Celina goes it alone in online business

A YEAR ago, Celina Wilson had a comfortable, well-paid job as a media management consultant in London.

She worked long hours, leaving home early in the morning and not returning until the evening, spending a bit of time with husband Cliff and young son Matthew before going to bed and starting again.

By January 2009, she’d become bored of the rat race and was looking for a new challenge.

But what? Since Matthew was born in 2001, Celina had been making natural, organic creams and beauty products for her family, having become dissatisfied with what was available on the high street for treating eczema, which Matthew suffered from.

Friends had often told her that her products were good enough to go into business with, but until then something had always held her back.

“I had too many excuses for not doing it,” said Celina, 40.

“I was too comfortable with my corporate job, and also, how would I be able to compete with the big names in the industry?”

She needn’t have worried. Since November, having quit her job, Celina has been working from her home in Station Road, Digswell, operating two successful online shops selling her completely natural beauty products; Jarde, for women, and Boosily, for girls aged three to 12.

“I am absolutely over the moon, I can’t believe I’ve done it,” Celina said.

“The response to my products has been amazing. I went out of stock for most of my product range during Christmas!”

She added: “I’d love to share my story to every mum or woman out there that has a dream of setting up their own business. I’d tell them: “you CAN do it, go for it,”. The year is young, so make it your resolution.”