Did you know that we have, on average, just 29,000 days on the planet? It’s why we are more than a marketplace — in fact, we have a big vision — to inspire women to be the fullest version of themselves. How? By offering inspiration, advice and shining a light on a different way of life — celebrating colour, creativity and bravery, and cheerleading you to take the leap and follow your dreams. Ready to discover more? Keep reading below (or read Holly & Co’s history to discover how we came to be here today).
After co-founding notonthehighstreet in 2006, our founder Holly wanted to empower the UK’s talented small businesses with the confidence, advice and support needed to grow. So with the help of her sister and soul sister, she founded Holly & Co (the Co stands for Co-mmunity, which is why we call our small businesses our Co’s). We’ve now grown into a marketplace of unique finds, business insight and creative ideas that are a love letter to the nation's independents and to helping women fly.
What’s your passion above all else? What could you talk for hours about and never get bored? We want to help everyone find their diamond. Whether that’s through an uplifting shopping experience, inspiration on life and how to live it creatively, or advice on how to start or grow a business, we’re here for the 360 degrees of you — to help you find your happy place and truly do what you love. Scroll across to find out more.
Brilliant women are the lifeblood of our company, whether it be our predominantly female team, the fact that 90% of our Co’s are female, or that we’ve created our marketplace with female shoppers front of mind. Because we are her… we too want to be inspired by new ideas, to talk about the things that truly impact our everyday lives and to lift others up.
Alongside supporting women, everything we do is driven out of our love for small, UK-based businesses and the wealth of colour and creativity they bring to the nation. We know that half of small businesses are worried about not being here this time next year. And we simply can’t let them disappear. Holly’s made it her life’s work in fact. That’s why we campaign for UK independents all year round.
On the shopping front, whether you’re looking to help bring out your art-loving niece’s inner Frida, a card to send an exhausted friend, or a way to let your personality shine through your home, this is a marketplace with a twist. The treasures you find here (as well as the artisans behind them), are original, filled with love and will make you proud to shop.
It’s often in those ‘lying in bed’ moments as we’re trying to fall asleep where we’re thinking about a friend who’s just lost her sister or a son who’s split up with his girlfriend — as well as the usual birthdays, weddings etc — but how do we show them? We’ve curated unique presents for unique people, for all occasions and niches, and even just for when you can’t find the words. We believe in making it easier to be thoughtful.
We’re pretty choosy here at Holly & Co and there are some very good reasons for that. We believe handmade is better — better for the planet, better quality, and better for the people who make a living carefully crafting. We’ll always favour lovely heirloom products over plastic tat — belongings that can be truly enjoyed and thoughtfully given.
There’s an old saying that every time you shop with a small business, a human does a happy dance. Yet it’s more than that. We often don’t see the boiler it’s helped service or the school books it’s bought, what it means to a founder to be able to stay in business or that someone cares enough about your craftswomanship to pay for it. That’s why we back independents — every order changes a life.
As avid shoppers ourselves, we like to keep things interesting. We’ve always known that we wanted to bring ‘Holly & Co — The Home of Small Business’ to life, and what better way to do that than with a real home? A home filled with products that you can not only shop our latest finds, but also where we will be joined by small businesses and special guests sharing their stories. You can’t visit in person (without a golden ticket), but we’ll be welcoming you in when Holly broadcasts from the house on Instagram.
At Holly & Co, we encourage everyone to show their values through their shopping. That might mean supporting underrepresented founders or makers, or looking into how something’s made, or of what. It’s a lot harder to win a race when someone’s tied your laces together and given the other runners a head start. That’s what it’s like for some founders. It’s a fact that being female, neurodiverse or Black for example, sets you back. We don’t think that’s fair so we created our badges so you can make informed choices.
From Gifting Thoughtfully and Living Creatively, to Thinking & Thriving and ideas on Shopping Purposefully, you’ll find all kinds of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing on our Inspiration Hub. From Holly’s take on topics close to your heart, imaginative ways to make the most of life or to shop by your values, interviews with people we admire or even just fresh ways to give brilliant gifts, it’s crackling with creativity to help you express yourself.
Since Holly started her podcast Conversations of Inspiration in 2019, we’ve shared hours of golden insight from famous brands, creatives and those who’ve ridden the white knuckle rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. Yet the lessons that emerged were nothing short of extraordinary; stories of bravery, resilience and utter failure — and more importantly, how they led to success.
We’re big believers in sharing what we know to help others. Whether you’re at the beginning of your business journey or are ready to grow, we give out honest, soulful business advice — not the facts you can necessarily find on Google but the precious lessons learned; what to do if you’re afraid of finance, how to work with family, why fear holds women back... From articles to IG LIVES, Holly and her industry experts can help — and it’s all jargon-free.
We truly believe that all good businesses start from around the kitchen table. An exciting conversation. A ‘what if?’ moment. We’re here to encourage as many people (especially women) as possible to have the confidence to just give it a go. You don’t need a business plan, just passion — the results can be life changing. If you feel like taking the leap, these ‘starting out’ business advice articles or Holly’s ‘Do what you love’ book might help.
They say it takes a village to raise a business, and we’re so grateful to be part of the best one in the world (slightly biased but true). Our small business community is driven by people who want to make a difference, who are courageously kind, who unite to banish worries and to lift each other up. We believe in Ubuntu’s philosophy of “I am because we are”. It gives us strength.
We know we need to make looking after our planet a priority. The good news is that more of us in the UK are now considering what we’re buying and the impact it makes. Choosing handmade products over plastic, buying heirloom items rather than disposable ones and supporting companies with greener practices all make a huge difference, which is why we worked hard to become a B Corp, balancing profit with principles.
For far too long, business has had a reputation for having cold, mostly male leaders, who’ve traditionally cared more about their wallets than they have for people, the planet and the future. Well, forget that. As a female led business, we’re here to forge a more positive path. We work hard for others, champion empathy and believe in the power of community. We are a thoughtful business. This will be our legacy.
