Supporting Slime Party UK’s move to a new manufacturing facility

What first started as a fleeting idea while Ruby Sheldon was helping her daughters make slime at home is now Slime Party, the largest retailer of sensory putties in the UK.

Slime Party initially started out hosting slime-making workshops in local village halls. These workshops, run by the founder, began to gain traction within the local community. Inspired by this success, Ruby created a social media page for the business. The page quickly gained a strong following, which helped the business attract new clients including well known businesses such as LADbible, Carmex and River Island.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Ruby had to put a stop to her in-person slime-making workshops. Undeterred, she transitioned her business to an online model. Ruby developed an e-commerce website and set up a manufacturing facility to produce and sell ready made putty and DIY slime kits, allowing her to continue serving her growing customer base.

This success brought its own challenges and Ruby and her team realised that they were fast outgrowing their small manufacturing facility and needed a much larger space that could support their growing manufacturing operation.

Ruby says:

The business has been successful over the last few years, and we had seriously outgrown our last manufacturing premises. We needed a space that would not only fit our business but also have room for us to grow.

Ruby managed to find a suitable space comprised of an office and an area to manufacture and store her goods. Ruby contacted the property owner and received the head of terms for the lease. As this was a substantial investment for the business, Ruby wanted to carry out some due diligence to make sure that the deal was fair and in her best interests.

After getting a personal recommendation to turn to Senior Commercial Property Solicitor, Rachel Jones, Ruby instructed her to review the landlord’s Heads of Terms for the premises. Rachel was able to highlight key aspects of the agreement and negotiated a reasonable set of terms that would work for Ruby.

Speaking about what it has been like working with Rachel, Ruby adds:

Having Rachel’s help has been invaluable. I’ve previously negotiated the property terms myself, but due to the complexities that came with leasing this property, I didn’t know where to start. Rachel went through the agreement with a fine-tooth comb and picked up on crucial aspects that I wouldn’t have noticed. There’s so much to think about while moving premises while still fulfilling orders and Rachel was great at putting my mind at ease throughout the process.

Commenting on working with Ruby, Rachel says:

It’s been fantastic working with Ruby on securing the premises for Slime Party UK, and her ambition to continue growing as a small business is amazing to see! I’m excited to continue working with Ruby and I’m looking forward to seeing how the business grows in the future.

As a subscriber to our Enterprise plan, Ruby and Slime Party benefits from one hour of legal advice per month, with access to our full spectrum of business legal services at discounted hourly rates. Ruby comments:

We’re recent customers of the Enterprise plan, but from our experience working with Rachel, I know that I can call on Harper James for any other legal work we may need as we’re constantly thinking of new ways we can grow the business.

After completing the move to its new manufacturing space, Slime Party was able to release its new range of putties, Putty Pals, which is now available on its website and in stores. Ruby also has plans to continue the business’s international expansion, with partnerships with retailers in Europe and the Middle East.