A Perfect Fit: Amanda Jane Bra Fitting
When Amanda Hewson left her career as a therapy radiographer, she wasn't planning to start a business. But a simple realisation that finding a comfortable, well-fitting bra shouldn't be such a challenge sparked an idea that would lead her down a new path.
A More Personal Way to Find the Right Fit
After stepping away from a successful NHS career 12 years ago to focus on raising her family, Amanda's priorities were firmly centred on her children. Her healthcare career included roles as a therapy radiographer at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care at the Freeman Hospital and the Royal Marsden in London. However, as her children grew older, so did her desire to focus on herself, build something of her own and explore new opportunities for the future.
The idea for her business grew from both personal frustration and a defining moment. After struggling to find a good bra-fitting service locally in the Newcastle area, Amanda booked a professional fitting during a trip to London. The experience was eye-opening. She quickly realised the difference that expert advice and personalised attention could make to a woman's confidence and self-esteem.
When she shared her experience with friends, she discovered she was far from alone. Many women voiced similar frustrations, with drawers full of uncomfortable bras, countless online options that felt overwhelming, and little time to visit a specialist store.
The conversations sparked an idea. By combining her passion for women's health and wellbeing with a high-quality, convenient and personal bra-fitting service, Amanda saw an opportunity to support women in a new way. Rather than expecting busy women to find time for the high street, she decided to bring a tailored and supportive bra-fitting experience directly to them.
From Healthcare to Business Owner
Having the passion and the idea was one thing, but turning years of NHS experience into a commercial business brought a whole new set of challenges. Amanda had spent her professional life in healthcare, and areas such as finance, marketing, pricing and business planning were completely unfamiliar territory. Alongside this was a lack of confidence and the daunting question many aspiring entrepreneurs face: was she starting over too late in life?
The turning point came through her local running group in Hexham. After chatting with the group's leader, who had recently launched her own business, Amanda was introduced to PNE through the Enterprising North service. Taking that first step gave her access to the support, expertise and encouragement she needed to turn her vision into reality.
Through the Enterprising North service, Amanda was paired with PNE Business Advisor Shirley Wilson, who helped turn her initial ideas into a clear, structured business plan and guided her through the financial realities of starting a business.
“One of the biggest influences on me was the support and encouragement I received from my mentor, Shirley Wilson. Her advice was simple but really powerful: keep going, believe in my idea, and understand that there will be ups and downs. This was particularly important when I was facing challenges getting lingerie brands to supply me. Shirley helped me stay focused and not give up when things didn’t always go to plan.
When it came to marketing, PNE's Marketing Specialist Maria provided valuable support in navigating the digital landscape. Despite initially feeling she might be "too old" for social media, Amanda was introduced to platforms such as Instagram and Linktree, giving her the skills, confidence and practical tools needed to connect with potential customers.
"Maria also had a huge impact on me. She was incredibly encouraging and introduced me to so many new ideas, particularly around marketing and social media. Before meeting Maria, I sometimes felt that I was too old to embrace things like Instagram and other digital platforms. She never made me feel that way. Instead, she supported me every step of the way and gave me the confidence to try new things. After every meeting with Maria, I came away feeling motivated and energised about the next step. Both Shirley and Maria helped me believe in myself and my business idea, and their encouragement has made a real difference to my confidence.”
Without this tailored guidance, navigating the world of small business finance, pricing and digital marketing would have been a daunting prospect. Instead, the support helped Amanda replace uncertainty with confidence, giving her the tools and encouragement to move her business forward with a real can-do mindset.
Preparing for Launch and Looking Ahead
In a relatively short space of time, what began as conversations with friends has grown into a fully operational business. Ahead of her official launch, Amanda has already established relationships with reputable bra brands, secured supplier agreements and started taking bookings from clients eager to benefit from her service.
“Amanda is inspiring, proactive and highly experienced, with the skills and compassion to support women who have undergone major breast surgery. It has been a pleasure to support her through her self-employment journey” Shirley Wilson PNE Business Advisor
In September, Amanda will complete specialist post breast cancer bra-fitting training delivered in collaboration with Cancer Research UK. This will enable her to become part of the Better Bras After Breast Cancer campaign and community, further strengthening the specialist expertise at the heart of her business. The training will also help her provide informed, sensitive support to women during and after breast cancer treatment.
Looking ahead, Amanda's goal is to build a trusted and sustainable brand across the region, while developing relationships with leading suppliers to offer an extensive range of styles and sizes. Above all, she remains focused on delivering a personal and empowering experience that leaves women feeling comfortable, supported and confident.
“My advice would be to start by believing in your idea and taking it one step at a time. It can feel overwhelming at first, but you don't need to have everything figured out straight away. Do your research, understand your customers, make a clear plan, and don't be afraid to ask for help or advice. For me, getting support has helped me turn my idea into something real and given me more confidence to move forward.”
Looking back on her journey, her biggest lesson has been simple: believe in yourself, act, and don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you start.
“I would definitely recommend PNE and the Enterprising North Service to anyone thinking about starting their own business. The support, guidance and encouragement have helped me develop my business idea and understand the steps I need to take to move forward. It has given me greater confidence in myself and my business and has shown me that I don't have to do everything on my own.”
Find out more about the business here: https://linktr.ee/amanda.j.brafitting
Amanda will also be delivering corporate women’s wellbeing and education sessions, helping organisations provide practical, inclusive support for women in the workplace. Her upcoming engagements include a session with Atom Bank on 15 October.
Enterprising North
The Enterprising North service is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and brings together business support providers from across the region to provide expert advice, guidance and exciting opportunities to help turn your business idea or early-stage venture into a reality.
Partners working together to deliver the Enterprising North Service are: The Millin Charity, North East BIC, Project North East, Rural Design Centre, TEDCO Business Support, The King’s Trust, Enterprise Made Simple, NBSL, UMI, FIRST and Transmit.
What Support is available:
- Access 1-to-1 support and e-learning, led by experienced business advisers.
- Interactive and informative workshops hosted online and in your local area.
- We provide tailored business support and mentoring within your local community.
- Legitimising your side hustle.
- Intensive support to the pre start Retail and High Growth sectors.
- Enterprising sessions within the Further and Higher Education settings.
Whatever your business idea, if you are based in Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside or Northumberland, this programme is for you!
If you are interested in finding out more, please email enquiries@pne.org
