Northern Ireland single mum goes back to her roots making school uniforms a third-generational family business

When the two dedicated school uniform shops in Dungannon closed recently, single mother of three Jill Compton saw a gap in the market that her family lineage made her uniquely suited to exploiting.

Having opened a uniform shop out of their home in Killyman in the 1970s, Jill’s grandparents moved their premises to Dungannon in 1981.

Now, with hundreds of parents in Dungannon faced with the prospect of being left without a local uniform-specific shop, Jill decided to follow in their footsteps reviving the family business and celebrating a third generation uniform supplier.

Through the help she received from Enterprise NI and Go Succeed, she opened Uniforms NI this summer out of her home in Killyman, just as her grandparents did before her.

Working part-time in a local bank, Jill admits that she didn’t have the first idea of how to start a business.

Having reached out to Cookstown Enterprise Centre after seeing their services advertised online, Jill was talked through the process of turning her idea into the now-opened uniform shop.

“It was Shauna Rooney [Business Adviser at Cookstown Enterprise Centre] who helped me out first,” Jill said. “I am a mother of three, I was working part-time and claiming universal credit and I had an idea and they saw the potential in my idea and helped me make it a

reality.

“Shauna put me onto Go Succeed and talked me through all the steps necessary. Shauna would send me home with homework and tasks to complete before I met her again. It was normally things I was putting off doing but having someone push you on really helped get the job done. From there, she passed me onto Sharon McAleer, also in Cookstown Enterprise, and Sharon helped me for hours until I had a business plan properly put together.”

Cookstown Enterprise Centre is one of Enterprise Northern Ireland’s 27 Local Enterprise Agencies.

“Stories such as Jill’s are the reason why Enterprise NI and the LEA network exist,” explained Enterprise NI chief executive Michael McQuillan. “In recent times we have seen the entrepreneurial spark returning to Northern Ireland and the fact that we are hearing stories like Jill more is testament to the work being done throughout the LEA network.”

Despite the help on hand and the generations of uniform selling in her family before her, Jill was not without her doubts and admits that it was the support of Cookstown Enterprise that got her to the point of opening her shop, Uniforms NI, out of her home in the first week of July.

“It could get a bit daunting at times you know,” she continued. “All this paperwork, it really makes you wonder if you do want to go through with this idea you’ve had.

"But that’s why Cookstown Enterprise were so good for me. They talked me through every little step and they’d call and see how I was getting on. They would answer any little question I had and erase any doubts with how lovely they were.”

With her first month of operation nearly behind her, Jill is busy with the rush for school uniforms for the forthcoming school year, but still wants to spread the word of the help that is out there for any would-be entrepreneurs with an idea in their heads.

“It’s been a busy start and that’s all you can ask for,” she added.

“I just want people to know that the help is out there. If you have an idea to run with then this is how you make it a reality.”

ENI supports the LEA network to provide aspirant entrepreneurs and existing micro and small businesses with access to workspace, development programmes, access to finance, and the informed support they need to start, sustain, and grow their business.