Kate overcomes disability with bags of initiative
Kate Waugh established her company, Emotional Baggage, last March, from her base at Elmhurst, near Lichfield, and now has over one hundred handbags in almost as many different styles in stock.
She says the name of her company comes from her passion for the product.
"I called it Emotional Baggage because of my experiences of finding a handbag I love in a shop and agonising about how the rest of my life would be if I left the shop without it!" Kate said.
"I love to accessorise, but I'm so small that buying shoes I want is difficult.
"I can always buy a handbag, though."
Kate is wheelchair-bound because she suffers from a severe form of brittle bone disease, more properly called osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder which affects the body's production of collagen and causes bones to fracture very easily.
"It was quite a shock for my parents when I was born with my bones broken; my two younger brothers are both fine.
"We don't know of anyone else in the family who has it – though there are stories of a distant uncle way back who had to sit on the pavement, so perhaps he suffered from it.
"I have had metal rods in my legs since I was seven years old and my arms are susceptible to breaks.
"This time of year is always a worry, because colds and coughs give me cracked ribs," Kate said.
After secondary education at Torc High School in Glascote, which she remembers fondly because of headmaster, Mr Wallis, who had a 'can-do' attitude towards pupils with disabilities and was happy to admit her when other schools would not, she took a sociology degree at Staffordshire University and then completed a legal practice course, hoping to qualify as a solicitor.
However, in the days before the Disability Discrimination Act, she could not find articles – so she has worked for Tamworth Citizens Advice Bureau and the Rowan Organisation, which helps the disabled live independently.
Now, modern technology means that Kate has been able to set up her own business, with help from the Government's Access to Work scheme, which provides money and practical help for disabled people seeking employment.
"The internet means it is much more possible to work from home, which has great advantages for the disabled," Kate says.
"There are lots of things you can do virtually.
"The disabled can be very good consultants, for example, and it is a great way of finding out information."
Kate sources her stock from all over the world and regularly goes to the UK trade shows to find the latest bags and styles.
"I like to go to a show so I can meet people and actually feel the bags. They really are all hand-picked," she says.
Kate is very savvy about the internet and has taken great pains to study Google search results, advertisement success rates and click-through rates.
"I control the content of the website myself and I have a Facebook page and a blog.
"I also operate a virtual warehouse so people can always see what is available, because I hate it if you buy something online then get an email saying the item is out of stock.
"I regard it as a real honour when someone buys from me and not another website."
She says that her current bestseller is a Charlotte Reid bag at £36, and she particularly recommends Fabio Dericci and Waterlily bags, in lots of styles, from clutch to oversize.
She has also sold plenty of large Dents bags recently, because they are perfect for keeping your laptop in.
"Hand-made bags from Hunky Dory and Mayaa are selling well and as the wedding season takes off, I am already getting demand for Claire Webster's silk bags for bridesmaids.
"And don't forget the ultimate WAG accessory, a made-to-order Italian leather Barbara Milano bag – absolutely gorgeous!"
● For further details, call 01543 416137 or log onto www.emotional baggage.co.uk
● This article first appeared in the February edition of the Herald's sister publication The Journal magazine.
Modern technology means that, despite being in a wheelchair, Kate can easily run her own business. TS5388-3164JO
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