The story of Kerry Bilson and her company Letterbox Love is proof that determination, creativity, and a personal touch can turn a small side hustle into a million-pound business.
What started in 2020 with just £250 of savings, a few bracelets, and a laptop on her lounge floor is today a thriving jewellery brand stocked in hundreds of stores worldwide.
Within just three years, Letterbox Love hit £1 million turnover, a remarkable journey that shows how small beginnings can scale into big success.
The Beginning: A Pandemic Spark
Kerry was working as Virgin Atlantic cabin crew before the pandemic changed her life. Grounded and facing uncertainty, she wanted to create something meaningful and affordable that people could send instead of flowers or chocolates. With £250, she bought beads, string, a laptop, and a printer.
She started by crafting bracelets paired with thoughtful poems. Her first sale on Etsy was a moment she still recalls with emotion; she “cried her heart out” seeing someone choose her product. That early validation kept her going.
By the end of 2020, she had already launched around 70 different products, building momentum from her home in Derbyshire.
Taking the Leap: Quitting the Day Job
By January 2021, just a few months after launching, Kerry realized Letterbox Love was more than a side hustle; it was a viable business. Orders were coming in consistently through Etsy, and her website was beginning to gain traction.
After years of working in recruitment and cabin crew roles, she decided to take the plunge and quit her job to focus on building the brand full-time.
That decision was not easy. For many entrepreneurs, the biggest hurdle is leaving behind a steady paycheck and trading security for uncertainty. Kerry faced that exact challenge.
She had bills to pay, responsibilities to manage, and no guarantee that her jewellery business would continue to grow. But she believed in her products, and the response from customers was clear: people loved them.
Her husband, Liam, soon made the same leap. A construction worker by trade, he left his own career to join the business full-time, handling accounts, logistics, and operational tasks while Kerry focused on creativity and brand building.
Together, they became a husband-and-wife team steering a brand from their living room to the wider market.
The risk proved worthwhile. In its very first full year, Letterbox Love achieved £50,000 in turnover, far surpassing the modest £30,000 Kerry initially set as her target. This early success confirmed that betting on themselves was the right move.
Revenue Growth Over Time
Kerry and Liam’s willingness to take risks and invest their time directly into the business paid off with remarkable financial growth.
| Year | Turnover | Notes |
| Year 1 (2021) | £50,000 | Surpassed initial goal; Kerry transitioned full-time into the business. |
| Year 2 (2022) | £250,000 | Fivefold increase; Liam joined full-time, accelerating operations. |
| Year 3 (2023) | £1,000,000 | Over 500,000 bracelets sold; catalogue grew to 300+ items; stocked in major retailers. |
This trajectory is unusual in retail, where many small jewellery startups struggle to move beyond hobby-level sales. For Kerry, hitting £1 million in turnover within three years was not just growth, but exponential scaling.
Scaling Up: From Etsy to Global Retail
The first step after Etsy was building a direct-to-consumer website. This allowed Kerry to control the customer experience, brand storytelling, and margins, rather than relying solely on a third-party platform. Word-of-mouth, social media, and repeat purchases helped build a loyal base.
Soon, Letterbox Love expanded beyond online-only sales. Within three years, the brand’s products were stocked in over 500 stores worldwide.
A significant milestone came when Clintons, one of the UK’s most recognizable card and gift retailers, began selling Letterbox Love jewellery. For a small, family-run brand, that was proof they had entered the mainstream gift market.
At the same time, Kerry continued to expand her product line. What started with a handful of bracelet designs paired with thoughtful poems grew into a catalogue of 300+ products. Customers could choose from single bracelets, sets including earrings, and seasonal or occasion-specific gifts.
This is also where the brand experimented with new keepsakes, like personalized keychains, which fit seamlessly into its mission of offering affordable, sentimental items people could send through the post.
The mix of jewellery and small customisable gifts gave customers more choice while reinforcing Letterbox Love’s reputation for thoughtful presents.
Price positioning was strategic. With bracelets starting at £8.99 and matching sets at around £19.99, Letterbox Love kept its products accessible to everyday buyers while still maintaining healthy profit margins. This balance between affordability and quality became a cornerstone of the brand’s appeal.
Challenges Along the Way
Despite the rapid rise, Kerry has been candid about the obstacles. Growth brings pressure, and for Letterbox Love, the last 18 months were especially tough.
Rising material costs and global supply chain issues meant higher overheads, while the jewellery and gift sector became increasingly crowded with competitors trying to imitate her style and price point.
On top of that, small businesses in the UK faced uncertainty from changing government policies and shifts in consumer spending patterns. Kerry described this period as “without question, the hardest we’ve ever faced.”
What made the difference was adaptability. Instead of cutting corners or scaling back,
- Innovation – Regularly launching new designs and seasonal collections to keep customers excited.
- Customer engagement – Listening to buyer feedback, refining packaging, and emphasizing the personal touch.
- Brand building – Expanding across multiple sales channels, from their own website to wholesale partnerships, reducing reliance on one source of income.
By keeping the brand fresh and responsive to customer needs, Letterbox Love weathered the storm and maintained its growth trajectory.
Lessons From Kerry’s Success
Kerry Bilson’s journey shows that scaling a small idea into a million-pound brand requires more than just luck. It takes courage, consistency, and customer focus.
Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs
| Lesson | What Kerry Did |
| Start small and test ideas | Launched with £250, simple products, and direct customer feedback. |
| Reinvent during crises | Turned a pandemic layoff into a business opportunity. |
| Focus on affordability | Kept products under £20 to appeal to everyday buyers. |
| Scale strategically | Expanded from Etsy to global retailers step by step. |
| Build a support system | Brought her husband into the business to share skills. |
Conclusion
Letterbox Love is more than jewellery. It is a brand that connects people with thoughtful, affordable gifts at times when words alone are not enough. Kerry Bilson’s success story shows that even with limited resources, a strong vision and determination can create extraordinary results.
From a lounge floor in Derbyshire to a million-pound turnover, Kerry’s journey proves that small beginnings are not a barrier; they are the foundation of some of the best entrepreneurial stories.
Read more: Check out our article on Sam Tallent, a talented comedian, author, and media figure, reaching the top with his net worth!
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