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There’s a lot of great support available in York, North Yorkshire and East Riding for businesses and How’s Business is here to help you make sense of this. No matter what stage you’re at, they will stay with you as you grow. Jennifer Feltham from Mia and Dom is one of the many business owners that has gotten in touch and she describes How’s Business as “your very own business Siri” – talking to How’s Business is an easy and quick way to find out what funding and support is on offer to help your business grow. They worked with Jen to bring her initial idea into an established business.
Jen has always had an interest in essential oils and natural products, explaining there’s a joke in her family that she may have even been “a witch in a former life”. The final motivation for Jen to take her hobby to the next level was her son, Dom, who suffers from eczema. Jen noticed there was a gap in the market and that nothing really worked for her child’s skincare routine. After creating a product for her son with natural ingredients and essential oils, it finally hit Jen – she could actually make a business out of her hobby, and Mia and Dom, an organic skincare range, was born.
Minimising costs is always important for businesses, especially when starting up, so Jen knew she would need some free support when she began. This is when she stumbled upon How’s Business and signed herself up for one of the events they host, a Popup Business Café in Ripon. These are free events where any and all businesses are welcome, and you’ll have the chance to speak to experts on marketing, finance and much more. For Jen, the cafés worked because they were a “non-threatening environment”. It was here, Jen met Caroline Todd, a social media marketing advisor. Jen employed Caroline for the first 12 months to help drum up some interest in her products.
It’s been 2 years since Jen attended that Popup Café and she’s come a long way, with support from How’s Business’s online articles and eBooks, which have been there to fix those minor issues. Jen has even earned herself four awards, including the Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards 2016. With her business established and awards under her belt, the only hurdle she had to deal with is what to do next.
How’s Business is here for the long journey, not just day one, so it was time for a catch up with Jen to let her know what support she could access to help her grow her business. This included the Manufacturing Growth Programme, a grant to support the cost of consultancy fees, so that she could talk through strategic plans. Like most grants, this one must be match-funded and Jen wasn’t yet ready to make the investment. How’s Business went back to the drawing board and looked at what would be the next best fit for Jen.
In the end, Jen knew it was time to take her business to new premises – constant fumes in her home from making her products was not a good long-term solution. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, which offers a wide range of loans, was here to save the day. How’s Business introduced Jen to their funding team. With Jen’s best interests in mind, the team discussed her options and decided she would be better suited to a start-up loan. With this funding, Jen has been able to move into the picturesque location of Newby Hall and has the potential to do so much more with her business.
When asked what she thought of the support, Jen said, “there’s a lot of people out there that want to help and it’s fantastic, but businesses need to become more aware of this. How’s Business is incredibly responsive and proactive and through their introduction to the team at the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, I will now be able to employ a sales consultant, buy more oils for a new product range and much more.”
How’s Business is here to help people like Jen continuously grow their business through a suite of programmes. On top of the above support, Jen has also been recommended a free mentor scheme from the Institute of Entrepreneurs and Enterprise and introduced Jen to the Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub. In a year’s time, Jen wants to be visible in high street independent retailers, be a more recognised high street brand, raise the profile of her business and win more awards…or be on a beach somewhere listening to the waves, either way How’s Business is here to make this possible.
So, if you’re looking to grow your business, get in touch with How’s Business via alex.mcdonnell@howsbusiness.org and see what support is available
