Leeds Met alumna celebrates business birthday

Former Leeds Met student Sarah Coupland Jenkins is fulfilling her long-held ambition of running her own graphic design business, and recently celebrated one year's trading.

Sarah is following a family tradition: “I grew up watching my Dad who owns his own business, and I always knew it was something I wanted to do”.

Following her passion for graphics and illustration, Sarah decided to study Graphic Arts and Design at Leeds Met, with the aim of expanding her knowledge of the subject. She gained a lot from the course and found it both inspiring and useful. After graduating in 2004, Sarah worked in administration and customer service roles (including some at Leeds Met) while building up her contacts part-time. She launched her business last June aged 25.

“I found my niche in corporate identities and print design for small and medium sized companies in Leeds , Wakefield and Barnsley” says Sarah. “The skills I gained from the time spent in a business environment have also helped”.

The secret to her success is in the level of service she offers: “Clients really appreciate something as simple as responding to their messages quickly, or explaining things clearly. Most of my customers have been frustrated by poor service from other design and print companies”.

Sarah is enjoying her work immensely, and her goals for the next year include building more relationships with marketing agencies. “I would recommend anyone who dreams of being their own boss to make it happen for themselves”.

www.sarahcoupland.co.uk