Rowen Wilde : Custard Moon

Custard Moon offers a children’s entertainment service including circus skills, balloon twisting and party games etc at children’s parties and other family celebrations, community and corporate events. Read more about how Rowen turned her talents into a business…

I have worked through a variety of jobs over the past 30 years, including computer aided design, cleaning, telemarketing, working in a supermarket and running art workshops for children.

After completing a Fine art Degree in Sheffield and returning to Coventry in 1999, I began a relationship with a man who made his living as a clown and juggler. He taught me basic juggling and balloon twisting skills and I joined the local Juggling Club.

I was working as a self-employed community artist at the time, delivering workshops to mainly children and I found that my newly discovered skills were always in demand at family fun day events. Slowly over the next few years I received work through contacts I knew as a community artist.

I discovered that I love instructing children and young people in circus skills and being the creator of fun at children’s parties.

I have been out of the country for sometime and since returning to England, decided to set up my business, this time starting with all the proper advice and training but with the knowledge I had previously gained from self-employment and from the mistakes I had made.

Starting the business

I bumped into a friend when I returned to England who said I should contact the Women’s Business Development Agency after she has received advice and support when having initial thoughts about whether she was ready to set up a business herself.

I accessed the excellent online training modules on the West Midlands Women’s Business Centre website to help me write my business plan. I found them easy to understand, very thorough and worked through them at my own pace.

I was also provided with my own business advisor, Minal Sodha, and had several one-to-one meetings which were invaluable in keeping me focussed and helped to clarify sections of my business plan.

As I worked through the online training programme, I realised how much I didn’t know about setting up a business. This raised doubts that I perhaps wasn’t prepared enough to start my own business. But the support I received from Minal helped me to recognise that this is why they are here; to provide all the necessary support and advice to help me think, question and research all the elements that would build my plan and set my business off to a successful start.

About Custard Moon

Custard Moon offers a children’s entertainment service including circus skills, balloon twisting and party games etc at children’s parties and other family celebrations, community and corporate events.

I am very happy with myself that I have finally written a business plan and have set everything up properly from the start. It has been a real boost to my confidence in recognising that my business and personal weaknesses do not mean I cannot succeed. WBDA have given me the drive to target where I need extra help and the commitment to put a training plan in place to learn things that I’ve wanted to learn for years.

For more information on Rowen’s services please contact her on
024 76 267 350 or email custardmoon@hotmail.co.uk