After taking the decision to follow our dream and set up an online store selling quirky homeware, we faced the daunting task of coming up with a name that would befit our new venture. Once we had a name, it would feel real and we would have something to grasp on to. Once we had a name, we could start to make it happen!
Hurdle number one - coming up with a company name that suits an online store selling quirky home accessories and fabulous finishing touches. It wasn’t a walk in the park! We spent what seemed like forever squeezing our brains - suggesting, mulling and then discarding – at moments feeling as though we were going slightly loopy. We tried going out for a few drinks to see if that would help, but the next morning realised we were no further forward, with the added headache of having even fuzzier brains the next day.
Family and friends were asked to put their thinking caps on – we smiled and nodded enthusiastically at some of their suggestions – but, alas, none were quite right. They were too ordinary, too dull, too strange, too flat, too bland, and so it went on...
Then, finally, just as we were beginning to fear that it just wasn’t going to happen, the momentous day came, the fog cleared and we got it!
Pompom & Twiddle was the result of a moment of clarity after a post Sunday lunch family ‘brainstorm’. The word brainstorm makes it sound rather formal, but it was more a case of getting everyone involved and saying right this is it. I remember that the Pompom part came first and was joined soon after by Twiddle. A couple of glasses of wine had been enjoyed with lunch, but who knows if that contributed.
At the time, I do recall it being a bit of a lightning bolt moment – like when you see a house that’s just right for you or a dress that seems as though it was made for you. The name seemed perfect. It sounded enchanting and different, but also reflected our love of embellishments, quirkiness and fripperies. Pompoms are a much-loved adornment, while, to us, Twiddle represents those finishing touches that make all the difference to a home, whether they are fancy or subtle. The rather eccentric name seemed to suit a venture dedicated to quirky homeware and eclectic interiors.
We purchased our domain name and registered our company with Companies House the very next day and Pompom & Twiddle was born – or rather conceived… It felt as though we were over the first hurdle, but there was a long journey ahead, particularly as we’d never done anything like this before... Now, it was time to start shaping the vision in our heads and create a venture selling quirky homeware that lived up to that name! Now it was time for the real work to start…