Faye had trained to be a lawyer but decided it was going to be too dull. This has not been the case since she joined The Inkdrop, selling own -brand printer cartridges and other computer consumables.

After a nervous start the partners are now both totally confident in their roles. Faye (29) looks after the shop and the business side, while Nathan concentrates on telesales and building the commercial base. Now at the end of their second year of trading, they report turnover has nearly doubled to £300,000 and they have maintained the gross profit margin at over 50 per cent.

The business has reached the point where they have to take on a manager to run the retail shop to give them both the chance to grow their commercial customer base and further develop their existing customers. They are now discussing their next goal with The Inkdrop's Franchise Manager, which is to achieve a turnover of £500,000 next year and maintain their gross profit margin.

"We could not have reached the turnover that we have if we were not selling quality products and did not receive the support of The Inkdrop," states Faye. "We are excited about the future and confident of reaching our goals."