, I’m Sioned Young a Digital Illustrator and founder of Mwydro (it’s a Welsh word which means to talk a lot and sums me down to a t!). I run my business from my home in Caernarfon and specialise in animated GIF sticker design to help businesses make their marketing more fun and engaging.
I also run workshops in schools designing Welsh Language Place-Name GIFs, run workshops for businesses on Mastering Instagram, and sell my own Welsh Language products including Greeting Cards, Stickers and Notepads.
I run my business part-time (one day a week) along with another role at a Local Authority.
Why did you start Mwydro?
I started my business back in March 2019 as I wanted a creative release and something to do in the evenings after a day of working at the office.
How long have you been a member of The Best 90 Days Ever and what made you sign up?
I joined The Best 90 Days Ever back in March 2022 as with balancing my business with working 4 days a week in another role the idea of quick, actionable tasks suited me perfectly. I love the sense of community in the group and the business friends I’ve made over this past year.
What has been your favourite prompt from The Best 90 Days Ever so far?
I always love the first task in Batch Creating week which is to take a piece of paper and write down everything you can talk about. When I’m stuck on ideas that piece of paper full of ideas is always a great reference point.
What do you enjoy the most about your business?
Mostly it’s the chance to be creative! As a child I used to be obsessed with drawing cartoon characters so it’s always a pinch-me moment that now I get paid to draw cartoons.
What is your favourite and least favourite way to market your small business?
My favourite way to market my business is through Instagram Stories. I find it’s a great way of throwing content out there without it having to be perfect and to nurture that relationship with my community.
My least favourite way to market my business is through paid ads on Instagram and Facebook. I’ve tried them in the past but now prefer more organic approaches.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to another business owner?
You can run your business your own way! When I first started working for myself, I was always fed the narrative that you must be striving to quit your day job and go full-time self-employed. That’s not the case for me and I’m glad I’ve found the confidence over time to run my business how I want to without having to worry about conforming to any expectations.
What would be your dream project or client?
I’d love to build my portfolio of GIF clients and maybe work with some big UK-wide businesses! I need to get cracking with a wishlist!
Give us your favourite recommendation for another independent business!
Through this group I actually discovered Harriet Formby from Below The Line Finance. We had a great 1:1 session back in March where she helped me with getting some clarity on those finance questions I’d never had the answer to. I’m the first person in my family or friendship circle to be self-employed so it was great to get some guidance after guessing my way along for so long!
What is something exciting coming up that you want to shout about?
Currently you’ll see me chatting a lot about my #HacYGymraeg project where I’m working with Secondary School pupils to design Welsh Language Place-Name GIFs. I’m booked up with workshops until October. I’ve recently been featured on BBC Cymru Fyw and BBC Radio Cymru and it’s given me the chance to employ a local young person so I’m very proud of how the project has shaped up and how I can do my bit to promote the Welsh Language.
