In our ‘Inspiring small businesses’ series, we share and celebrate great stories from small business owners who started and run their own business. By bringing you closer to these inspiring businesses we hope that you find motivation, tips, and ideas for building yours. Next up, we spoke to Didier Penine, Director of Say It With Champers, a personalised Champagne business.

What is it that you do?

We are a personalised Champagne business that caters for the general public and businesses. For the general public,, we have a range of themed occasions like anniversary, birthday and wedding, all the designs are unique to ourselves and are fully customisable. For businesses, we create a bespoke label around the company branding for them to use as staff rewards and corporate gifts. We are also the only personalised Champagne business that has a family that produced Champagne made by our relatives in Festigny. Not only does this bubbly taste great, but it is vegan-friendly too.

What's the story behind your business?

My family in France produces Champagne and is a 7th generation grower/producer. Although they don't personalise the Champagne, they supply to a number of hotels and restaurants around France. In total, they produce around 18,000 bottles a year which compared to the big Champagne houses is a drop in the ocean but it is quite typical for those Champagne houses that are more under the radar. I've always been a fan of Champagne, in fact the day I was born the first thing to pass my lips was Champagne in true Champenois tradition! My children were also 'baptised' with Champagne when they were born in Bury St Edmunds with a craftily sneaked in a plastic bottle with Champagne in, I guess Champagne kind of runs in the family'.

What inspired you to start your own business? 

I'm 40 years old now, and initially started working after leaving university a good 18 years ago. Things were fine but had a niggly feeling that something wasn't quite right and put it down to being in a career I hadn't chosen as I kind of fell into the job I had. I went back to uni and did a distance learning course and wanted to get into construction as I have always been interested in buildings. Everything was great in theory but that niggly feeling almost instantly grew into a major concern weeks after starting that job and I decided I had to follow my passion for starting my own business. The idea was first hatched about 12 years ago when at my own wedding my dad brought about 30 personalised Champagne bottles over, they almost stole the show as all the guests were wowed by them. All this time I kept wanting to go for it, but never quite had the courage so a good 12 years after first having the idea I went ahead and started Say It With Champers. Good things come to those that wait I guess is the moral of the story.

What is the most difficult aspect of running your own business?

For me it was the steep learning curve of having to understand and areas that I had previously no knowledge of whatsoever. I started the business totally 'cold' not having worked in the alcohol industry in any way shape or form, my only experience was drinking it! Even things like the design of the labels, the need for a bleed around them, matching up with the cut labels was all totally new and of course some mistakes where made but once you make one you don't make the same one a second time! It also meant I had no customers to 'bring with me' so I started from scratch in every sense of the word. There were many late nights involving 'teach yourself SEO' tutorials found online in an effort to make my site more visible. Having flexibility was crucial, I started off with the idea that it was to be largely for the general public, 12 months later and 90% of my sales are to businesses having a bespoke label designed for a corporate gift, the path is far from straight but seems to curve one way and the other!

What is the best thing about running your own business?  

I have really enjoyed the people side of the business, which being an online company might seem a bit odd. In many ways, the people aspect is even more important for an online business as networking is crucial if you want to move forward quickly. LinkedIn has been great for me, for example, I spoke to a company called the Joneses Sales Agency, and we exchanged a few messages, and within a few days I found myself at Stanstead airport on the way to Edinburgh to meet the commercial guys at Falkirk FC and we were supplying them their Man of the Match bubbly! It did feel a bit odd waiting for a plane going to a place I had never been to meet a guy who I only knew through Linkedin messages, but it also felt too good an opportunity to turn down, and luckily it proved to be the correct decision as they use our bubbly right now. Likewise, on LinkedIn I was speaking to someone which lead to that company now being my biggest customer and take 30 bottles of their branded bubbly per month. Same with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, being active and getting your name out there is important, but also I have made some valuable connections with businesses I consider to be friends who will call on each other for a favour or support. In spare moments I haven't been afraid to pick up the phone and make direct contact with businesses, and some surprising doors have been opened in that way which has been a pleasant surprise.

To find out more about Say It With Champers, visit their website, or follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.