A MOTHER-OF-TWO has revealed how she rakes in £7k a month by customising face masks for companies while working from home during lockdown.
Dani Turner, 31, from Yateley in Hampshire, is a freelance graphic designer and was earning just £1k a month before the pandamic, but managed to increase that amount by seven while looking after her three-year-old daughter Mila and 10-month-old Paige.
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When the the coronavrus outbreak first began, Dani explained that the common face mask worn my people were often “scary” and “clinical”.
While at the time face masks and coverings weren’t mandatory, the mum-of-two explained that she became concerned for the NHS if such high demand led to a lack of supply for the healthcare industry.
“I thought about what would happen to the demand for masks if they were to become a part of everyday life. Would the NHS have enough?,” she told FEMAIL.
And added: “I thought about how masks could be the new normal, perhaps a uniform staple for companie,.”
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The creative mum then thought of the idea to print company logos onto masks, personalising them, which gave companies the opportunity to advertise their brand and protect their employers at the same time.
Before long, Dani was taking home £7k a month, charging £56 for a pack of four reusable masks.
But business boomed, the mum had to work around her two daughters and revealed that she often worked really late nights to get the work done.
She said: “I have toys in my spare bedroom set up as my office as a little place for them to play while I work. I pray for naps in the day!”
Dani explained that her and her partner were both self-employed and grew incresingly worried when lockdown began.
“In the beginning, because my partner and I are both self-employed with no holiday or sick pay and two small children not in school, we had no idea how we were going to pay our mortgage, bills, and do the food shop,” she said.
“My partner works on a building site which was closed due to Covid. I had no design work coming in and we did start to panic.
“I had to think of a way to change the way I worked to adapt to what was going on around us.”
The working mum starting selling the masks to friends who had salons, before they were forced to close.
But since starting the business at home, DCT designs, the designer has now worked with an array of companies including Hun Wines, a canned wine brand that’s a favourite of Amanda Holden.
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She’s also catered to Make Up By Carmen, a beautician who works with celebrities including Meghan Barton-Hanson – in addition to estate agents, personal trainers, hairdressers, make-up artists, receptionists, plumbers, electricians and some restaurants.
Dani said “it spiralled from there” with single orders then coming in by the hundreds, before she began targeting larger companies who had lots of staff.
“Some celeb make-up artists contacted me and they also posted on their Instagram accounts with large followings, so that really did help, ” she said, “I have had to get a friend to help me with my invoicing and accounts to keep up with the order process.”
Dani said at the moment she just has her friend Daniela Meluzzi working as virtual business PA for her.
“I have had to get really organised with the amounts of orders coming in, so I design to make the masks look great with a company’s branding, logos and colours, and Daniela streamlines the order process.”
When hair salons reopened at the beginning of July it became mandatory for all staff to wear masks and other appropriate PPE.
And the same has been said for nail salons when they reopen from July 13.
It is also mandatory now for people to wear face masks or coverings while on public transport, while the government’s advice is to continue wearing one in other areas such as supermarkets.
We also shared mum-of-three’s horror after woman SPAT on her 11-month-old baby while she queued in Sainsbury’s.
Meanwhile a mum was fired from her job during lockdown after her boss got sick of her kids during work calls as it ‘was not professional’.
Plus a single mum breaks down in tears after finding a kind note and envelope stuffed with cash hidden inside her second-hand car.
