It is often the case in family businesses that younger generations coming up through the ranks feel an inherent sense of responsibility and with that a huge amount of pressure. This can sometimes cause those family members to shy away from association with the business. In Elizabeth Sieff’s case it is the complete opposite. Although she has grown up with the pressure of being part of one of the most famous family businesses in UK history, Elizabeth is oozing with pride for her family’s history and the values which made it so successful are instilled in her.
Elizabeth’s great-grandfather, Michael Marks established Marks and Spencer in 1884 and it remained in the hands of the family for several generations. With such a success story behind her, it could have been easy for Elizabeth to name drop her famous heritage and sail through life. However what Elizabeth soon found was that the values of a family business are in the blood –
“I’ve always admired my great-great-grandfather for creating something from nothing. It’s always been about service and quality of the product – something which Marks and Spencer has never lost sight of and I’m proud to say is a crucial part of my own business today. I don’t doubt that my own entrepreneurship stems from my past.”
Sadly the fourth generation of Marks & Spencer’s didn’t want to continue in the family business and so it came under new ownership. Elizabeth says she would have loved to work for the business and thinks that it’s a real shame that the generation before her didn’t see what a great opportunity it was.
"Although I would have been proud to work for the family business it was inevitable that one day I was going to explore my own ventures. After working in the city and then with luxury interiors, it soon became clear that I would only be happy if I could create something myself.”
When the global economy found itself on its knees, Elizabeth saw potential for an entirely new type of business -
“Bonuses were non-existent and it was becoming increasingly difficult for people to maintain their luxury lifestyles. I approached high-end brands and offered them partnerships with my ‘discount membership club’ which would mean they could keep their clients in these difficult times.”
And so Little Emperors & Co was born at the height of the recession. “Before, luxury brands would have been hesitant to have such an association, however now they need to keep hold of their clients, look after them during the tough times and hope that they will remember them when things are on the up.”
Her business is booming, over 900 luxury partners around the world are signed up to her membership and clients have a way of maintaining their affluent lifestyle. But what impact has Elizabeth’s famous history had on her own life today?
“Whilst I am targeting a completely different market to M&S - a niche audience rather than the mass market, both businesses are similar in that we would never compromise on the quality of the service we offer, people come to us expecting the best and that’s what we give them. I will never settle for anything less that perfect. Although M&S isn’t in our lives anymore we are all incredibly proud of what our family has done and the mark that it has left in UK history.”
PR Contact -
Stephanie Brimacombe
Media & Marketing
Little Emperors & Co
info@littleemperors.com
www.littleemperors.com
