Case Studies

Sector: Manufacturing

Location: Nottingham

Mantic Games was set up in 2008 and is based in Bulwell, Nottingham.

The company designs, manufactures and publishes tabletop games and models. There are currently 30 employees in the UK and two in America.

Challenges faced

For Mantic Games one of the biggest barriers to growth has been outdated technology and processes. In addition, like many other businesses rising costs, energy, wages, inflation; have also hindered development.

Solution – Support Given

Mantic Games has been supported by East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, David Dobson and the Accelerator project. David was able to support the business and provide guidance on its application for a £2,000 Growth Voucher towards specialist digital consultancy support.

It was identified that there was an opportunity to modernise the business through better processes, automation and potentially AI. With many of the current workflows still carried out manually, the senior management team was keen to understand how these processes could be streamlined, digitised, and enhanced through an appropriate blend of new software and getting more out of its current tools.

The Growth Voucher funded support from consultant, Rob Gregory of Magnifica Technologies who has provided structured engagement including detailed process mapping, data analysis, and user requirements gathered through an on-site workshop together with additional off-site research and technical exploration.

From this work Rob has provided a report of recommendations outlining opportunities, any obvious solutions, technology approaches, and next steps to move projects forward.

Accelerator also funded a premises energy audit for Mantic Games to review areas where cost savings could be made, ahead of lighting replacements (LEDs).

To help build internal skills, knowledge and confidence, some of the teams have also attended Accelerator workshops including Mastering Graphic Design using Canva and Adobe Express, Harnessing AI for Business and Getting Started with Business Process Information.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

It’s early days but the business expects the support to reduce energy costs alongside providing a brighter working environment. In the operations area, it anticipates improved efficiency and productivity by reducing time wasting, manual operations and process.

Mantic Games is also expecting a 52% reduction in lighting costs and a reduction in emissions of 0.59cCO2e.

“Our adviser, David has been extremely helpful in conversations and in supporting us through the application process for the Growth Voucher.”

- Matt Gilbert, Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Blind Manufacturing

Location: Derby

Blind Screen Ltd is an international blind design and manufacturing business based at Pride Park, Derby. Founded in 2022 by Lenny Reynolds and Paul Cheetham FCIM, the business draws on over 20 years of blinds industry experience.

Independent testing at Energy House Labs, University of Salford, shows Blind Screen retains up to 81% of heat on single glazing and 49 to 56% on double glazing, delivering household heating energy savings of 10.8 to 15.1%. This performance places Blind Screen among the most thermally efficient blinds in the UK, with results that stand up at a global level. Blind Screen designs and manufactures in the UK and supplies through over 3,000 trade partners nationwide.

In 2025, Blind Screen operated with one manufacturer. By the start of 2026, it onboarded three additional manufacturers to support growth, covering Ireland, Australia, and adding UK capacity to meet demand. Blind Screen launches with Hillarys in March 2026. It plans a Latin America launch in 2026, covering four more countries, then North America and Europe in 2027. Blind Screen employs 11 people and has reached 1 billion views and 1.7m followers on social media.

Challenges faced

As the business grows it’s faced a number of new challenges. Blind Screen wanted to scale into international markets but needed to protect its design and licensing. It also needed a solution to support consistent training and demonstrations for trade partners across the country, rather than relying on people travelling to Derby.

There was also a need to standardise installation to reduce fitting errors, speed up installs and improve efficiency across its partner network.

Solution – Support Given

Previously the business has been supported by Innovate UK Business Growth funding and advice from East Midland Chamber’s Innovation & Growth Specialist, Neil McCluskey. Neil helped the business refocus and reposition its strategy. Read the previous Case Study we did for them.

More recently, through further support from Neil, the business has been accepted onto the Innovate UK Scale Up programme, which is the highest level of business support from IUK and puts Blind Screen in the top 3% of UK companies who engage with IUK.

The team has also had ongoing one-to-one support from Chamber Business Adviser, Sonny Lakhani and the Accelerator programme. As part of this support a diagnostic was completed, and action plans, which identified the most relevant need for investment. Sonny helped position the business in its funding applications to get the most impact for a positive outcome.

The good news is that Blind Screen was successful in its application for the Export Accelerator growth grant which provided £8,000 of funding towards the design, consultancy and tooling of a new component called the Levelling Block. The total project cost was £10,600.

Sonny also helped Blind Screen successfully apply for a £2,000 Accelerator Growth Voucher. This funded specialist training to qualify a driver for its mobile training and demonstration academy, using Hughes Driver Training.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

This support has ready had a positive impact on the business:

• Faster, more reliable installs: installers now save around 15 minutes per Blind Screen installation because the Levelling Block standardises the process.
• Lower manufacturing cost: Blind Screen has reduced manufacturing cost by around 6% per product through standardisation.
• Stronger export readiness: the Levelling Block has added a mechanical safeguard for markets where design rights prove harder to enforce. This has strengthened its licensing position in territories such as the USA, MENA, and South Africa.
• New process rollout: the Growth Voucher has enabled a 'training academy on wheels' model. Blind Screen now take training and demos directly to partners across the UK.
• Jobs and growth: the support has strengthened its export push and has supported its plans to introduce an International Sales Manager role as part of its growth.

“The support has been well run and practical. It removed key blockers at the right time. It helped us move faster on export capability, partner training, and product protection.”

- Paul Cheetham, Co-Founder & Scale Up Marketing Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Manufacturing

Location: Nottingham

Sewjackie and Advanced Textile Solutions Ltd are two complementary textile businesses owned and operated by female entrepreneur, Jackie Cunnigham.

Each is built around the same core skills but serves very different customers (B2C and B2B respectively).

Sewjackie, an enterprise set up during Covid, allowed Jackie to develop a strong understanding of product design, quality, and what customers value in handmade accessories. Advanced Textile Solutions Ltd was born when Jackie was approached to design and make textile components for a first-of-its-kind brain-scanning helmet, positioning her as a leading specialist in this very niche area.

From that initial piece of work, the business has grown organically through equally niche opportunities such as racehorse saddle pads and technical T-shirts for online motor racing.

Challenges faced

One of the main challenges in growing both businesses has been managing capacity while maintaining quality. As a founder-led business, Jackie is responsible for all aspects of the work, from design and making to day-to-day operations. Revenue is not yet at a level to justify employing someone on a permanent basis so filling gaps in Jackie’s own knowledge, in areas such as technology and marketing, is essential to maintain growth.

Solution – Support Given

Jackie has taken full advantage of the Accelerator programme’s fully-funded workshops and has benefitted from a Growth Voucher for website and marketing consultancy, helping her to refine her website structure, improve clarity of messaging, and think more strategically about marketing and customer journeys, rather than just promotion.

As an active member of the East Midlands Manufacturing Network, run by East Midlands Chamber, Jackie has found the forums invaluable for connecting with other manufacturers, sharing knowledge, and learning from peers facing similar challenges.

The Chamber, together with NBV Enterprise Solutions, also pointed Jackie to investment funding from Innovate UK for advanced and new machinery and support from the University of Nottingham’s Create Growth programme which has further built her confidence in strategy, finance and growth planning.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

Access to workshops, mentoring, consultancy and networks has helped Jackie become more confident in running and growing her businesses, while the Innovate UK grant and new machinery have transformed production. The support received has helped reduce costs, open new sales opportunities and streamline processes (halving the time it takes to sew one of Jackie’s most popular products), as well as manufacture new, more complex products. Cumulatively, the support received means Jackie is now ready to scale and confidently plan for future staff recruitment.

“In the early days, I often struggled with imposter syndrome, feeling like I didn’t belong or shouldn’t be here. The advice, guidance, and support I’ve had along the way has been life-changing and has given me the confidence to grow both businesses and take them to the next level.”

- Jackie Cunningham, Owner

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Retail & Manufacture

Location: North East Derbyshire

Paws Trading is a family run business, spanning two generations, which originally started on eBay in 2004.

The business specialises in high quality dog products including professional veterinary bedding (Vet Bed), training toys and natural dog treats. It focuses heavily on products for working dogs, training, agility, and active pet owners, with an emphasis on quality, functionality and value.

Paws Trading is based in Clay Cross, North East Derbyshire, selling products both online and at dog shows/events across the UK. The team of six employees, led by Managing Directors Paul and Paula Wilkinson, is supported by family and additional staff at busy times.

Challenges faced

As a small family-run business, Paw Trading faced several barriers to scaling:

• Despite there being demand for its products, it had limited visibility in new and international markets which made it difficult to reach customers outside of the UK.
• The business was facing increased competition, particularly from lower-cost overseas alternatives, making it even harder to stand out without stronger brand visibility.
• There was also a lack of in-house skills particularly around SEO and pursuing the opportunities of international market development. The team were stuck with a variety of manual and time-intensive processes which limited capacity to focus on such growth activities.
• Finally, rising operational costs including materials, shipping and wages meant additional pressures for the senior team and cashflow.

However, breaking into new markets, such as France, and improving online discoverability, were identified as the most critical challenges that could unlock the next growth stage for Paws Trading.

Solution – Support Given

Paws Trading has been supported by East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, Richard Crowden and the Accelerator programme. Richard has provided dedicated support to identify priority growth areas for the business including international expansion and digital visibility. The support focused on strategic planning, market development and improving productivity.

Richard also provided advice and guidance with two funding applications. Firstly a £1,600 Accelerator Growth Voucher to invest in SEO consultancy, improving its online visibility, keyword performance and search rankings. This increased organic traffic and helped Paws Trading compete more effectively in a crowded online marketplace.

The business also successfully applied for an Export Accelerator grant of £2,000 which has supported its entry into new international markets, specifically France, helping Paws Trading develop the systems, knowledge and confidence needed to sell cross-border and reach new customers.

Attendance at Accelerator workshops and access to wider Growth Hub support has also strengthened understanding of digital growth, international trade considerations and long-term scalability.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

The support has played a key role in helping Paws Trading overcome long-standing barriers to growth, delivering both immediate and long-term impact. This includes:

• Successful entry into new markets with France now an active and growing sales channel for Paws Trading.
• Improved online visibility, resulting in increased organic website traffic and a stronger brand presence.
• Greater competitiveness, enabling Paws Trading to compete on quality, trust and expertise, rather than on price alone.
• Time savings and improved efficiency, allowing the team to focus more on product development, customer engagement and market expansion.
• Increased confidence in scaling, with clearer processes and a stronger digital foundation to support future growth.

The business report that the SEO work via the specialist consultancy alone has delivered ongoing benefits by improving search performance and reducing reliance on paid advertising, while international market support has opened entirely new revenue streams.

In terms of impact the improvements to internal processes, SEO performance and systems have reduced manual administration and marketing tasks by approximately 5-7 hours a week, equivalent to 260-360 hours a year.

This timesaving has allowed the team to redirect effort into higher value activities such as product development, customer engagement and entering new markets, including France.

Process efficiencies and better planning have also helped reduce unnecessary operational usage, contributing to an estimated £800-£1,200 per year in energy and operational cost savings through more efficient working practices and reduced rework.

Overall, these changes have strengthened productivity, reduced pressure on the team and created a more sustainable platform for growth.

“The grants and adviser support have been pivotal in helping us overcome barriers we couldn’t tackle alone.

From improving our SEO and online visibility to successfully entering the French market, the support has given us the tools, confidence and momentum to grow beyond the UK and build a more resilient business.”

- Paul and Paula Wilkinson, Managing Directors

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Education

Location: North East Derbyshire

Learn to Shine Education Ltd is an award-winning Alternative Provision* supporting local schools and students, through face-to-face and online support, to re-engage with education through inclusive, welcoming and engaging practice.

It also provides private education to support mainstream students in catching up, keeping up or providing challenges ensuring they are positive and content when at school. The team of 23 staff members support families through consultancy, dyslexia/dyscalculia services and more recently have become an ADHD coaching centre.

The business which began in 2018, is based in Eckington and covers North East Derbyshire, Sheffield and Rotherham.

(*customised support for students needing a flexible environment.)

Challenges faced

Throughout the pandemic there were many new entrants into the market setting up tuition businesses but luckily with a strong reputation, Learn to Shine Education was able to maintain its customer base. In fact, the business has grown.

However, because of this additional competition, often offering cheaper rates, the business has not raised its prices even though all its own costs including taxes, energy bills and rates have increased. This has put extra pressure on managing the business and cashflow.

Recruiting the right staff can be a challenge too with larger companies offering various ways of working which suit some people better, however, staff turnover is low which is a positive for the business.

Most crucially it has not been easy for Learn to Shine Education to scale up. There’s been a lack of knowledge of how to expand online, competition from others and difficulties in finding the right contacts for new premises and local authority contacts.

Solution – Support Given

Learn to Shine Education has been supported by the Accelerator project and East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, Richard Crowden. Richard has worked with Managing Director and Principal Teacher, Katie McDonough on a one-to-one basis to review where the business is now and where it wants to be.

Richard provided guidance with its application for a £2,000 Accelerator Growth Voucher which has funded specialist consultancy services for SEO and enhancing its website. The consultancy has also helped to create new online education modules which can be sold via the website and created a process manual so the site can be updated internally.

In addition to this support, the team have attended a number of Accelerator workshops to enhance knowledge and build their own skills. This includes HR Essentials, Using AI for SEO, the One-hour Google Ads Course, Introduction to Marketing AI and ChatGPT and Getting Started with Monthly Accounts.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

The support has allowed Learn to Shine Education to understand HR processes and SEO better. The consultancy work has helped the business be found by the right kind of customers, increasing its visibility and ensuring it is ranking above competitors.

Katie estimates that they have saved around five hours per week improving efficiency and productivity, not to mention the many hours of stress/energy saved!

“The support has been imperative to our business. We have learned so much through the workshops and are excited to join more in the future. I have every confidence that our next steps will be supported just as well.”

- Katie McDonough, Managing Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Restaurant/ Catering

Location: Rushcliffe

Poblano Eatery is an emerging Mexican street-food brand offering authentic burritos, bowls, tacos (including birria), nachos, agua frescas and inclusive vegan options such as jackfruit barbacoa.

Located in West Bridgford, the business was incorporated in March 2024 and began trading in April 2024. It currently operates as a small, director-led company with two other staff members. Originally launched as a events-only operation, Poblano Eatery has since expanded into a permanent neighbourhood takeaway with its own premises.

Challenges faced

Director Harry Bill faced several challenges as Poblano Eatery transitioned from operating solely at events to establishing a fixed premises. This shift introduced several operational and strategic difficulties for the business. Key issues included:

• Building awareness of its new West Bridgford location and establishing a consistent local customer base.
• Increasing footfall and driving higher volumes of takeaway and online delivery orders.
• Strengthening the business’s digital presence, particularly through Google Business, TripAdvisor and other online platforms essential for food operators.
• Navigating a range of licensing requirements, including food safety, music licensing and street trading regulations.
• Limited internal capacity for structured marketing, making it difficult to implement regular promotional activity and customer-acquisition strategies.

These challenges highlighted the need for external guidance and targeted support to help the business establish itself successfully in its new permanent home.

Solution – Support Given

Through the EMCCA Growth Hub High Street Project, Poblano Eatery received dedicated one-to-one support from East Midlands Chamber’s Business Adviser, Insan Farooqi. This support focused on strengthening the business during its transition to a permanent premises and laying the foundations for sustainable growth.

Key areas of support included:

• A comprehensive business diagnostic, reviewing operations, marketing activity, the customer journey and future growth potential.
• Assistance in establishing and optimising the business’s Google Business and TripAdvisor profiles to improve digital visibility.
• Guidance on licensing compliance, including food safety, music licensing and street trading regulations.
• Recommendations on marketing and customer retention, such as loyalty schemes, integration with delivery platforms and improved processes for generating customer reviews.
• Strategic advice on sustainability and digital development, including packaging choices, oil recycling, waste minimisation and planning for a future catering and corporate hire webpage.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

The support provided has given Poblano Eatery clear direction for successfully launching and scaling its new NG2 premises. Several key impacts are already emerging with further benefits expected as the business continues to grow.

These include:

• Increased visibility through enhanced Google Business and TripAdvisor profiles, improving discoverability among local customers.
• Higher customer footfall and online orders, supported by more structured marketing activity and targeted promotional campaigns.
• A more personalised customer journey, strengthened by improved review processes and streamlined ordering systems.
• Growth in corporate and event catering, enabled by new brochure development and plans for a dedicated catering webpage.
• Improved sustainability practices, including better packaging choices, oil recycling, clearer allergen information, and reduced waste.

Together, these improvements are helping Poblano Eatery strengthen operations, drive customer engagement and build a scalable platform for long-term business success.

"The Growth Hub support arrived at exactly the right time as we prepared to open our new West Bridgford site. The guidance on marketing, licensing and customer engagement has helped us take a more structured and confident approach to growing the business. It’s been incredibly valuable to have expert support throughout this process."

- Harry Bill, Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Photography

Location: Derby

Mark Dunn Photography Ltd was established in early 2024 and is based in Derby, offering professional photography services across sports, events, live music, weddings and commercial photography.

What began as a passion project alongside Mark’s career has steadily grown into a limited company following his retirement from full-time PAYE employment. Now fully focused on the business, Mark is building a sustainable photography practice that combines technical excellence with a genuine love of capturing moments that matter.

Mark has already built a strong reputation for high-quality work, particularly within sports photography, working with organisations such as Trent Bridge Cricket Club, as well as motorsports, boxing and a range of local sports teams. His portfolio also spans weddings, corporate headshots, lifestyle and wildlife photography, alongside large-scale live events such as STONEDEAD Rock Festival 2025, allowing him to serve both B2B and B2C clients across the region.

Challenges faced

As a newly established business, Mark’s key challenge has been building a strong forward pipeline of work, particularly securing bookings further in advance. While his photography is well regarded and receives positive feedback, he wanted greater consistency in enquiries to help fill his future diary.

Mark is especially keen to grow his wedding photography offering but has found it challenging to compete with more established photographers in a crowded market. Alongside this, a lack of confidence around pricing and package structure has sometimes made it difficult to position his services clearly and convert interest into confirmed bookings.

These challenges highlighted the need for clearer pricing, stronger positioning and a more structured marketing approach to support sustainable, long-term growth.

Solution – Support Given

Mark has been working with East Midlands Chamber’s Business Adviser, Lisa Baggott and the Accelerator project. Lisa has provided 1-to-1 business advice and coaching including help with pricing and putting a plan together to grow the business.

The business also successfully applied for a £2,000 Accelerator Growth Voucher, with guidance from Lisa, which has been used to fund specialist digital consultancy support from Paul Ince of LikeMind Media. Mark has met with Paul and his team a few times to go through his business and the type of photography he wants to attract, as well as his current use of social media. This has led to the creation of a comprehensive marketing strategy document for the business which has been discussed in depth with Paul.

To help improve his digital marketing skills Mark has also attended two Accelerator workshops - How to Plan, Build and Launch a Successful Website and Essential Guide to Social Media Marketing.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

It’s early days but the support has given Mark a sound plan to implement with key tasks broken down into short, medium and long-term activities. It is hoped once this gets going it will attract new business leads and bookings for Mark.

“The support given by the Chamber to me as a new business owner has been invaluable, and it’s made me more confident that I can grow the business into a successful enterprise.”

- Mark Dunn, Founder

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Commercial Cleaning

Location: Derby

Upbeat Clean was established five years ago and is a charity-owned commercial cleaning business which provides life-changing employment for women who have fled their countries to rebuild a new life in Derby.

The business employs 60 people today and is the UK’s only cleaning company to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunities.

Its teams are paid the Real Living Wage, supported through training and mentoring, and empowered to progress into leadership roles, resulting in reliable, high-quality cleaning that clients trust. Every contract it delivers fuels meaningful change, transforming a routine business cost into a powerful force for opportunity and integration.

Challenges faced

The business wanted to pilot and expand a franchise model for national social impact, but it needed to upgrade its digital infrastructure before it could support multi-site operations. Its current operating system was not designed to allow for franchisees to use it. This was limiting the business’ growth ambitions.

Solution – Support Given

Upbeat Clean’s Managing Director, Michael Gladwell has been working with East Midlands Chamber’s Business Adviser, Sonny Lakhani and the Accelerator project. Following a thorough diagnostic of the business, Sonny was able to support the business with the application for an Accelerator Growth Voucher, up to £2,000 to fund specialist consultancy support from an external agency.

To support the national franchising of Upbeat Clean, the agency, will upgrade Upbeat Clean’s existing Airtable-based operating system to enable franchisees to operate in a secure digital environment. This will be flexible and scalable that lets multiple organisations use a shared platform securely.

The agency is also building in advanced scheduling features to support the complexity of cleaning operations across a growing number of franchisees. This will enable each franchise to manage its workforce effectively and deliver a consistent quality of service.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

The support enables Upbeat Clean to franchise across the UK, which will help it duplicate the huge social impact it has in Derby, to other cities.

“This grant has made our system ready for franchising.

We won the Kings Award for Social Mobility because of our work in Derby. We are excited to see this same impact spread across many cities.”

- Michael Gladwell, Managing Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Education

Location: Nottingham

Rose Tuition is based in Nottingham and provides both in-person tuition at The Kimberley School and specialist online support to students across the UK.

Founded in February 2024 by Danny Rose, it provides private tuition by qualified classroom teachers covering Science, Maths, English, Key Stage 2 through 1-to-1 sessions and small group classes. All tutors are DBS checked and contract through Rose Tuition with Danny leading the team.

The business focus is on building confidence, improving results and supporting families with accessible but premium, evidence-led teaching.

Challenges faced

Key barriers to growth for Rose Tuition have been specialist recruitment and marketing capacity. The business only works with fully qualified, practising teachers which ensures exceptional quality but makes recruitment more complex than hiring general tutors.

In addition, the rapid demand for tuition has highlighted a lack of in-house digital marketing capacity, limiting its ability to scale its online reach and compete effectively with lower-cost national and international providers.

While the business is growing quickly through word-of-mouth, building a strong digital presence requires skills, systems and investment that go beyond day-to-day delivery of education. This has been a key barrier to expanding sustainably for Rose Tuition.

Solution – Support Given

As a startup business, Rose Tuition was initially helped by David Hallam at NBV Enterprise Solutions who gave Danny invaluable strategic guidance helping the business to prioritise growth areas, refine operations and set clear actionable targets. Danny comments that having an experienced adviser to challenge ideas and provide structure were crucial during a period of rapid growth.

It was David who signposted the Nottingham Accelerator project to Danny and East Midlands Chamber’s Business Adviser, Richard Crowden. Following a business diagnostic and discussion on digital growth ambitions, Richard was able to support Rose Tuition with an application for a £2,000 Growth Voucher.  This funding has enabled the business to invest in professional SEO support through an external provider, Tea Powered Projects. The agency provided ten fully optimised landing pages for its website, significantly improving its online visibility and helping Rose Tuition reach families across Nottinghamshire and beyond.

The support has already had a measurable impact on enquiry volume and quality. The grant itself has supported both its digital presence and its ability to invest in sustainable growth without compromising on its commitment to employ fully qualified teachers.

Other Accelerator support includes attendance at East Midlands Chamber’s AI and Digital Marketing Conference in June 2025.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

The support has already had a significant impact on Rose Tuition’s growth, competitiveness and its ability to create sustainable education jobs in Nottinghamshire.

Increased Competitiveness in a Growing Market - By strengthening its SEO and online presence, Rose Tuition is now more visible to families seeking high-quality tuition. This helps it stand out against lower-cost national and overseas competitors, while maintaining its commitment to using fully qualified teachers.

Creation of Local, Professional Tutor Roles - As its enquiries increase, it is recruiting more specialist teachers to deliver both in-person and online provision. The Accelerator funding has directly supported job creation within the local education sector.

Greater Sustainability and Stability - Improved digital reach means the business is no longer reliant solely on word-of-mouth referrals. This makes it more resilient, improves cashflow forecasting and safeguards future roles for teachers working with them.

Streamlined Marketing Processes - With optimised, targeted online content now in place, the business can focus its time on tutoring quality and centre development, rather than spending hours manually promoting services. This has freed up capacity for strategic growth.

Danny estimates that the SEO work and clearer marketing strategy now save them around 8-10 hours per month of director time that was previously spent trying to write and optimise web content themselves.

This freed-up time is now focused on curriculum development and supporting more students. Based on internal costings, this equates to approximately £400 – £500 worth of time per month, which can instead be reinvested into growing the business and creating additional tutoring capacity.

“Thanks to this support, we’ve been able to reach more families who need high-quality tuition, and we’re now able to create more teaching roles here in Nottinghamshire. 

It feels like the local business community has backed us, and we’re grateful.”

- Danny Rose, Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Leadership Training and Consultancy

Location: Derby

Practically Leading is a consultancy and training business based in Derby. The business was founded in July 2025 by Director, Janet Holland after 26 years of charity leadership.

Practically Leading provides practical leadership solutions for small businesses and charities through training, coaching, and consultancy. Services include strategic business development, policy and procedure design, income diversification, bid writing, governance and project development.

The company also delivers specialist training in areas such as early years safeguarding and compassionate leadership, helping organisations strengthen their leadership capacity and improve operational performance.

Challenges faced

As a newly established business, Janet faced several initial challenges. It was difficult to clearly define the brand identity, service offering and target customer base. In addition, Janet didn’t have the skills herself to create the marketing materials, slowing down promotion and new leads. Online presence for the business also needed work as the current channels did not fully reflect the services provided or values-led approach Janet was offering.

Solution – Support Given

Through the Derbyshire Accelerator project, Janet accessed one-to-one support from Chamber Business Adviser, Lisa Baggott. This support helped Janet focus on developing the business plan, identifying target customers, refining the pricing model, and clearly defining the service offer. Lisa also supported Janet in reviewing her overall business approach, customer funnel and sales strategy.

Janet was also successful in applying for a Growth Voucher. This Accelerator funding helped Janet access further support with branding, which encouraged her to reflect on the purpose and vision behind Practically Leading, helping to establish a clearer understanding of the brand and its values.

The business’s previous website had been created quickly as a simple online “window,” without significant consideration of brand identity, target audience, or service focus. Working with Creative Director, Chris Green from Pretty Decent, this support allowed Janet to explore these areas in more depth, prompting her to think carefully about Practically Leading’s services, ideal customers and future direction.

Chris also provided guidance on improving social media content and visual presentation. He introduced Janet to Canva as a more effective tool for creating marketing materials, replacing her earlier use of PowerPoint for visuals.

To build her skills Janet also attended the Marketing that Means Business: Build your Marketing Plan Accelerator workshop.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

As a result of the support received, the business now has a stronger sense of brand identity and direction. Janet has gained greater clarity around the business’s purpose, target audience and service offering, enabling a more strategic approach to marketing and business development.

The visual identity and web design support provided a clear foundation for refreshing the company’s online presence, ensuring that the website and branding now better reflect the values and practical approach of Practically Leading.

Through the guidance of Lisa and Chris, Janet also increased her confidence in promoting the business and improved her ability to create professional marketing materials using Canva which significantly reduced the time spent producing graphics. Janet also developed a more effective social media strategy. Overall, the support has positioned Practically Leading for sustainable growth and stronger engagement with its clients.

“Lisa and Chris were amazing to work with, they were both incredibly patient with me, as a non-marketing person, they helped me understand some key principles and how I should present my business online. I look forward to working with Chris further to develop my brand identity.”

- Janet Holland, Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Retail

Location: Nottingham

Eyesore Merch is based in Nottingham on the banks of the River Trent, not far from Nottingham Forest FC and Notts County FC.

From the seed of an idea in 2010 that started in a box room at his home, the dream became a reality in September 2011 when Eyesore Merch was launched by Alastair Marr.

The business started as a music and entertainment-themed clothing and accessories retailer and has also expanded into selling vinyl records and CDs. Products are sold primarily online but the Eyesore Merch team also attend several music festivals throughout the year taking a large range of its merch and audio products. Festival attendance helps with its overall marketing, giving the team the opportunity to meet customers in person and be part of the wider music community.

Eyesore Merch now employs 11 people including Alastair and his wife Suad, who are owners and directors of the business.

Challenges faced

This year has proven to be challenging for Eyesore Merch, possibly the most difficult to date, excluding its startup days. It is facing heightened competition from new entrants, and many existing sellers have adopted increasingly aggressive pricing strategies, often accepting minimal margins, simply to secure sales.

The ongoing pressures of the cost-of-living crisis and sustained inflation across multiple areas of the business have added to the squeeze on margins. This has forced the business to increase prices, contributing to a reduction in sales. Striking the right balance has been exceptionally difficult for the business.

Eyesore Merch has also been affected by the introduction of US tariffs for its international business, a month-long shutdown of Canada Post and ongoing pricing and contractual difficulties with its main parcel carrier. Each of these things have added further complexity and cost to its operations.

Finally, like for many other businesses the recent increase in National Insurance contributions presents yet another financial burden it has had to absorb and mitigate as effectively as possible.

Solution – Support Given

Eyesore Merch identified that to strengthen its position and maximise online presence as well as brand visibility it needed to fully embrace the rapidly evolving rise of AI, which is increasingly shaping online shopping behaviours and driving searchability.  Alastair said: “Our website and marketing practices must be configured correctly and robustly to tap into everything that this new and evolving landscape offers.”

To achieve this a number of Eyesore Merch’s employees have attended several of the funded Accelerator workshops. This includes Utilising ChatGPT for your Business, Vibe Coding – Using Prompts to Improve your Website, the Impact of AI on Search Engine Optimisation and Optimise your Social Media Profiles.

Alastair added: “These workshops have been extremely constructive and insightful, allowing us to develop our in-house skills and understand areas that to date, we have not been giving full attention.”

It was through attending these workshops and the associated marketing emails, the business became aware of the funded support available for Nottingham businesses through the Accelerator programme.

Alastair continued: “After registering I was contacted by an extremely friendly and helpful Business Adviser, Richard Crowden, who explained everything quickly and clearly. We identified that the best option for us is to focus on the implementation of new technologies and processes to boost competitiveness, focusing on AI and digital sustainability.

We already have a long-standing relationship with a web development company, so all I needed to do was to contact them, explain the required work and obtain a quotation. Within a couple of hours, I’d gone from the initial phone call with the adviser, to an approved quote and a completed Growth Voucher Application. The work is now under way and will be completed within a week!”

Alastair reflected that this has been one of the easiest support and funding opportunities he’s ever accessed in 15 years of running a business! Eyesore Merch have also booked a funded energy audit to see if there are any opportunities to help reduce its energy usage and bills.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

Eyesore Merch’s adoptions of new technology and the use of AI in the business will dramatically improve its website framework and onsite SEO content, leading to improved discoverability through the various search engines and paid advertising services.

With increased visibility the business hopes to see an increase in sales, and with that increase, it hopes to recruit again in the new year.

“As the owner of the business and the one who has undertaken the application of the Accelerator Programme, I can honestly say that it has been extremely easy.

Clear information and friendly, fast and efficient support have resulted in us securing much needed funding that will help us improve our business for the year ahead.

Let’s hope that 2026 is a more positive and productive year.”

- Alastair Marr, CEO

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Sector: Retail & Decor

Location: Chesterfield

Chesterfield-based Paper Starlights has been trading for nearly 30 years. It makes, sells and distributes traditional, handmade paper star lantern and light decorations.

Its primary business activities are retail, wholesale and decorative installations mainly in the UK. Five years ago, kickstarted by the pandemic, the business went online expanding from retail into wholesale across multiple platforms.

Its small team of designers and makers spans three continents, working together on design, materials, and sustainable product and production development.

There are three permanent members of the UK team, founders Andy Jupp and Jules Cooper together with Head of Digital & Operations, Becky Wood.

The business was recently recognised nationally after being shortlisted for Retail & Wholesale Champion at the prestigious Good Business Awards in Liverpool.

Challenges faced

Paper Starlights’ analytics indicated that a large percentage of its online traffic was coming from the USA presenting an exciting opening. Therefore, during the last year, the business has been pursuing three growth opportunities:

1. Working with an American partner to engage in physical and digital retail activities which included an American ‘.us’ website using the Paper Starlights name, branding and know-how.
2. Developing an artistic installation using the company’s paper star product for heritage buildings and visitor attractions on a site-specific basis in the UK. A pilot took place in Bath Abbey with the installation running from November 2024-January 2025.
3. Initiating a mentoring programme to support young, socially driven entrepreneurs by supporting them with their own business franchises.

Outcomes of this growth was the opportunity for further expansion in the USA by applying the partnership model to other localised US micro-businesses to ensure more widespread market penetration; future proofing the .us website and applying the installation model to US visitor attractions and seasonal events.

However, these opportunities came with a great deal of risk. Without a robust legal framework and methodology behind it, the company was unable to take any further steps without making itself vulnerable. It was accepted that the risks would outweigh the opportunities, which stopped any progress into these areas.

Solution – Support Given

Paper Starlights has been working with East Midlands Chamber’s Senior Business Adviser, Peter Lawrence and the Accelerator programme. Peter introduced the business to the support on offer from the Export Accelerator project which supports businesses to expand or explore overseas markets.

With Peter’s guidance and support, the business was able to apply for and secure funding of £4,760 (80% of the total project cost £5,950) from Export Accelerator to create a legal ‘toolkit’ of commercial contracts that would enable the team to explore, navigate and implement potential business relationships in the US with confidence and immediate effect.

To support skills development, the team also attended the Chamber’s AI & Digital Marketing Conference this year and Jules attended the UK-US Free Trade Agreement Accelerator webinar.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

The business now has a full legal toolkit of documentation drafted specifically for a range of commercial transactions requiring the interpretation of US law. This has enabled it to continue exploring the US market with confidence.

Crucially it enables the company’s creative and intellectual property to be developed into income streams with full legal protections. It has identified a niche market for potential partnership working in the US, centring on the nascent European Christmas Market industry across America. It is now exporting to markets like Michigan, Ohio and California, providing future opportunities for developing ‘décor for sale’ and sustainable fair-trade models.

Due to increased wholesale and export orders, current turnover at this point in the company’s financial year, compared to the same period last year has increased by 28%. It is anticipated that within the next financial year, Becky will require the support of an assistant Operations Manager to manage her increased workload.

“What’s really exciting for us is that we can bring together several of our core activities, and cross pollinate and experiment.

In the UK we’re working with young socially driven entrepreneurs, helping them to set themselves up with sustainability focussed business models, and as we expand into the US and the emerging European style Christmas market industry there, to do the same there.

The support enables us to pursue our passion as a business, to spread light and joy in a mutually profitable, and ultimately sustainable way. Our franchise model in the UK Christmas market industry now becomes a very real template for our further expansion across the water.”

- Andy Jupp, Co-founder

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