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Dyslexia is no stumbling block as mum opens second baby store

Dyslexia is no stumbling block as mum opens second baby store

A businesswoman says having dyslexia has not stopped her in achieving her dream of opening her second store.

Kelly Carter struggled with reading and writing throughout her school years - being placed in non-mainstream classes and getting through her education by being “naughty”.

It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with the learning difficulty at 16 that she was able to understand why she had not been able to make sense of words or numbers like her friends.

But she did not let dyslexia get in the way of her ambitions - Little Angels as a company had an annual turnover of over £2m last year and she is now set to open her second baby store in central Nottingham.

The mum-of-two opened her first store in Bath Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, five years ago.

It came about as she was pregnant with her youngest son, Owen, now five, and couldn’t find a pushchair nor the advice she needed from the big stores she'd visited.

But Kelly, who is married to Terry, 41, and also mum to nine-year-old Connor, said:

“On my first day in Ilkeston, I’d managed to set everything up, but I didn’t even know how to use a till.

"I had to run over the road to the flower shop for help. I had all these ideas flowing, but I was quite naive.”

But within three years, the business moved to bigger premises, also on Bath Street.

However, even after five years in business, Kelly, 31, still has difficulties.

The former pupil of Kirk Hallam Technology and Sports College in Ilkeston said:

“When I look at the till, it’s very difficult for me to grasp where things are. My mind goes into panic when I see a lot of writing.

“I do tell customers I’m dyslexic, we laugh and nobody cares.”

She says she has a supportive team behind her, including Kimberley Kirk and Rebecca Marshall, who will be managing the new shop, alongside two further new posts, in addition to the four staff employed in Ilkeston.

Inspirational Kelly, of Ilkeston, said:

“With dyslexia, you can either be ashamed of it or embrace it. I joke about it. If you take the awkwardness out of the situation, you have already got past the first hurdle. I just take a little longer to work things out.”

Little Angels’ new store, at 43-49 Prospect Street, off Radford Boulevard, has 5,000 sq ft of floor space and the grand opening will be Black Friday, November 29.

There will be special offers and goodie bags available.

As well as stocking brands such as iCandy and Silver Cross, the new store will sell potentially the biggest range of pushchairs in the UK, with over 80 on display at any one time alongside nursery furniture and car seats. There will also be a seating area to rest up, and games and colouring books to keep the kids busy.

As well as the two shops and a warehouse, in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, business is booming on the littleangelsprams.co.uk website.

The Ilkeston shop will remain open, becoming more of a factory retail outlet for those seeking a real bargain.

The new store looks to take off just days after Mothercare, which has a local branch a mile and a half away at Castle Marina, entered administration.

Kelly said:

“It’s so sad to see such a household name disappearing, and devastating for all the staff. 

"As an independent business, we aim to provide a professional and personal service for Nottinghamshire’s parents and parents-to-be.”


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