'I turned my £10 side hustle into a money-spinning business'

The pandemic was a tough time for everyone, but Danielle Flynn tells new how a bright idea to help others also turned her life around

- ALI GRAVES

From face masks and scheduled walks to clapping for the NHS, we all remember going through lockdown. But while for many it was a time of working from the kitchen table or being furloughed, for Danielle Flynn, 27, from Liverpool, it was an opportunity to start the ultimate side hustle.

Starting with just £10, the engineer took full advantage of her enforced time at home and started a new venture – a handmade gifting business. Now turning over thousands of pounds a year, she also has a huge online following with millions of Instagram views of her work.

Here, she reveals how she did it – and how you can replicate her success…

'Lockdown was a quiet time for me three years ago. I was furloughed from my job as a full-time engineer. I was fed up – I love being busy – so I decided to put my spare time to good use.

I adore gift-giving so I started dropping mini graze boxes filled with fruit and homemade cakes on my friends’ doorsteps as a little pick-me-up. And it just escalated, it’s that simple.

Friends started to share their gifts from me on social media and, just like that, I had people messaging non-stop, trying to place an order. The timing was perfect as people were stuck at home but wanting to send gifts for birthdays and other celebrations, so the orders and recommendations started to roll in.

That’s where Gift and Graze properly began. Now we’re a marketplace with more than 50 creative businesses selling everything from handmade jewellery to phone charms and delicious personalised traybakes. I can’t believe how far we’ve come.