STYLISA FoundHers October: Sarah Wilson-Gibbons on Building a Business That Lasts
Starting a business is one thing. Building one that is still here 16 years later is another.
Sarah Wilson-Gibbons is the founder of Hey Little Cupcake, the Manchester-born business she started from her home kitchen before taking the leap into a physical space in Spinningfields. Since then, the business has become part of Manchester’s independent business landscape, but what interested me about Sarah’s story wasn’t simply how Hey Little Cupcake started. I wanted to understand what it takes to keep building. Because longevity brings a different set of lessons.
Sarah has navigated growth, changing consumer behaviour, Covid, rising costs and all the uncertainty that comes with running an independent business. Along the way, she has also had to evolve from someone driven primarily by creativity into a founder equally comfortable thinking about margins, staffing, finance and strategy.
In this STYLISA FoundHers interview, Sarah talks about the relationship between creativity and commercial discipline, knowing when to say no, how Manchester has shaped her journey and why her definition of success has changed. Perhaps most importantly, she reminds us that building something successfully isn’t always about making it bigger.
Sometimes, it is about building something that lasts.
Why This Conversation Matters
We hear a lot about starting businesses. We hear about launches, funding rounds, rapid growth and the moment an idea becomes something real. We talk far less about what happens after that.
Building a business for 16 years requires a different kind of entrepreneurship. You have to respond to changing markets, changing customers, economic uncertainty and your own evolution as a founder. You have to know what to change, but also what is worth protecting. That is why Sarah’s story matters.
STYLISA FoundHers exists to give women the opportunity to talk honestly about what they are building, but also to create conversations from which other women and girls can learn. Sarah’s experience gives us an opportunity to look at entrepreneurship through the lens of longevity rather than simply growth. There is also something important about documenting businesses that are being built outside London. Manchester has a thriving community of founders, creatives and independent businesses contributing to the identity and economy of the city.
Talent and entrepreneurship exist everywhere. The stories we choose to tell should reflect that.
Hey Little Cupcake has become part of Manchester’s story over the past fifteen years. When you look back, what do you think has been the biggest reason people have continued to connect with the brand?
I think the biggest reason people have connected with Hey Little Cupcake is because it has always been about more than cake. From the very beginning, the business was created to make people smile and create moments of happiness.
The first ever cupcakes I made were actually to cheer up a friend who was having a difficult time, and that feeling has stayed at the heart of everything we do. Whether someone is buying a cupcake for a birthday, celebrating a wedding, bringing treats into the office or joining one of our classes, there is always an emotional connection behind it.
People have seen our journey, from a small kitchen business to a Manchester bakery, and I think they appreciate that we have grown while keeping our personality, creativity and independent spirit. We are still a team of real people who care deeply about what we create and the experiences we give our customers.
Manchester has evolved enormously since you launched the business. In what ways has the city shaped your journey as a founder, and what do you think makes Manchester such an exciting place to build a business today?
Manchester has been hugely influential in our story. It is a city that celebrates creativity, independence and people who are brave enough to try something different.
When I started Hey Little Cupcake, Manchester was already changing, but the transformation over the last 15 years has been incredible. We have seen new communities, neighbourhoods and independent businesses appear, creating such a strong sense of pride and identity.
Manchester has always felt like a city where small businesses can have a voice. There is a real appetite to support local brands, and I think people genuinely care about the stories behind the businesses they buy from.
What makes Manchester exciting today is the mix of ambition and community. It’s a city that wants to grow but still values the independent businesses that make it unique.
Every founder makes decisions that quietly change the trajectory of their business. Looking back, is there one decision that stands out as having the biggest impact on where Hey Little Cupcake is today?
Without a doubt, opening our first shop in Spinningfields was a defining moment.
Before that, Hey Little Cupcake was built from a home kitchen and through markets and events. Taking the step into a physical space was a huge risk, but it allowed people to experience the brand properly.
The Spinningfields team believed in our vision and gave us an opportunity when we were still a start up business. That decision gave us a home, allowed us to build a team and created the foundation for everything that followed.
It proved to me that sometimes you have to take a leap before you feel completely ready.
Equally, has there ever been an opportunity that looked exciting on paper, but you knew instinctively wasn’t the right fit? What did that decision teach you?
Yes, definitely. Over the years there have been opportunities that looked exciting financially or appeared to offer quick growth but instinctively didn’t feel aligned with who we were. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that not every opportunity is the right opportunity. Growth for the sake of growth can sometimes take you away from the reason you started in the first place.
I have learned to trust my instincts more and ask whether something supports our values, our team and our customers. Saying no can sometimes be just as important as saying yes.
Creativity sits at the heart of Hey Little Cupcake, but every successful business also needs commercial discipline. How have you balanced those two sides of leadership over the years?
This has probably been one of the biggest challenges of running a creative business.
The creative side is the reason people love Hey Little Cupcake — coming up with new flavours, designs and experiences is what keeps us exciting. But creativity alone doesn’t pay the bills, so you have to learn the commercial side too.
Over the years I have had to become comfortable looking at numbers, margins, staffing, costs and strategy, even when my natural instinct is to focus on the creative. The balance comes from understanding that commercial discipline actually protects creativity. A strong business gives you the freedom to keep creating.
Many people only ever see the finished product. What’s something about building a business that you wish more people understood?
I wish people understood how much happens behind the scenes.
They see the beautiful cake or the finished cupcake, but they don’t see the early mornings, the planning, the problem solving, the staffing challenges, the financial decisions and the constant responsibility of making sure everything keeps moving.
Running a business is incredibly rewarding, but it is also a huge commitment. You are never really “off”. Every decision ultimately comes back to you. However, the moments when you see someone’s face light up because of something your team has created make all those challenges worthwhile.
Running a business for more than fifteen years inevitably changes you. In what ways has entrepreneurship changed you as a person?
It has made me much more resilient and confident.
When I started Hey Little Cupcake, I was passionate and creative, but I didn’t necessarily see myself as a business leader. Over time, I have had to develop skills I never expected — managing people, making difficult decisions, negotiating, understanding finance and leading through uncertainty.
Entrepreneurship has also taught me patience. Not everything happens quickly, and sometimes the biggest achievements come from simply continuing when things are difficult.
When people talk about success, the conversation often centres on growth. Has your own definition of success changed since you first started the business?
Absolutely. When I started, success was about growing, getting bigger and proving that the idea could work. Now, success feels much broader. It is about creating something sustainable, having a positive impact, supporting my team and building a business that I am proud of.
Of course, growth is still important, but it is no longer the only measure. Success is also about the experiences we create, the people we help and the memories we become part of.
Looking back over the past fifteen years, was there ever a moment when you genuinely questioned whether to keep going? If so, what helped you move forward?
There have been many moments where running a business has been challenging, especially through events like Covid, rising costs and the uncertainty that many small businesses have faced.
There have been times when I questioned the future and wondered what the right path was.
What kept me moving forward was remembering why I started. Hey Little Cupcake has always been about bringing happiness to people, and seeing the reaction from customers, the passion of my team and the community we have built reminded me that it was worth continuing.
What excites you most about the future, both for Hey Little Cupcake and for yourself as a founder?
The future feels like an exciting new chapter.
After 16 years, we are looking at how we evolve the business while keeping everything people love about Hey Little Cupcake. We want to create more experiences, bring baking to more people and continue building our community.
I’m excited about creating a future that is not just about selling cakes, but about inspiring people through creativity, learning and connection.
Away from the business, what brings you the greatest sense of fulfilment, and why is it important to protect that alongside running a company?
Family and creating memories outside of work are incredibly important to me.
Running a business can easily become all-consuming, so protecting time away from it is essential. Being present with family, experiencing new things and remembering there is life beyond the business helps keep perspective.
I think being a better founder also means being a whole person, not just someone who works constantly.
If someone met you for the first time tomorrow, what do you hope they would remember about you beyond the business you have built?
I would hope they remember that I genuinely care.
I care about my team, my customers, Manchester and creating something positive. I think that comes through in everything I do, because for me, Hey Little Cupcake has always been about much more than just selling cake.
Businesses are built by people, and I hope people see the passion, kindness and determination behind Hey Little Cupcake — but also the person behind the business. I’m a pretty ordinary person who loves what I do, but when I’m not working, my happy place is very simple: sitting in my garden with my boys and our cats. That’s when I’m happiest and most myself.
Finally, what are your three pieces of advice for women and girls who want to build something of their own?
Believe in your idea, even before everyone else does. The biggest risk is often never trying.
Don’t wait until you feel completely ready. You learn by doing. Every founder starts somewhere, and confidence comes from experience.
Build something that feels true to you. Trends change, challenges come and go, but having a strong purpose and knowing why you started will keep you moving forward.
STYLISA FoundHers Takeaways
Longevity requires evolution
Starting something takes courage, but keeping it going requires the ability to adapt. A business can evolve without abandoning the values and characteristics that made people connect with it in the first place.
Commercial discipline creates creative freedom
Creativity and commercial thinking are not opposites. Understanding margins, costs, staffing and strategy can provide the foundations that allow creative businesses to keep creating.
Growth is not automatically progress
Not every opportunity deserves a yes. Founders need to understand whether an opportunity serves the business they are trying to build rather than pursuing growth simply because it is available.
Sometimes you have to move before you feel ready
Opening the first Hey Little Cupcake shop was a significant risk, but it changed the trajectory of the business. Readiness does not always arrive before opportunity.
Success can change as you do
Growth may be an important measure of success, but it does not have to be the only one. Sustainability, impact, people, pride and the quality of what you are building matter too.
Leadership is something you can grow into
Sarah did not initially see herself as a business leader. Entrepreneurship required her to develop skills in finance, negotiation, people management and decision-making. Leadership is not always where a founder starts.
Place Matters
Businesses do not exist separately from the communities around them. Manchester’s combination of ambition, creativity and support for independent businesses has played an important role in the Hey Little Cupcake story.
Remember the person behind the founder
Building a business can become all-consuming. Protecting relationships, interests and a life beyond work is not separate from being a founder. It can help provide the perspective needed to continue.
STYLISA FoundHers Glossary: October Edition
Because understanding the language is half the battle.
Commercial Discipline: Managing the practical financial and operational parts of a business, including costs, margins, staffing and strategy, so that it can remain viable.
Margin: The difference between what a product or service costs a business to provide and the amount it earns from selling it.
Independent Business: A business that is independently owned rather than being part of a larger corporate chain or group.
Sustainable Growth: Growth that a business can realistically support over time without undermining its finances, people, values or operations.
Stratgy: The choices and decisions a business makes about where it wants to go and how it intends to get there.
Brand: More than a logo or visual identity, a brand includes the reputation, values, personality and experiences people associate with a business.
A massive thank you to Sarah Wilson-Gibbons, for agreeing to be interviewed and becoming a part of the STYLISA FoundHers community. If you’re interested in finding out more about her work:
Discover Hey Little Cupcake
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
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