Alison Cork, Founder of Alison At Home: Ask yourself first what the consumer wants

Tuesday, 11 June 2019

Read by millions every week, and frequently on TV and Radio, entrepreneur Alison Cork has over the past 20 years built up a home interiors empire encompassing publishing, online retail, design, licensing and TV shopping.

In 2012, Alison launched her own eponymous interiors brand alisonathome.com, featuring beautiful, stylish homeware at accessible prices. In 2014, Alison launched her hugely successful curated homeware brand on QVC where she continues to bring aspirational and affordable furniture and accessories to the viewing public. Alison also licences her designs to retailers such as Made.com.

Prior to that, she co-founded publishing company Carnell Ltd, which floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1994, making her one of the youngest ever female founders of a publicly quoted company.

A champion of female entrepreneurs, in 2017 Alison founded Make It Your Business, with the aim of supporting and encouraging women throughout the UK to start their own business.

"Make It Your Business is a UK wide initiative to encourage women to start their own business, and it works because we are building strong local networking groups that give women the vital moral and practical support they need. As someone who is an entrepreneur, I have a particular passion to foster enterprise and support women who want to take that first step into owning a business.”

In 2018 Alison was appointed Government Champion for Women Entrepreneurs  and stood as prospective Conservative Candidate for London Mayor 2020.

Alison’s group of companies operates out of offices near her home in London’s Belgravia, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

Alison's Top Tips

• Be a student of markets – always ask yourself first what the consumer wants, rather than what you want to sell them.
• Take regular time away from phones and computers to let your mind roam free around ideas.
• Learn to trust your gut instinct.