Wednesday 15-01-2025 - 15:25

With the Business Society being recently redefined as an academic society, it feels like we’re hearing more than ever about student entrepreneurship on campus – but what about those entrepreneurs? What about their stories, or the challenges they’ve overcome? 

We have what is arguably one of the fastest-growing university student business hubs in North-West England, so it stands to reason that we should be tapping into that network and gaining valuable insights into the startup process directly from the source. 

One such source, a marketing student and jewellery designer, is Clare Marshall (better known as Aurora). Clare launched SunshineSoon earlier this year, capitalising on the incredibly niche idea of using taxidermy butterflies as the flagship medium in her pieces. I will admit, although I was aware that there were a lot of interesting student businesses around us, I wasn’t expecting to come across what might be the most interesting retail product line I’ve seen. 

What struck me immediately was that, although I was expecting something a little darker or more gothic due to the nature of the concept, the products are actually incredibly colourful, and Clare’s ethical considerations make for a pretty compelling and broad feasible base market. I was also taken in by the fact that, already, she has managed to craft a strong online presence via TikTok. I spoke to her to find out more. 

 

Where did the name SunshineSoon come from? 

SunshineSoon came from a personal motto of mine: ‘There will be sunshine soon.’ Even in some relatively dark times in my life - being between jobs, loss of family members, big life changes, etc. - it is always something I'm able to tell myself. My business is my sunshine, and eventually it came, no matter how tough the journey was. 

 

Taxidermy butterfly jewellery is a pretty niche concept - what inspired you to get into the industry? 

I have always loved butterflies, and I am believed to be autistic (though I stress that this is not a formal diagnosis as of writing), so I’ve always found tactile connection to objects very important. This presents the problem of… how do you hold a butterfly? How can I get closer? How can I make this work for me? I remember when I made my first piece, and I held it for days - it didn’t even start as jewellery, just something I could carry with me to suit my interests. The idea came slowly - upon realising how untapped the market was for delicate taxidermy being preserved in a more personal way, I took advantage and sourced my first stock - it was an overnight hit, and the rest is history. 

 

How do you ensure that your butterflies are ethically sourced? 

It's give and take in this industry, but it comes at the forefront of my business. If I don’t see that a specimen has passed in front of me, I can never 100% know. I have to give some trust to my supplier that they are doing their job in a responsible way. I communicate extensively with my supplier, and to every extent that I can give, I trust them.

Ethical sourcing vs. sustainable sourcing is something worth noting. Sustainability is a must for me, and this means ensuring that the ‘farming’ of specimens funds the preservation of a species by the local suppliers. Say I purchase a Dayflying Sunset Moth from Madagascar, the income from that purchase encourages local farmers in Madagascar to preserve the environment where these moths live and breed the species to make the business renewable. 

It is also an option to ask for deceased specimens from places like zoos, and I often leave a donation for the conservation efforts. 

 

What challenges did you face when starting your business, and how did you overcome them? 

I’ve been incredibly lucky to find a niche that people seem to love, but that has only been in recent months. Before then, I actually had a different business where I would sell my art, but it was filled with burnouts and a lack of revenue - I’ve been able to bring all I learnt from the failure of that business to this one to encourage its success. 

Developing an audience has taken time - posting multiple times per day on TikTok is where things have really started picking up. I’ve seen return customers, impulse purchases and global sales - all from TikTok. It is the centre of my promotional strategy and will probably remain so for a long time. I also do markets in Liverpool - though I have cut down on them recently just due to the demand for stock (I only have so many hours in a day). They’re good for bulk profit but can easily be a hit or miss, so I’ve learnt in the last year not to waste time on the events that don’t work. Harsh as it is, second chances don’t make profit. 

 

It can be difficult to run a business at the best of times - how do you balance your studies and running SunshineSoon?

Right now, I’m in a very privileged position because my stock is in high demand - I can make new items when I have time, and trust that a good 80% of the time they will be purchased within a day or so, and if they are not sold then, then they will at a market in the future.

My studies come first, I’m in academia to benefit my business in the future, no amount of income in the next few years would change that priority. I tend to schedule my days to aid in this. I work a 9am - 5pm on my business and 6pm - 11pm on schoolwork and socialising (not including the lectures I attend throughout the week). It's going to be difficult as I enter my second and third year, but I plan on using this time at Edge Hill to build a reputation for myself and my business, rather than defining an income. 

 

What has been the most rewarding aspect of running your own business? 

The public reaction. It’s increasingly clear to me that my products are something people didn’t know that they needed. I’ve had a lot of feedback from people like me with tactile need and interest in insects that this has changed a lot for them. These pieces are not necessarily jewellery, they're wall hangings, car accessories, and fidget toys - and people really love it. I go to markets where other stallholders (who I have looked up to for a long time) congratulate me on success I haven’t even really found yet. Just that belief in me is rewarding beyond anything else. 

 

How do you utilise social media to generate sales? 

It might sound overplayed, but social media is absolutely invaluable in the modern age. Short-form content is the only way I attract customers. I know if I stop posting on TikTok, my sales decrease incredibly fast - and sometimes I use this to my advantage to create time for myself, my studies, and market preparation.

I know, after years of trial and error, what makes good content - what times impulse purchases come through, when a ‘sound’ behind a video is going to work to my advantage. I used to include my face a lot more in my content, but it became exhaustive - though I won’t deny that if sales are slow, I will make a quick reappearance. 

Social media trends are controversial in some ways – for example, I know that if I promote items with certain colours at certain times of year, those items will sell better, be it as simple as red and green around Christmas and pastels around Easter, or rainbows around pride. The trend is undeniable, and I have learnt that there is a sensitive way to approach these things too. For example, if I’m using pride in my promotion, you can bet a percentage of my profits are going to a charity that aids in something related to those events. 

 

What has been your biggest achievement or milestone with SunshineSoon so far? 

Selling out at my first market under this new business. As I’ve mentioned, I used to sell my art at events, and though there were good days, £50 revenue was a good day for me.

I remember that I picked up a last-minute cancellation slot for ‘The Night Market’ in Liverpool. Literally a few days before the event, I rushed through stock and got myself prepped… and within hours I’d sold out. My rent was paid, I even treated myself to a cheeky takeout afterwards (I’m only human after all), it was an adrenaline high like no other. That human interaction paired with the lump sum of cash that suddenly made all the long nights worth it is probably why I continue to do markets, even though I could sell just as well online. 

 

Where do you see SunshineSoon in the next five years? 

I honestly don’t know, and that is the fun of it. Right now, it pays the bills, it keeps me happy, and if it never goes any further than that, I would still be a lucky woman to be able to do what I love.  Growth is complicated. I’m one person, and mass production on these items with potential staff down the line leads me to question my ethics on the subject - am I encouraging consumption beyond what is environmentally encouraged? I don’t know yet. I’ve toyed with the idea of a subscription service for a new specimen each month, but again, how much can one person produce?

In the next 5 years, I hope to have grown my platform to the point that I can donate more to conservation projects, and maybe even work across the world with the insects that I love. I feel that my work has the potential to be the future of insect preservation, but time will only tell. 

 

What advice would you give to other students who are considering pursuing entrepreneurship?

Just do it, jump into the abyss with us. Life is short, but success is not hard to come by. Will you be a millionaire? Maybe, but maybe it will be as simple as working for yourself on something that you love. 

Find what you love, don’t follow a trend - believe me, it isn’t a fulfilling way to live. There is always a way to monetise what you have to offer, so just go for it! 

University is the perfect time to start, you have time, you have connections, and maybe you even have some cash - or maybe you don’t. An idea, a plan, that's free to everyone.

Flip a coin. Should you do it, or should you not? Even as that ‘coin’ is in the air, somewhere in you, you know which answer would disappoint you. Don’t lose that chance by hesitating at the starting line. 

 

Interested in finding out more about Clare’s products? You can find SunshineSoon’s website at www.sunshinesoon.co.uk. 

Want to support the vital butterfly conservation efforts mentioned in this article? Look into Butterfly Conservation at www.butterfly-conservation.org.

Do you have your own entrepreneurial story to tell? Email sucomms@edgehill.ac.uk with your business name and industry, and we’ll set up an interview soon.

 

By Callum Grady