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Neal junior opens pop-up shop after successful first year


Neal junior opens pop-up shop after successful first year

Jemima Neal, the eldest daughter of Sam Neal, CEO of the Geoff Neal Group, opened a pop-up shop in London for her clothing store Mima Rose today (19 August) following a successful first year in business.

As the daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter of printers, Jemima followed in her family footsteps by setting up her first printing business last year at the age of 14.

Jemima designs her own t-shirts and hoodies and has them printed by Uno Group UK, who print them using a digital transfer process.

Their new pop-up shop opened at 12pm today at 340 Kings Road in Chelsea and there is an opening party tonight.

Supported by friends, family and some interns, the store will be open daily until September 1st.

She will also be introducing 16 up-and-coming brands in the shop over the course of the two weeks.

According to father Sam Neal, Jemima contacted each one and sold them premises. She also created a marketing and branding package that she sold to each brand to fairly cover the costs of setting up the store. She also distributed flyers in Sloane Square tube station.

Neal, who lent her £500 for her first order, posted on LinkedIn today that Jemima’s first year had been a resounding success.

“To my surprise, but not hers, she had orders on her first day in the business and every day since then. Within four weeks she paid me back in full and she never looked back.

“Little did I know that 12 months later, in her first year of business, she would be turning over nearly £50,000 and having photoshoots in Chelsea and Notting Hill!

“I definitely didn’t think she would be brave enough to rent a shop in Chelsea. She can’t wait to meet her customers and sell them her goods face to face.”

He said that over the past year, Jemima has been interviewed by Tash Courtenay-Smith at BizKids, attended influencer parties in London, organised a trip to a fashion exhibition in Paris and sold and shipped her products on every continent.

“Jemima processed most of the orders, created the shipping labels and packed them herself, helped by Grandma and her two sisters Phoebe and Ottilie.

“I would like to stress that Jemima paid for everything. Since the loan for the first order was paid off, she has used 100% of her own money and has quickly acquired some accounting and cash flow skills.”

In conversation with Print Week Last year, Jemima said she was inspired by her mother’s start-up of an interior design business. On LinkedIn today, Neal also praised his wife Charlotte’s support for Jemima’s venture.

“You were a wonderful mother and mentor, patient, enthusiastic and full of energy.”

In conversation with Print Week Today, Sam Neal said his daughter was an entrepreneur from a young age.

“She started by baking cakes and selling them on the side of the road in front of her grandma’s house. Then she went to a local church festival where she had a booth and a banner. She sat there all day and sold cakes.”

Her younger sisters were also inspired by Jemima’s business acumen.

“My two younger ones are following in her footsteps. They make bracelets, cakes and they set up a little stall and sit there and sell their things face to face or at flea markets where they negotiate the price. They are learning from their sister.”

He added that Jemima was “remarkably calm and committed” to the business.

“I expected her to get bored, but her enthusiasm and interest are growing, and with it her imagination, and she has a real ambition to take it further.”

Jemima will sit her GCSE exams next summer. Neal said she is hardworking, focused and “very time-conscious – she has grown up remarkably in that respect”, but admits she may need some help packing orders – perhaps by using a fulfilment company – to claw back some time at a crucial stage of her education.

He added: “I don’t know what will happen next, but I’m just happy that she has learned so much and that the two younger ones are also inspired by it. It’s a lot of fun.”

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