Entrepreneur: Elaine Murray
Age: 54
Business Name: By Elaine Rose; Ashes To Art; Koa Tonewood
Industry: Art; Gardening; Rare Wood Dealing
Location: Axminster, Devon
How many different businesses do you have?
I run three businesses. The first is Koa Tonewood Limited – I sell rare wood used to make guitars and ukuleles. I set up the business on Instagram, using photography and videos, and taught myself how to target a very specific audience. I’ve now got about 14,000 followers.
Then there’s my art business, By Elaine Rose. I used to do a lot of painting, but it was never a real focus. I needed work that would fit around my daughter so that I could be there for her in the school holidays. So again, I set up on Instagram selling abstract work and seascapes.
One day, I got a request from someone to do a seascape but incorporate their mum’s ashes into it. I worked with a forensic laboratory to develop a stabilising agent to put into the paint so that the ashes wouldn’t affect the colour. This led me to create my memorial art business Ashes To Art, and that took off. I now offer memorial paintings for loved ones and pets.
Last year I set up a gardening business because I wanted another string to my bow that didn’t involve selling online. I’d always helped my father in the garden, and sometimes I’d go out with him on gardening jobs in the school holidays. I started out helping a gardener friend who needed an extra hand working on a fabulous estate. I now have my own regular clients and have the pleasure of working in the gardens of some very beautiful homes.
» MORE: How to Start a Gardening Business
Why did you decide you needed more than one income stream?
When my husband and I split up, I realised one income wasn’t enough. If you’re a single person, you need other revenue streams.
I’ve had side hustles since I was a teenager. From babysitting and working in a pizza place as a student to a job in a health club and as a photographer’s assistant.
I’ve been building up my art and gardening businesses because the availability of wood is decreasing. It’s getting harder to sell within Europe because of product regulations, and Trump’s tariffs are making things even more complicated.
Paying my daughter’s school fees is now my biggest driver. She wasn’t thriving in mainstream education, so I moved her to a private school. It’s tough finding the money to cover the fees, especially now that the government has added VAT.
How do you juggle three businesses?
My wood business can largely be done any time, but I have to fit in the photography when there’s good light. Most of my wood clients are overseas, so quite often I’m working late into the night because they’re in different time zones.
The art can also be done any time, but the gardening is seasonal and needs good weather.
On a typical day, I wake up at 6:00am, make breakfast and packed lunches, drop my daughter off at 7:15am, then walk the dog till 8:00am. I come home, and get changed for gardening, then work for up to six hours. After that, I work on my art, and do business administration for the rest of the evening, and often on weekends as well.
My early career in the ‘hungry’ environment of stockbroking taught me how hard work can turn into financial rewards.
Around 50%-60% of my income comes from selling the guitar wood. Art and gardening provide supplemental income of around 20% each. Having all three means I’m not pinning all my hopes on one thing and praying that it works out.
» MORE: Could You Earn Over £750 per Month From a Side Hustle?
Why does self-employment suit you better as a single parent?
After I had my daughter, I needed something really flexible. I don’t have any family in the UK, so childcare is a challenge.
Being self-employed, I can take a day off when I need to, I can take her to the beach which is five minutes away, and that’s priceless. I don’t know how I would manage bringing her up if I was commuting to my corporate job in London.
Sometimes I miss the intellectual challenge of board-level work, but if I can’t do it for someone else’s business, I’ll do it for my own.
What future plans do you have for your multiple hustles?
I’ve got two art exhibitions coming up this year to showcase my studio work, so I’m excited about that. Once Ashes To Art is more established, I’d love to help other artists incorporate ashes into memorial works using the stabiliser I developed.
With the gardening business growing too, I’ll eventually need an extra pair of hands, as I’ve got more work than I can do alone.
Do you have any advice for anyone considering leaving the corporate world for self-employment?
When I worked in communications, I had a high salary and a very luxurious lifestyle, but I felt unfulfilled. Self-employment is not for the faint-hearted and it’s definitely not an easy life, but for me, it definitely wins in terms of personal reward, and it’s very flexible.
I think that it’s becoming much more common to have more than one job. If you’re innovative and hard working, and very honest and upfront about what you can and can’t do, there’s always a way to earn a living with joy. Clients message me about how much they love their painting or garden – I never got that from a boss.
Part of me does look back wistfully to when I had share options, pensions, healthcare and an expense account. But I’m so glad I became self-employed because I’ve got the most wonderful life experience.
You can follow Elaine’s businesses on Instagram at:
@koatonewood
@byelainerose
@fromash2art
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