Coutts Woman

Working from home – with a Royal Warrant

Sally Mitchell has the ultimate career for a mother. She is able to work from home, around the school days and social engagement diaries of her two children and without any significant investment.

Mitchell is a calligrapher, specialising in copperplate script and italics, and was recently granted a Royal Warrant after working for Buckingham Palace for five years.

‘I do a lot of small jobs for the Palace, such as inscribing photo albums and Royal Rosters,’ she explains. ‘But I haven’t actually done anything with the warrant since I received it.’

Mitchell is a self-taught calligrapher. ‘Ideally, there is a lot of training involved and some people do look down on calligraphers who don’t have degrees. But I began my business in the same year I started my family and I didn’t have time. I went on the occasional course, but basically I taught myself.’

She admits her career choice is unusual but adds: ‘I was looking for something that would fit in around family life. I have always liked pen and paper, and working in ink. As a child, I loved ink drawing and this was a way for me to incorporate a hobby into a career.’

Ten years ago, when Mitchell Ink launched, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea offered grants for start up businesses. Mitchell applied and received £4,000.

“I think there is a backlash against computers. Clients want to feel their work is etched by hand rather than generated by computer.”

‘I had to meet advisers, submit a business plan and attend seminars on doing accounts and opening new businesses. The grant really helped,’ she explains. ‘It funded me during the first six months when I was waiting for orders and payments to come through. And that was it. After six months I was up and running and didn’t need any more money.’

Mitchell initially sent ten sample packs of her work to ten prospective clients from a variety of stationery shops, local companies and party planners. ‘I just hoped for the best, but they all responded with orders and nine are still clients. I now have about 100 regular clients who were either passed onto me by word of mouth or existing clients.’

She has never advertised ‘although occasionally free directories from Harpers & Queen or Tatler have included my company. My costs are very low’.

Mitchell specialises in stationery, such as wedding invitations, menus or place cards, and diplomas or certificates. And, despite the onslaught of computers and digital imaging, she has never been busier. ‘I think there is a backlash against computers,’ says Mitchell. ‘Clients want to feel their work is etched by hand rather than generated by computer. Some calligraphers are digitising their fonts, but I don’t want to do that.’

Mitchell is considering branching out, though, into heraldry. ‘Reigate College does a part time degree course in it, which would involve one day a week and I am thinking about signing up for that,’ she explains.

‘One of the great advantages of being a calligrapher and managing a family and running a household as opposed to, say, a designer, is that you can stand up and take a short break without losing the artistic impulse or ruining your chain of thought.’

Mitchell manages work around her family’s requirements but adds: ‘Most projects do have a very short turnaround. For example, I may be asked to write hundreds of place cards in one day. Everybody wants work the next day.’ Which probably explains her 4.30 start this morning!