Tanya Walker - Owner, Miss Fit Apparel / M-FIT Menswear
Tell us about your role at Miss Fit Apparel/M-Fit Menswear? I am the proud owner of Miss Fit Fitness Apparel/M-FIT Menswear, a leisure/informal wear brand of clothing that are comfortable, practical and stylish. What services does the company provide? We sell a range of fantastic quality, affordable fitness/ leisurewear for women, girls and men, currently online. What’s your proudest business achievement? Starting the business in lockdown and it doing so well. The feedback from people who’ve purchased the clothing has been fantastic and my name and the brand is really getting out there. I am not the only person to have opened a business during lockdown, and it has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears, so I wish everyone who has done the same as me every success for the future. What challenges have you encountered? The fact that the business was started in lockdown meant that I couldn’t do any pop-up shops or events to showcase the products and their quality. Unlike shops, my clients didn’t get to feel the products before they bought them. Thankfully, once they did receive their purchases, they soon realised that they had bought a premium product at a reasonable and fair price. A good percentage of our purchases are from repeat buyers, so we must be doing something right! How has the industry changed since you started the company? Well, as the company is still in its infancy, we haven’t noticed too many changes, we’re too busy building on what we’ve started, but as things have gone so well for us, we’ve embarked on using a marketing company to take us to the next level, so we’re really excited about that and the plans for the future. One thing for sure is, we’ll move with the times, nobody ever got anywhere standing still! Our plans for the future include pop-up shops, exhibitions, events and much, much more, so watch this space! Who are your heroes in and out of business? In business, I admire other female entrepreneurs like Dragons Dens’ Sara Davies. I love that she has never forgotten her roots and stays humble. My personal heroes are my two sons. My oldest son; Marcus who is 13 has Cri du Chat Syndrome and when he was born we were told he’d probably never walk, talk or eat. He’s doing amazingly well and has proved those specialists wrong. He’s also taught us that anything is possible. My other son; Ollie, 11 is a great all-rounder – he’s creative, artistic and a keen gymnast, not to mention the best big brother ever, to Marcus. He has bucketloads of patience with him and I couldn’t be more proud of the bond they both share. Is there a mantra you always aspire to do business by? Well it’s short and sweet; Don’t wish for it – work for it! I work hard, I expect a lot from myself and others and instead of just hoping that things will fall into my lap, I work hard to ensure it does. This is what I hope my children will take from me as a person, something that they will use as their mantra and something I hope I can successfully pass on to them. How do you like to unwind? With my family by my side, days out, a nice meal in a restaurant and the odd cold glass of Pinot Grigio! Although, once lockdown is over, I will definitely be out and about more. If Covid has taught me anything, it’s life’s too short to not take advantage of any opportunities out there, so I will be grabbing them with both hands!
