Case Study: Getting into 'The Zone' with Lauren Caffrey

Growing up in an entrepreneurial household, Lauren Caffrey has had business on her mind from a young age. Passionate about fitness, she took the knowledge gained from 4 years work experience to open her own gym, offering personalised fitness and nutrition plans.

Hoping to make the start-up journey run as smoothly as possible; she joined the Enterprise Hub programme. We caught up with Lauren to find out how she has doubled her turnover in just under a year and how adapting her business model has helped her reach more clients…

Lauren Caffrey, Founder of The Zone

Starting a business at age of 21 was an easy decision to make for Lauren Caffrey.

Eager to gain experience straight from school, she became a personal trainer at a local gym, building on her fitness knowledge and eventually gaining a client base that would allow her to go it alone.

She opened The Zone PT in 2019 to an influx of excited clients, completing 60 sessions per week with the help of her friend Emily, also a personal trainer.  

Lauren told us: “The sessions were so successful from the beginning, that 2 months into the gym opening I had to start thinking about how what I could do to not turn clients away – this is when I decided to start online training sessions”

The introduction of the “7-week shred” meant that The Zone was able to continue to support those looking to change their lifestyle and eating habits, whilst maintaining a full schedule at the gym.

With over 300 enquiries within the first two months, she decided it was time to streamline the structure of the business to avoid becoming overwhelmed. She was introduced to The Women’s Organisation by her mum, who 20 years prior had also accessed their business support services to launch her own business.

Lauren’s first meeting was with her business adviser Carole – who helped her organise the structure of the business and see the potential growth opportunities she could work towards.

“Carole helped me look at my next steps and ways I could start to properly manage the business and clients I was getting in.

I did a few social media courses that has helped me understand the in’s and outs of promoting a business online to increase your audience”

Attending courses and regular meetings helped the business meet achievable targets and grow, with advice around taking on staff, dealing with client growth and loans that would be available to the business to help them go further.

Like many businesses across the world, the effects of COVID-19 mean that The Zone are now unable to offer their 1-2-1 services in person for the time being. To ensure the business can still operate, Lauren has introduced live workouts on Instagram – collaborating with other brands to help increase their audience. These free workouts have helped to promote the brand, bringing in 2000 new followers and paving the way for potential clients in the future.

So, how has the Enterprise Hub support impacted the business?

Lauren told us: “My turnover has practically doubled since getting more advice around the structure of my business. I have also been working on fixing little tweaks in the business I did not know need fixing until I started this programme.

The support has given me the skills to reach a wider audience and has taught me how to handle taking on more clients. My business now has a professional feel with the addition of a new website, something I didn’t think I needed before”

The Zone has only been open for under a year but has already achieved more than expected for a small start-up business. Lauren is now looking at moving into a bigger premise and is increasing the number of personal trainers in the business.

“Since coming to The Women’s Organisation I have been a lot more confident knowing that if I get stuck, I can always get help from my business adviser Carole. It really is a great community that keeps you motivated by seeing how ambitious all the other women starting businesses are”

and her final words for anyone thinking about starting or growing a business:

“I’m not finished here yet; I’ve been open under a year and I’m already looking at expanding. If you have an idea in mind, do not give up until you get it!

The Zone has just launched an app with lots of helpful information, exercise demonstrations, workout plans & healthy recipes.

To find out more about The Zone, you can contact Thezonept@outlook.com. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.

If you have been inspired by Laurens’ story and would like to see how Enterprise Hub can help you grow your new business, then get in touch with us. Email hello@thewo.org.uk 

Natasha Whips Up Gluten-Free Goodness for Liverpool with The Gildergreen

Having lived a gluten-free lifestyle for five years, Natasha wanted to use her passion for baking to show people that eating gluten-free doesn’t have to compromise on taste and quality. 

Natasha inherited a love for baking cakes through her mum and grandparents, but a change in diet meant that she had to rethink how she prepared food and the ingredients she so often used: “I started to research the science behind gluten and what steps you had to take to recreate the properties. I experimented with my own flour mixes and eventually started to make delicious cakes again.”

Feeling unhappy in her office job and with the support of her family, Natasha decided that setting up a business was now or never.

The business-planning process made Natasha feel slightly overwhelmed, but after contacting The Women’s Organisation, Business Adviser Jo Mountfort helped to simplify the process and break it down into small tasks: “I started to feel really excited, motivated and believed that I really could do this.”

Jo helped Natasha to streamline her idea through regular meetings and access to training and courses: “Enterprise Hub has provided me with countless resources, spreadsheets and tools. Jo has been incredibly helpful, I come out of every meeting feeling empowered”.

Used to working in an office environment, Natasha considered herself a hard-worker and good at time-managing but worried about being the only person responsible for her own success – would she be as motivated under her own leadership?

But motivated, she was.

The Gildergreen is a gluten free bakery that sells fresh handmade cakes online and to local businesses. All cakes are made to order and catered to the customers vision, what Natasha believes is more special and unique than supermarket-bought treats.

Natasha told us it’s early days, but she is slowly and surely building up her social media presence and building the Gildergreen brand. She has several regular stockists including a space at Woolton Farmers Market and the university square farmers market who are keeping her busy. Natasha has most recently launched an online cake subscription service, sending out monthly letterbox-friendly selection of bakes alongside tea sourced from The Liverpool Tea Warehouse.

Now running her own business, Natasha is proud of the journey she’s taken to reach today and is relishing having the freedom to make her own decisions and work at her own pace.

And what does the future hold for Natasha? As the gluten-free industry continues to develop with variety, Natasha hopes to fly the flag for gluten-free treats across Merseyside and beyond.

She said: “I hope to have stalls at festivals and markets throughout the summer. Do come and have a taste of the Gildergreen bakes – even if you aren’t gluten free, you may be surprised!”

Natasha added: “The support from The Women’s Organisation has been invaluable and I don’t know what I would have done without it!”

If you'd like to try out Natasha's desserts, head to here website: www.thegildergreen.co.uk.

If you'd like to contact Natasha directly, email: info@thegildergreen.co.uk

You can also keep up with everything Gildergreen through Facebook or Instagram!

Lavender and Bone brings 'quirky but quality' gift shop to New Brighton

“Exquisite oddities, divine ends, beautiful bits and precious pieces” – that’s what you’ll find at New Brighton’s family run gift shop, Lavender and Bone.

An art teacher for 20 years, Esther Brooke became increasingly frustrated with working in education and aspired for a new career path. Her husband had long worked for himself and the ‘be your own boss’ lifestyle greatly appealed to her.

However, Esther had little experience in entrepreneurship: “I had no idea where or how to start, I just had a concept of what I wanted to achieve”.

After a friend recommended contacting The Women’s Organisation, Esther began working with our Business Adviser, Claire Pedersen, who helped her to refine what was just an idea and begin to turn it into a reality: “Being answerable to Claire encouraged me to get tasks – that I would have happily avoided – done. I learnt very quickly that there’s so much more to ‘selling lovely things in a lovely shop’.”

From here, Lavender and Bone was born. Based in the coastal town New Brighton, an area which has experienced drastic development in recent years, Lavender and Bone designs, creates and sources quality, quirky and fun items that make up its ‘gift emporium’.

Conveniently located opposite New Brighton station, Lavender and Bone is the perfect one-stop shop for the more delicate things in life; jewellery, blankets, crochet, ceramics, soaps, prints and more.

Just seven months into trading, Esther was diagnosed with Young Onset of Parkinson’s Disease. In such a challenging time “Having a tight support network of family and friends was essential in enabling the business to continue”. Her son took the lead in many aspects of the business which is a huge achievement and very rewarding as he lives with mild Asperger’s himself.

Having just celebrated the first birthday at Lavender and Bone they have already been planning for the future, they have set up an ecommerce and have imminent plans for expansion. It hasn’t been an easy ride and the first year included “sweat, tears and expletives but most of all there’s been fun".

Being her own boss is something Esther is valuing the most from being self-employed and calls herself “the best boss I’ve ever had.”

The local community has welcomed Lavender and Bone with open arms supporting what Esther is trying to achieve. Furthermore, the customers see the passion Esther has for the products she stocks, the attention to the detail and the mission behind the brand: “We won’t stock anything we don’t adore; that we wouldn’t wear or have in our own home. This makes us passionate and protective over our products and suppliers.”

Esther’s vision is what drove her to create Lavender and Bone and never give up, even when the challenge seemed daunting. When we asked Esther for a piece of advice for anyone else wanting to set up a business, she said: “Stay true to your vision/concept, there’s a reason why you did it.”

To find out more about Lavender and Bone head over to the website

If you’re thinking about starting a business, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to find out how we can support you.

From Manchester to New York: 'Making You Content' Talk Business Growth

With Manchester being the fastest growing city outside London for economic growth, Excelerate Labs is supporting businesses in Greater Manchester who are looking to reach the next level. Boasting a client base ranging from New York agencies to prestigious UK universities, we spoke to Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, Founder and Director of copy-writing agency Making You Content to find out all about her business growth journey.

Making You Content team

Graduating from university in 2014 with the desire to pursue copy-writing on a self-employed basis, Kelly had to start thinking about building that career path for herself. “I’d taken on a few freelance clients alongside my studies and realised that I was totally uninspired by graduate jobs. There weren’t many options presented by traditional paths, so I took my freelancing full time while I decided what to do next. I soon realised I was making the same amount from home as I would in a grad job, so dropped the search and put my focus on growing my own business.”

Choosing a name, investing in a logo and getting a website made, Making You Content was officially born. With the North West having no shortage of marketing agencies, we asked what made them stand out from the competition. “We focus purely on the written word. We bridge a gap between freelance copywriters and full-service marketing providers, helping brands identify their voice and grow through effective communication”

Making You Content is approaching it’s 5th birthday, a significant milestone for a business that started from a desktop computer in a bedroom. Now securing an eight-person strong team, you can now find them based in Manchester’s vibrant Northern Quarter with plans to grow further over the next 12 months. The growing business is just another thing to add to Kelly’s list of achievements with her being named as UK’s Young Freelancer of the year in 2015 by IPSE “This was a real launchpad for the business. It really raised my profile and gave me the confidence and credibility to push Making You Content forward”

Kelly spoke about the support they had received through the Excelerate Labs Programme. “I’ve been working with Mike, one of The Women’s Organisations Senior Business Advisers, on my business and growth plans over the past few months. It’s really useful talking through your challenges and opportunities with someone who has seen the same issues in countless other businesses and offer objective advice, support and signposting to point you in the right direction”

Finding the encouragement to build her business and generate new ideas, Kelly grew up in Yorkshire taking inspiration from her Grandad’s true honest graft and the 6 months she spent freelancing in South America, exploring new places and widening her horizons as a writer. 

Reflecting on her journey into business, Kelly has learned a thing or two about establishing her brand identity along the way: “When I started hiring, I tried to mould employees in my image, but quickly realised that having a variety of personalities who approach things in different ways is actually great for business. People buy people; if someone doesn’t ‘get’ me, they might really buy into someone else on the team. This has also helped us evolve the business from ‘Kelly copywriter’ to Making You Content as a brand people know and trust.”

So, what would Kelly’s key advice be for someone looking to grow a business? “Making You Content wouldn’t be where it is today without the amazing team I have around me. Investing my time and faith in people joining the business has definitely been key to its success. It’s hard to delegate in the early days – and often easier to just do it yourself – but in the long run you’ll reap the rewards of taking a patient approach to training up others around you.”

And to anyone thinking about setting up business in Manchester? “The North West is an exciting place to be at the moment. Manchester is evolving rapidly and gaining attention on a global scale. I’ve gained lots of inspiration from the business leaders around me. The great thing about this city is everyone makes time for each other. You never have to look far for role models you can relate to.” 

Before letting her go, we asked Kelly for any last words of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own business "I was very fortunate to start my business right at the beginning of my career, which has allowed me to dedicate all of my focus to making it a success. That’s why I really encourage young people interested in business to give it a go before they look to employment. Worst case scenario, they have a good story to tell in future job interviews".

You can learn more about our Making You Content's services and even copywriting itself over on the website and blog www.makingyoucontent.com, Kelly is open to a call or coffee with people interested in marketing and business as a whole. Drop her an email on kelly@makingyoucontent.com

Keep an eye out for lots more news from Making You Content over the coming months as they celebrate their fifth birthday! You can follow what they are up on LinkedIn and Twitter, or sign up to the newsletter for monthly updates from the team.

If you would like to benefit from the support received under the Excelerate Labs programme then please contact: exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk.

Catherine Brings L19 Chiropody to Garston Village 👍

Reaching a time in life when she wanted flexibility to fit her family life, Catherine Williams, a qualified podiatrist who had been working for 10 years with the NHS, rose to the challenge and opened her own podiatry/chiropody clinic business.

L19 Chiropody in Garston Village is a spacious ground floor shop fronted premise and specialises in routine and aesthetic podiatry treatments, such as; nail care, corns, foot health education, corns callous, treatment and diabetic foot screening. All treatments are carried out by Catherine who holds a BSc (hons) in Podiatry, is registered with the Health & Care Professional council and is a Member of the College of Podiatry.

Since opening in March 2018, Catherine’s clinic has proved popular with local people and is busy treating clients of all ages. It is the only Chiropodist in its location in Garston Village which has a close knit very active business community where everyone ardently supports one another to succeed.

When Catherine had the idea of starting up her business, she got in touch with ‘Enterprise Hub’, which is the Liverpool City Region’s project to help people start up businesses. She was put in touch with Janine Hyland, a Senior Business Adviser at the Women’s Organisation, who provided the know-how of how to go about setting up a business, as well as ongoing support around marketing, creating a business plan and access to training and events.

Catherine said: "I wouldn’t have had the courage and motivation to start up, also its good to know that I’m a new business, I can still access one to one support from Janine as well as attend workshops and join the Business Club."

For more information on L19 Chiropody check out the website, or call Catherine on 07597 055 775

If you’re thinking about starting a business, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to find out how we can support you.

‘Concept Corner’ Creates a Home for Wirral’s Artists and Artisans

Shopping local this Christmas has never been easier. Found in New Brighton, Concept Corner is home to a number of local independent businesses led by artists and artisans. Under this roof, you’ll discover an eclectic mix of luxury homemade jams and fudges to bespoke real wood plaques and vegan candles.

Hayley Matthews is the mastermind behind this new unique concept of high street store. After a lengthy career in the police force, Hayley was faced with redundancy and took the opportunity for a new beginning: “I was a police officer for 26 years and the job started to take its toll. I have children at home and I decided that the lifestyle that comes with being a police officer wasn’t for me anymore.”

After speaking to local creatives across Wirral, Hayley decided that area needed a space for makers to showcase their work. She dreamed of creating a supportive environment for quality local independent artists and artisans to trade and grow together under one roof in the heart of New Brighton.

With 25 years in the public service, Hayley didn’t know the first thing about starting a business: “as a police officer, I may be able to oversee football fans up and down the country, but writing a business plan felt like a whole different game – I didn’t know where to start!” 

Hayley sought business advice from The Women’s Organisation where she was supported under Enterprise Hub business start-up programme to begin working with Senior Business Adviser, Claire Pedersen. Claire helped Hayley create a business plan and apply for funding which would allow her to purchase a building in New Brighton to home Concept Corner – a big ask for a newly established business.

On supporting the campaign to ‘shop local’, Hayley said: “We have tried to create a welcoming space where there is something for everyone.  I think people are slowly going back to shopping local and appreciating the time and care independent artists put into their designs.”

Concept Corner currently has over 20 independent businesses working out of the space and has now expanded to deliver workshops. The shop boasts a busy diary offering everything from How to Boost Your Teenagers Confidence, Enhance your photography skills, Basic Sewing, Crochet and various upholstery Courses through to a yoga class for beginners and even business and marketing concepts.

Hayley is a Wirral-proud woman with a vested interest in supporting the local economy of New Brighton, Wirral’s seaside resort which has undergone a £60 million redevelopment scheme in more recent times. Hayley said: “I’m really proud to be based in New Brighton. It’s very cosmopolitan – you can feel the buzz in the area and the footfall coming through. When you shop at Concept Corner, it goes straight back into the local economy and that’s important for me.” 

Recognising the difficulties older people face in getting out to complete their Christmas shopping, Concept Corner now takes its art to the community running craft fairs and coffee mornings across Wirral making sure art is accessible for everyone.

And to mark a year of success, Hayley was awarded ‘Retail Business of the Year’ at The Women’s Organisation’s awards, Celebrating Enterprising Women. Nearly a year into her new business, Hayley said: “I love the building, the concept of the shop and meeting new people every day. I really believe in what I’m trying to do. I feel so proud coming to work every day. The shop is exactly how I envisioned it when I met with my business adviser all those months ago.”

To find out more about Concept Corner, head to the website or Facebook page.

If you’re thinking about starting a business, contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to find out how we can support you.

How bringing a new approach to the table supercharged business growth for Willows Financial Planning

Since leaving the fast-paced world of banking to set up his own financial advice service, Jonathan Causey hasn’t looked back. We worked with Jonathan under our New Markets 2 programme to set Willows Financial Planning on the path to business growth.

We sat down with Jonathan to find out how business is going and why surrounding himself with mentors has been key to his success.

Willows Financial Planning is an independent financial advice service modelled around good old-fashioned honesty. “Bespoke, honest, personalised service that always puts the client first, no matter what”, that’s what director Jonathan Causey says makes his business unique.

Having worked for some of the UK’s biggest banks for several years, Jonathan was growing tired of big corporates in an unrelenting industry. When he was made redundant in 2016 (along with 250 other colleagues), the time seemed right to set up his own business.

Using his own savings, Jonathan took the plunge and Willows Financial Planning Ltd was born. Adjusting from regular monthly pay cheques, to putting all his time, money and energy into making a self-sustaining business was one of the biggest challenges for Jonathan. But all a challenge that has all been worth it.

Today, Jonathan is responsible for over £12 million of client money.

The last two years has certainly seen an impressive level of growth for Willows Financial Planning and this can be put down to Jonathan’s stellar work ethic, staunch values and watertight business planning.

Working with our expert advisor Francine Taylor under the business growth programme, Jonathan was able to identity the strengths and weaknesses within his business. The pair worked closely to map them down and come up with a plan to build and improve on the business model moving forward.

Jonathan says that one of the main takeaways from his time with Francine was around his marketing and social media. He explains: “Francine helped me to understand how putting proper strategies in place is not only essential to attracting new clients and helping the business to grow, but also to reinforce what we do and build our brand values.”

Since working on our business growth programme, Jonathan has received regular, ongoing support and mentoring from our Enterprise Enabler, Ali McGrath.

Talking about the support he receives from Ali, Jonathan says: “We sit down every few months or so and discuss what is happening in the business and look at other things which I could be doing. The support I receive from Ali is amazing - she is such a massive asset to me.

“I think mentors are key to any business, whether you’re a start-up or established business. They can bring things to the table that you've never even thought of before but can totally turn your business around.”

Speaking to Jonathan its clear to see how proud he is of Willows Financial Planning and how far he’s come with the business. And with good reason.

His advice to anyone considering self-employment? “Never rest on your laurels. It’s harder than anyone will ever tell you, but it will also be the best thing you ever do! Calculate the risks, keep looking forward, work hard and make sure you’re structured.”

To find out more about Willows Financial Planning, visit the website here.

Jonathan received growth support through our New Markets 2 Programme, which is aimed at women who are running a business focussing on business to business activity in the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton) and who are ready to take their business to the next level, either by expanding their team or significantly increasing turnover.

For more information, contact us on hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111.

Baby E Coffee & Deli Brings 'Good Food and Good Vibes' to Liverpool's Commercial District

Descend the stairs into the basement of this iconic grade listed building and you’ll find Baby E; rustic exposed brick, towering ceilings, industrial-style beams and cellar windows that offer a snapshot into the lively and diligent business community of Liverpool’s Commercial District.

From living in London’s Bermondsey to Australia’s Melbourne, elements of Owner & Chef Lauren Clinton’s travels are visible in every aspect of Baby E Coffee & Deli. With the innovative branding and interior, the alternative menu and the overall vibe of this cool and quirky eatery, you could be anywhere.

So, what exactly is Baby E? It’s a bustling coffee and deli that serves all-day brunch and transforms into an intimate deli bar of an evening, proclaiming ‘good food and good vibes’ as it’s mantra. It’s one of those rare places that gracefully metamorphoses from morning to evening, and a place where both eggs benedict and coffee or wine and jazz are equally apt.

Like most entrepreneurs, Lauren has quite the story to tell. Completing her Business Management degree, she packed up and moved to Melbourne working in coffee shops and kitchens and simultaneously discovering where her real talent lay: “I was lucky enough to work with owners who let me design specials menus and introduce new tastes and flavours. It was in Australia where I realised my passion and knew that working in the food industry is what I have to be doing.”

Lauren moved back to her hometown and used her degree to begin a career in finance in order to fund her long-term ambition of owning and running, alongside her partner Chris, an eatery in Liverpool. Working in the iconic Liver Building, she meticulously analysed people’s lunchtime rituals (where they were eating, what they ate, how much they were willing to spend) to shape her eventual food offering and brand.

For nine months, Lauren weighed up venues on Castle Street, Wood Street and Bold Street realising the battle she was up against in burgeoning business rates for premises across Liverpool City Centre. It was only when walking home from work she came across a vacant space in grade listed The Temple building on Dale Street: “I spotted this venue by chance and straight off the bat I wanted it and knew it had to be mine. We pursued it and here we are.”

Late 2016, Lauren began working with Senior Business Adviser at The Women’s Organisation, Claire Pedersen, to get her business idea off the ground. The doors to Baby E officially opened in June this year, operated by Lauren and her partner Chris, as well as a small but extremely talented team of five: “the support from The Women’s Organisation was unbelievable. It was so helpful to bounce ideas back and forth to my business adviser, as she had worked with other aspiring and established food businesses and knew industry trends, what works and what doesn’t.”

A fervent lover of quality homemade food, Lauren tries to push the boundaries of her menu by putting a unique spin dishes. She has been inspired by delis and the nature of customers ‘picking and choosing’ what they want to eat. Baby E prides itself on serving, where possible, locally-sourced fresh ingredients delivered daily, meaning the menu will adapt to seasonally. Current menu customer favourites include: bangers & hash, shakshuka baked eggs, fluffy pancakes and pesto potatoes. Having travelled far and wide to find the right bean, Baby E also offers specialty sourced coffee from HasBean of Manchester and Lauren has invested time into training her baristas.

Lauren’s business idea evolved once she secured her premises: “the initial idea was a coffee shop that served all day brunch but when we took on a space of this calibre, I thought it would be a sin to shut the doors at 5pm. The idea of a deli and wine bar was born out of the nature of the premises”.

Baby E now caters to evening-socialisers offering a small but fine selection of wine, gin or beer to be enjoyed alongside a cheese board. Lauren and Chris are connoisseurs who have carefully selected a white and red wine to pair fantastically with the cheese and meat on offer. Now, having expanded to host live music including jazz nights, corporate bookings and offer an online ordering system, Lauren credits the company’s ‘openness to opportunities’ as her recipe for success.

With a degree in business management and a burning passion for homemade, hearty food, setting up her own food business was a venture surely written in the stars. As the business develops and grows, Lauren hasn’t lost sight of the reason she started out and her love of cooking: “I’m a business-owner, but my day-to-day role is a chef in the kitchen – it’s where I love to be.Being your own boss is the best and hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’m so proud of what me and my team have achieved. The best feeling is to go home every night knowing I’ve cooked and served people food they’ve enjoyed”.

Lauren is already looking to the future and, in the next two years, hopes to have a second venue in the pipeline. Her advice to aspiring-entrepreneurs? Lauren said: “You’re a fool if you go into a business thinking you know everything. I think it’s important to know your strong points, but also know your weaker points and get advice and support from Enterprise Hub to fill in those gaps.”

To find out more about Baby E, head to their website or follow them on Instagram.

And if you'd like to find out more about how our team can help you to start a business through our Enterprise Hub programme then call us on 0151 706 8111.

Making PR Sweet: How Social Sugar Thrive in The Industry

Combining 25 years industry experience in PR and the desire to run her own business, Lara Besbrode found herself moving back to the UK after years living overseas to become more actively involved in the rise of social media. Setting up Social Sugar, the PR and Digital Agency has seen an increase in turnover and expanded it's team since being established in 2016. 

Lara Besbrode, Managing Director of Social Sugar

Being a single parent to 3 children and finding herself as the sole bread winner to her family, Lara started looking at ways to get herself back in the UK job market but found herself not wanting to be tied down to employment or dedicated set hours due to childcare commitments. She turned these potential setbacks around and started to focus on the future she really wanted. 

“I’m proud that my personal life has not defined me and neither has my age and I have been able to build my business from nothing”

Focusing on building Social Sugar and looking for support to help grow, Lara received help from The Women’s Organisation through the Excelerate Labs programme. Programme Manager, Mike Marsden helped Lara to work on a strategy to start applying for agency and business awards, something which to date has been very useful for the business.

It’s been a busy year for Social Sugar who have recently joined the Central Manchester BNI and been nominated for ‘Social Media Presence of the Year’ by Downtown in Business: City of Manchester Business awards. Currently pitching for a lot of new exciting business accounts, they have already won PR for a national brand which helped them launch the PR department for their business. 

In the second year of trading, Social Sugar has gone from being based at a home office into its own larger office space and has been able to take on 2 permanent apprentices and currently employs 6 freelancers. Doubling their turnover in the first 2 years, Lara is now setting her sights on increasing this turnover by 25% for it’s third year.  

In the tough world of entrepreneurship, building a successful business can be challenging, something which Lara has set about overcoming “It is very competitive in the PR agency world, there will always be an agency or freelancer that can offer the same services as you at a cheaper rate. That’s why it’s important to find your unique selling point and make sure you shout about it loudly across your social media”

Social Sugar is a boutique agency and being able to match large agency results at a more affordable price for their clients is what makes them stand out from their competitors. “I take a personal interest in all my clients, offering them a direct hands on approach which they really appreciate” and when it comes to her key to success “I can honestly say that when you are trying to grow your business you have to be comfortable putting in the long hours as it can be hard work” 

Lara is looking at sharing her story at women’s events to help inspire future entrepreneurs and ensure them that starting a business from nothing can be possible.

“I have learnt that if you don’t ask, you don’t get! You need to be willing to ask for help and support. You may feel like you have all the answers but it’s never too late to learn, look at me – nearly 50 and running a business from scratch!”

Social Sugar have been nominated for a Downtown in Business: City of Manchester Business award for ‘Social Media Presence of the Year’ you can go and vote here!

If you would like to get in touch with Social Sugar you can find them online over on Facebook, Twitter & on their Website

If you would like to benefit from the support Lara received under the Excelerate Labs programme then please contact: exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk.

The maker space making its mark on Liverpool's creative scene

The Make Liverpool team approached The Women’s Organisation for business development support under our growth programme; New Markets 2. We caught up with co-director Kirsten Little to find out how business is going.

Kirsten Little, co-director of Make Liverpool

Describing itself as ‘a place to play, make and fix; bring an idea and take away your invention,’ Make Liverpool is a maker space which crosses the boundaries. It’s a place where digital and creative businesses work alongside artists and crafters, offering up a creative hub for honest conversations and unique skill shares.

The brainchild of co-directors Kirsten Little and Liam Kelly, the team are on a mission to support makers, artists and small businesses across Liverpool.

Communal space at Make Liverpool

It all started back in 2012 with a post from Liam on Facebook venturing the idea of a unique co-working space for creative makers. Having experienced first-hand the isolation of working remotely and the impact this can have on your mental health, Liam set his sights on opening a co-working space. The post immediately caught Kirsten’s eye. Having recently completed her masters degree in fine art it was the ideal next challenge.

The pair set off on a research mission, taking inspiration from maker spaces across Europe. 4 months later and their Baltic Triangle space was born and already filled with nearly 30 residents from a whole host of creative backgrounds. From those working in graphic design and photography to fine art, Kirsten says that it is this diverse skill set which has been the catalyst for their success.

Make resident, Max Rawhide hard at work

Fast forward four years and the team soon saw the need for a second space. Kirsten explains: “The problem with the Baltic space was that we couldn’t offer maker spaces and our residents wanted to grow their businesses without having to invest in equipment. One of our tenants needed access to a laser cutter to create her product meaning that she had to outsource this element, a cost which would ultimately impact on the final cost of her product. We wanted to create a one-stop shop of equipment where our residents could freely create and experiment.”

Make North Docks was born.

Another maker, Chris Wylie of Puppetuity

With their sights firmly set on business growth and having received support from The Women’s Organisation at the inception of the company, the team decided it was time to return to the organisation to find out what support was available as they entered this new era of high business growth.

Working closely with our business advisor, Francine Taylor, the Make team were able to identify new opportunities in the current business and gain the support to enter this new phase.

Of their time with Francine, co-director Liam says: "Francine was very supportive and easy to talk with. It’s great having knowledgeable and trustworthy people around you when you’re focused on growing a businesses."

With a third venue now in the pipeline, there’s no sign of Make Liverpool slowing down now. 

Kirsten and the team received growth advice through our New Markets 2 Programme. part funded by European Regional Development Fund. The programme is aimed at women who are running a business focussing on business to business (B2B) activity in the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton) and are ready to take their business to the next level, either by expanding their team or significantly increasing turnover. 

For more information, contact us on hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111.

A New Digital Age for Lynne with Stripe Virtual Services

With an extensive professional portfolio, Lynne wanted to go it alone and become her own boss stating the work-life balance as her key motivator: “I wanted to set up my own business for a long time, especially after we had our children. I wanted to try and achieve the work-life balance for my family.”

Having worked within the digital sector for practically her whole career, taking the leap into self-employment was a big decision for Lynne with ‘self-doubts and insecurities’ as her biggest barrier. She began carrying out research on existing businesses to explore gaps in the market, as well as speaking with friends who already had their own businesses to really decide whether self-employment was for her.

Lynne said: “I then discovered The Women’s Organisation and I can honestly say that I haven’t looked back since! There’s a huge amount of value to be had in the training and business support that they provide, as well as the camaraderie you experience at each of their events.”

Working alongside a business adviser and attending The Women’s Organisation events, Lynne valued meeting like-minded women who shared the same issues and concerns as her, and this sense of solidarity ‘empowered’ Lynne to push on with her business. Once Lynne secured her first few clients, she began to believe in her ability to make a success of the business.

 Stripe Virtual Services now provides services that mirror the expertise Lynne has developed over the years in her various roles. Offering everything from digital consultancy, design, project management and business admin services, Lynne is able to support her main target audience of small businesses and entrepreneurs in streamlining their services.

And what makes Stripe Virtual Services different? Lynne prides her business on providing fast-paced services within a relaxed and calm environment. She said: “There’s none of the corporate stuffiness you can experience with larger firms. Several of my clients are local and my meetings can generally take place in coffee shops or at kitchen tables – I even had a meeting whilst walking around the Marine Lake recently.”

For Lynne, the best thing about being a businessowner is working from home over in West Kirby and the invaluable additional time she can spend with her children. As a mum of two, eliminating the work commute means that Lynne can do the school run and carry out various household tasks throughout the day without causing disruption to her business.

As business picks up pace, Lynne is feeling proud of what she’s achieved and is beginning to look towards plans for the future, which include building up a small team to develop the services offered by Virtual Stripe Services.

More recently, Lynne co-founded the West Kirkby Business Network in April of this year in order to connect with more local businesses and begin building an integrated community of entrepreneurs who can support one another. This network is now home to over 200 members and reflects the growing appetite for entrepreneurship across Wirral. Lynne said: “it’s helped me to see just how many others are making a success of their professional lives outside of the usual 9-5 roles.”

Reflecting on her lessons learnt, Lynne says: “if you’re having a bad day try not to lose sight of what you’re trying to achieve – tomorrow will almost certainly be a better day. Be sure to surround yourself with likeminded people – it’s truly amazing how some else’s drive and enthusiasm can rub off on you”.

If you’re looking to start a business, Lynne’s word of advice is: “do your research and do it well. Speak to trusted contacts and ask for their feedback. Once you’ve got it reasonably straight in your head, contact The Women’s Organisation who can help you improve your confidence to take that first big step.”

Anyone who’d like to find out more about how Stripe Virtual Services can help you build your web presence, brand recognition or manage projects or business admin, contact her on 0151 808 1145 or hello@stripe-vs.com. You can also connect with Lynne on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or head to the website!

From the kitchen table to Selfridges: How Hey Little Cupcake! Rose to the Top

Last time we caught up with Sarah Wilson-Gibbons, the founder of Hey Little Cupcake!, she had been working with our business advisor Ameena to create a three-year strategic business plan and gain support to help expand her team. Over a year on, and now with 21 staff members in tow and two premises, we caught up with Sarah to see how business is going.

Bursting onto Manchester’s confectionary scene back in 2010, Hey Little Cupcake! was one of the first bakeries specialising in cupcakes to open when the craze came to the UK. Selling everything from cupcakes and brownies, to trendy layer cakes and cakepops over the counter, the team also create a bespoke array of celebration cakes to order.

Eight years on and the business is going from strength to strength. 

From humble roots in Sarah’s kitchen as a one-woman operation, the business now spans across two locations, employs 21 people and is a key supplier to cafes in Greater Manchester. The business has a ‘cupcakery’ in Spinningfields as well as a contract in Selfridges’ food hall in the Trafford centre, which has been held for the last four years – a coop which owner Sarah counts as her biggest achievement yet.

So, what does Sarah think is at the root of the businesses’ success in such a competitive market place? She puts it down to “keeping up to date with trends and changing our themes regularly to keep customers interested. Our quirky brand is one of a kind in the North West.”

Advice not to be reckoned with from a woman nominated for a ‘Business in the Community’ award in the Be Proud Awards 2017 for her work in the community, not to mention scooping the ‘Excellence in Customer Service Awards’ in our Excelerate Labs awards earlier this year!

Perhaps her success also comes from her inherently creative nature, having worked as an Art Director previously. When asked about her personal interests, Sarah can’t help but pay homage to her creative roots: 

“My main passion in life is to be creative. This is in everything I do from baking, making gifts to playing with my 2-year-old son. Creativity is in everything I do as it what makes me tick.”

When asked what advice Sarah would give to anyone wanting to grow their business, she said: “To always stay positive. Owning and running a business is very challenging. It really tests you to your core but if you remain positive you really appreciate all you have achieved and it makes it worthwhile.

“Also, if growth opportunities present themselves take them, you never know when or if they will be available again.”

Having worked with Excelerate Labs to help grow her business in recent years, she says: “I had mentoring sessions which I have found so helpful and supportive over the past few years.”

If you would like to benefit from the support Sarah received under the Excelerate Labs programme then please contact: exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk.

Hey Little Cupcake! can be contacted on 0161 832 0260 or e-mailed via hello@heylittlecupcake.co.uk. You can also visit www.heylittlecupcake.co.uk or find the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using @HLCupake.

Child-Friendly Salon Ava & Harrison is a Cut Above the Rest

If you have little ones, you’ll know that a trip to the hair salon isn’t as relaxing as it perhaps could be. Newly launched Ava & Harrison is Liverpool's child-friendly salon, looking to enhance the pampering experience for all members of the family. 

Sara and Jo worked together as children’s hairdressers in Children’s World back in the 90s. Going on to pursue different career paths, they dreamt of joining forces to open their own salon. Noticing a gap in the market, Sara and Jo launched ‘Ava & Harrison’ – Liverpool’s first child-friendly salon that caters to all members of the family.

Deciding that it was now or never, Jo contacted The Women’s Organisation: “we felt nervous, excited, doubtful and confident all in one”. Sara and Jo worked alongside Business Adviser, Yan Miao, to get the ball rolling and make their life-long business dream a reality.

So, just what makes Ava & Harrison special? The salon is designed for children, but also a place for adults to enjoy a treatment without having to worry about their children, with a play area in view of the salon chairs. Not only that, but the salon caters for children’s anxiety and is welcoming to those with special needs.

As the golden mantra preaches, nothing worth having comes easy. Jo found the finance side of things daunting and faced issues finding a landlord who would allow for the style of business. However, Jo and Sara were able to seek advice and guidance from Yan every step of the way. And was the hard work worth it? Jo said: “absolutely – the best part of running a business is the excitement of watching your dreams become a reality.”

With 19 schools within 1 mile of the salon, as well as a busy shopping centre, Jo and Sara decided to set up shop in Liverpool’s Old Swan. The name ‘Ava & Harrison’ is a tribute to Sara’s daughter, Ava, and Jo’s nephew, Harrison, who each played a pivotal role in the design and inspiration of the salon itself. And how is the business going? Jo said: “things are going really well so far; our team is organically growing, and we are taking more than our predicted forecast. By the end of week one we had to employ someone, and by our second week, another staff member. Our estimate for week twelve is that we will be up to a team of 7!"

Success is fuelled through passion, and this is testament to the triumph of Ava & Harrison. Jo and Sara are committed to ensuring that children have a positive salon experience, taking the essential extra time needed to support children suffering with anxiety. 

Jo and Sara are keen educate staff members with awareness in neurodevelopmental conditions. They’re currently undertaking training to specialise in hair care for autistic children and are keen to collaborate with local community groups specialising in autism and children’s disabilities. Seeking the advice of those with experience, such as carers, parents and experts, will allow Sara and Jo to shape the hair-cutting experience to suit the needs of those who require a slightly different approach.

To others looking to start a business, Jo’s biggest piece of advice is to “be confident in your idea. Research, plan and make sure to take advice from others who have been there and done it. You have to believe in yourself and be confident in your decision-making – what’s the worst that can happen if something doesn’t work?”

A big congratulations to Sara and Jo on the launch of Ava & Harrison!

If you want to find out more about the salon, contact them on hair@ava-harrison.com or visit their website on www.ava-harrison.com. Ava & Harrison is located 7 St Oswalds Street, Old Swan, L13 5SA (opposite Tesco) and can be reached on 0151 345 3443. You can also visit them on Facebook.

If this story has left you feeling inspired to pursue your own business dream, contact us on 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to discover just how we can support you.