We'd like to introduce you to Starting Up Saturday Alumni Tanya Hames, Founder of Guernsey business Perfect Sanctuary. We met Tanya at our Starting Up Saturday bootcamp in 2023 and were excited to see how her entrepreneurial journey has progressed in the following months.

Perfect Sanctuary helps home and business owners take charge of the energy in their space using the power of Feng Shui to transform their residential and commercial spaces. If you have ever felt that your office or home space has felt cluttered or lacklustre, then you might need Tanya's expert eye to rework your space!

In this article, we hear what Tanya took away from the Starting Up Saturday business bootcamp, her experience that day and her plans for the future.

Hello Tanya! Please tell us more about your business Perfect Sanctuary

Perfect Sanctuary is a unique Feng Shui and lifestyle company which uses the power of the ancient science of Feng Shui to transform your residential and commercial spaces to create optimal environments for you, your family or your teams.

Your space, whether it is your home or your work environment, is a direct reflection of your life. We show individuals how to improve their lives by improving relevant sectors in their space. We create spaces that appeal to and soothe, the subconscious mind.

Perfect Sanctuary uses a combination of Feng Shui techniques centring around the Chinese five-element cycle as well as focusing on aligning magnetic directions. Biophilic design and home staging principles are also incorporated into every project.

In Asia, a Feng Shui property or office survey is as common as a structural survey. Companies like Google, Disney, Hilton Hotels, Nike etc and people like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Oprah Winfrey, use Feng Shui, not because they are “spiritual” but because they know it is good for themselves and their companies. They know it increases sales and creates optimal environments where they and their team members thrive.

Perfect Sanctuary offers a wide and diverse range of services in Guernsey, London and further afield by Zoom consultation.

Our services include: Decluttering and organising, preparing your property to sell, selecting a plot, property, or office, organising your home office or office according to best magnetic directions, decorating your home or office using the principles of the five elements and so on.

We conduct many workshops and events where people in Guernsey can learn to work on their property or office themselves.

"The bootcamp certainly motivated me to really 'go for it' as it showed me that there are so many talented entrepreneurs in Guernsey who think outside the box and have come up with exciting business propositions too."

You began your entrepreneurial journey on the Starting up Saturday Bootcamp, what learning from the bootcamp have you implemented into your business?

I learned so much from a business perspective at the bootcamp. The team at Digital Greenhouse provided so many relevant insights and was a treasure trove of information.

It was so helpful to be coached by the facilitator on how to polish up my 5-minute “elevator pitch” about my business with the other entrepreneurial participants providing support. This activity has really enhanced my presentation skills and continues to inform my client pitches.

Working through all the technical and procedural issues from the Business Essentials Canvas that are associated with starting up a business was certainly useful. This gave me peace of mind that I had not overlooked any key technical or compliance issues. The technical help in understanding key issues like Data Protection was invaluable for my business.

How has taking part in the bootcamp impacted your entrepreneurial journey?

The bootcamp certainly motivated me to really “go for it” as it showed me that there are so many talented entrepreneurs in Guernsey who think “outside the box” and have come up with exciting business propositions too, and this can only be good news for the local economy.

It enabled me to build connections with Digital Greenhouse team members and other entrepreneurs. They could be used as a “sounding board”, they were so positive and encouraging, offering useful advice and suggestions to really craft my final business idea. It is fantastic to have access to experts at the Digital Greenhouse who are always accessible and on hand to answer any questions.

Looking to the future, what is in store for Perfect Sanctuary?

My aim for Perfect Sanctuary is to continue to build a diverse customer base by spreading the word through my popular public presentations, workshops, and media articles (see En Voyage Aurigny magazine). My aim is to finish my book entitled: “Stop Scrolling and Start Feng Shui-ing” which will be a good advertising tool for Perfect Sanctuary.

In general, my aim is to continue to give individuals access to the fantastic tool of Feng Shui as well as biophilic design principles which will help more people in our community improve their lives in a fun and interactive way.

We are currently branching out more into the world of coaching on Inner Feng Shui for business professionals by popular demand. We also will be running more presentations and events on popular topics requested by customers, for example, more events will be tabled on Manifesting and Dressing for Business Success harnessing Feng Shui principles.

What are your words of advice for early-stage founders?

Step out of your comfort zone. Network as much as possible as it can be a lonely journey. Ask for advice as you will be surprised how many people will be as excited as you by your idea and want to get involved. Don’t wait for external validation from others. If you can imagine this business idea in your mind, then you can create it with your energy. Trust in your intuition and the universe. Read my article in Aurigny’s En Voyage magazine, issue 33, for tips on how to harness the power of the year of the Yang Wood Dragon energy in 2024. We are entering into Period 9 in Chinese metaphysics which is a new 20-year cycle, represented by the Fire element. This is a great time for women to step out of the shadows into the spotlight and make a great success of their business ideas. Onwards and upwards!

It was so encouraging to meet and brainstorm with like-minded entrepreneurs and it is fabulous that there are so many talented and energetic individuals in Guernsey.