Supporting a Small Business

Starting up a small business is such a brave move! It takes guts to even think you can manage to make a living while relying mostly on income from your small business. But if you know us, you know that we strongly advocate becoming your own boss. You get to run things the way you want, follow your own leadership, and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

This week, our small business spotlight goes to MarkAnto Designs. The company is based in Northampton right here in the UK and makes bespoke products from timber.

They create expertly designed garden buildings, furniture, and other timber products. The small business owner has over 25 years of experience in carpentry, joinery, cabinet making, and Design.

My personal experience of using the service dates back to maybe 10 years. I needed a built-in floor-to-ceiling closet from wall to wall with two distinct sides and I couldn’t be more pleased! The builder, Mark, was quite professional in his dealings and did exactly what I asked for. The work done was very neat and he left my premises almost neater than he found it.

The amazing part was the price. It was much less costly than the free-standing ones sold in the stores! And it was made to my specifications.

 

I like that the company makes large and small items. They create excellent products and services at competitive prices.

Reasons to support a small business

1  To keep the money in the hands of locals instead of large corporations that are already rich with our money. This is the reason I prefer to watch YouTube videos than TV shows.

2 Small business owners support other small businesses

3 The ‘personalised’ touch is always a special consideration

4 Supporting a small business also helps to create a stronger economy and local community

I always think that there should be a registry with small businesses in each community. These should have only trusted people who are honest in their dealings and who are referred by others who have used their services.

This week we were the proud beneficiaries of some of Markanto Designs’ smaller items. We think that they would make great gifts for birthdays, Christmas anniversaries, housewarming, and so much more. I guarantee that after you see these items, you can think of someone on your list who would appreciate each one.

We are the owners of a heavy-duty, good-quality oak cutting board. It’s well made, smooth, and has grooves in the short sides which make it easy to carry/move. Not only is it functional but is a lovely statement piece when standing upright on the kitchen counter. Mark has kindly engraved ours and this service is available to you too when you make an order.

I was impressed with how well-protected and packaged the items were. This extra step is sometimes lacking with large firms that can easily replace your damaged item with a mass-produced one. Mark made sure that we got our items in the condition he dispatched them in.

Side view of the oak cutting board.

We also got the wooden spoons engraved with our name and we think it’s quite cute. I suppose if you want to use yours also as decorative pieces in the kitchen, you could request that he drill a hole in the handle for that purpose.

The business has several social media pages that you can use to reach out to them for the purpose of ordering your bespoke pieces.

Facebook

Instagram

Etsy

Telephone: 07729871382

These trivets are stunning! They come in a set of 2 or 4 and not only do they protect your work surface but they are stylish too. The design is sleek and pretty and we’ve opted to leave ours out on show. They are perfect for any size of pots and pans, no matter the weight as they are sturdy, well-finished, and washable.

This last piece is a fun one and we are so pleased to finally have one in our board games collection. It is a traditional Jamaican ludo board. The game can be played by up to 4 people at a time. The game brings back so many pleasant memories of childhood family gatherings or parties. Not only does it come with all the playing pieces and dice in a little pouch, but it also comes with printed instructions. Did you say “Can it be personalized”?  It sure can be! Reach out to Mark on the number above to request whatever details you want added.

Ours represents small islands but yours doesn’t have to. We like that it is laminated, smooth, and can be easily cleaned. It’s sturdily built so will no doubt last a lifetime. The non-game side is plain and can be used as a base for other board games too! It can fit on any center table or dining table and can even be used for placing small items (snacks/drinks) at a gathering.

The designs are not just limited to small pieces. If you need expertly designed garden buildings, furniture, and other timber products, please check MarkAnto Designs and give them your support. We guarantee that you will be happy with the products and service. We hope you are okay with supporting a small business and will have MarkAnto Designs as one such business to support especially in the run-up to Christmas.

Please click on the image below to save it to Pinterest. And feel free to share this post with friends and family so they too can have even more ideas for gifting or a small business to work with.