Liz Constable of Book Art Studios is an entrepreneur who creates hand-made books and offers book making classes.
When and why did you start your business?
I was creating books as a hobby downstairs in the garage, while I was operating a career coaching business upstairs in my home office. One day I said to a client who was wearing a gorgeous patterned top, 'if you ever decide you don't want that top anymore, can I make it into a book cover?' It was a defining moment where I realised I wanted to be creating more than I wanted to be coaching. That happened about eight years ago and it coincided with my daughter leaving the nest. I think I threw myself into Book Art Studios to give myself a new challenge and as a way of getting over empty nest syndrome.
How does the business make money?
It's through me working hard to be creative in all aspects of the business and generating a variety of income streams. I'm constantly on the lookout for any opportunities, and always pitching to businesses. I'm really well networked and enjoy building working relationships, which is a huge part of my business. I've created books for Coca-Cola, Al Brown, Fonterra, Pernod Ricard, Beca, AA and ASB among other corporate clients, but I also create books for general members of the public wanting books for all kinds of occasions - weddings, new babies, graduations and so on.