Case Studies

Sector: Sport & Education

Location: Derby

Elite Football Development trading as EFD Sport & Education is on a mission to support young people, through sport and education.

The business was founded in 2019 by Derby County footballer, Ben Osborn together with former footballer/coach, Jack Andrews.

The Derby-based business started as a football coaching and P.E. provider in local schools and within the community. It soon recognised the positive impact that sport was having, not only in fostering relationships, but also in developing positive skills, behaviours and attributes that went way beyond the playing field.

Six years on the business has grown to a team of 11 and earlier this year proudly moved into its first office space on King Street in Derby.

Challenges faced

EFD Sport & Education has been extremely successful with exponential growth year-on-year. However, during this time it has outgrown some of its processes created at the outset. This is particularly the case for its impact reports provided to schools which are compiled manually from a range of different information sources. This was a laborious process.

In addition, growth has been organic and some of the key team members have other commitments outside of the business. This has made it difficult to focus on the strategic plan for growth going forward.

Solution – Support Given

Through the Accelerator programme, the business has accessed 1-to-1 support from East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, David Smith. With support from David, EFD Sport & Education has applied for and successfully been awarded funding which includes:

• A £2,000 Growth Voucher which allowed EFD Sport & Education to bring in external expertise and coaching in strategic planning and goal setting to drive the business to the next level.
• The EMCCA High Growth Accelerator grant which has supported its purchase of industry-specific software. This enables faster and more consistent reporting for schools. The new software has also streamlined its processes which has enabled them to divert resources into other areas of the business.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

Through the new software the business will be able to gather the data they need in a more efficient way. This indirectly will safeguard jobs in the future as it allows EFD Sport & Education to showcase how good the service is. They will also save many hours of work, which will free up its staff to push the business forward in other ways.

“David has been a great help from the beginning and if you’re a small business with big(ish) ideas, I’d definitely recommend reaching out.”

- Ben Osborn, Managing Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Creative

Location: Derby

Based in Derby and established in June 2024 by Chris Green.

Pretty Decent is a one-person creative studio that helps early-stage businesses grow with smart, scalable branding, web design and graphic support.

Challenges faced

The biggest barrier to growth for Chris has been generating consistent leads and building out streamlined processes. Being a sole founder, it’s been a challenge for Chris to balance delivery with the behind-the-scenes work of marketing, sales and operations – especially in the early days.

Solution – Support Given

Chris has been supported through the Derbyshire Accelerator project and 1-to-1 advice from East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, Lisa Baggot. This includes helping the business access a £2,000 Growth Voucher for specialist marketing consultancy.

This consultancy support has given Chris ‘an extra set of eyes’ to sense-check how the business is positioned and operates. It has helped Chris map out customer journeys, strengthen sales funnels and build more consistent marketing plans.

Chris commented: “Lisa has been consistently supportive and available to answer questions. She’s also guided me through working out my breakeven point, ideal rates, and sales planning. Her input has been invaluable in shaping the foundations of the business.”

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

Pretty Decent is surviving and Chris says for a new business that’s a very big deal. He’s realised his dream of having his own studio and since taking the leap, the support he’s had has been like a quiet but consistent push in the right direction. Chris adds: “It’s helped me feel more confident about where I’m heading, made my processes more focussed, and reminded me that I don’t have to figure it all out alone.”

Chris believes from the support he’s had both from Lisa and the consultancy he has probably saved around 20 to 30 hours. Time that would have been spent second-guessing pricing, planning or how to structure the business. He adds:

“That kind of clarity early on is hard to put a number on, but in real terms it’s helped me avoid undercharging, which could easily have cost £1,000 - £2,000 in lost income over just a few months. More importantly, it’s meant I’ve been able to focus on delivering quality work, not just figuring out how to stay afloat.”

“Having Lisa in my corner has made a massive difference. As a solo founder, it’s easy to feel like you’re making it up as you go, but her support gave me clarity, structure and confidence, when I needed it the most.

It’s not just advice; it feels like someone genuinely backing you to succeed.”

- Chris Green, Founder

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Property Rental

Location: Nottingham

Established in 1942, EMPO is a Landlords Association that supports and represents the needs of the private rented sector across the East Midlands.

With a team of four staff, EMPO works closely with government, local authorities, and industry partners to secure the best outcomes for independent landlords in the region.

Challenges faced

With legislation around the private rental sector increasing year-on-year, many landlords have chosen to leave the industry. This trend has made it more challenging for EMPO to sign up new members. In addition, a recent restructure within the office highlighted the need for improved processes and staff development to ensure smoother operations.

Solution – Support Given

To address these challenges, members of the EMPO team attended several in-person funded workshops which were delivered by East Midlands Chamber. These included training in AI, Social Media and Video Marketing, Website and SEO, and Employment and HR-related topics.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

Office Manager, Adeela Ahmed attended the HR Essentials workshop, and with access to expert speakers, was able to take action to ensure the business was up-to-date with employment law. This has resulted in happier staff and a more organised office.

Other team members responsible for marketing activity have also benefited from the training workshops. Marketing Manager, Hufeza Soni attended several sessions on social media and AI which has led to the introduction of new processes. The company has enhanced its LinkedIn profile and activity investing in Linked Ads, and they have introduced an AI meeting notes app.  By applying what they learnt, the team have adopted more effective marketing strategies, helping EMPO remain visible and relevant in a competitive environment.

“The support I have received from the East Midlands Chamber has helped me greatly to run a more efficient office where the staff are happier and I feel more confident.”

- Adeela Ahmed, Office Manager

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Professional Services

Location: High Peak

Whaley Bridge Coworkers is a not-for-profit coworking space supporting community arts, workshops and meeting room hire.

Set up by Director, Marella Cairns in December 2024, the quaint space is in the heart of Whaley Bridge village, High Peak.

The meeting space provides a comfortable environment with Wi-Fi for people working from home, digital nomads and people living nearby on the canal boats. During evenings and weekends, the space can be used as a meeting room, or host workshops or clubs. In addition, the wall space features and displays an ever-changing exhibition created by local artists.

Challenges faced

One of its biggest challenges has been raising awareness of the meeting and event facilities to potential clients. Another challenge is that Marella is the only person employed to manage the workspace. This means she is responsible not only for advertising and marketing, but also for handling bookings, welcoming clients and managing day-to-day operations. Therefore, her time and skills are limited to support the growth of the business.

Solution – Support Given

With the support from Chamber Business Adviser, Steve Phillips, the business accessed one-to-one advice through the Derbyshire Accelerator project. After an initial diagnostic, two areas of improvement were identified around digital transformation, specifically in developing a new website with a booking facility and a smart-lock systems to allow more autonomous access to the space.

To support the development of the website, Steve assisted Marella in successfully applying for a £2,000 Growth Voucher.

Growth Vouchers can be used for specialist training or consultancy support in any area where a business can demonstrate that new functionality or processes will support growth in your business.

This funding was used to create a user-friendly website and improve the booking process with integrated calendar functionality. The new website will also enhance online visibility through improved SEO, event promotion and newsletter sign-ups.

Alongside this website project, the business introduced a more streamlined marketing approach with a refreshed brand. This provided a clearer and more consistent visual identity across platforms, supported by new brand guidelines and assets. Branded templates were also created for marketing sign-up forms and new branded email communications that will help strengthen engagement with the community.

Additionally, the business now has a dedicated email address for the coworking space, replacing generic Gmail accounts and presenting a more professional image.

An integrated booking system has also been introduced, so clients can book and pay online. The system has been live for a number of weeks and alongside this, the business invested in an automated smart-lock system. This will be integrated with the booking process and will allow clients to access the office independently without the need of someone being present to let them in and out. Together, these improvements will free up Marella’s time to focus on networking and promoting the business.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

Since introducing the improvements, the business has already seen an uptake in the number of clients using the facility. Over the summer period they have seen an increase in people holidaying or visiting with family, using the co-working facility as a place to work.

A local business developed the new website and has also provided training to Marella, so she is able to update and add information to the various pages, keeping it fresh and interesting. This website is a lasting asset which will continue to benefit the coworking space to attract and retain future clients. The website is already providing results with 60% increase in engagement and better-quality leads and enquiries coming in.

Once the booking system is fully running, Marella will see even more improvements in the time she saves on answering messages from clients, as they will now be able to find this information quickly and easily.

“The support we had from our Chamber Business Adviser, Steve Phillips has been amazing. I was amazed at how quickly he had understood our business model and our requirements. Steve supported me through the Growth Voucher application process. The whole process has been fantastic; I’ve had a positive experience from start to finish!”

- Marella Cairns, Director

Read the full Case Study

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.

Sector: Scientific Research

Location: Gedling

Vesiculab Ltd is a scientific research company based in Bestwood Village, Gedling Nottinghamshire.

Established in June 2023, the company employs 5 people. Vesiculab provides advanced solutions for research in the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanomedicines, gene therapy and nanoparticle-based vaccines. They support scientists worldwide in facilitating pre and post analytics sample preparation for biotech companies who develop breakthrough therapies and vaccines such as mRNA-LNP vaccine.

Challenges faced

Founder and CEO, Dimitri Aubert, and COO Anne-Laure Aubert were experiencing a number of barriers to growth, with the most significant being access to sufficient capital to scale the business. To grow, Vesiculab needed to build a strong product pipeline, supported by both a dedicated sales and a technical support team.

Since launch the business has grown organically, skills and financial investment in marketing had been limited, making it difficult to compete with more established competitors.

A lack of capital also slowed down product development, limiting speed at which the Company could enhance product design and performance, which was something especially important to overseas customers.

Solution – Support Given

Dimitri and Anne-Laure connected with Chamber Adviser, Prashant Gandabhai who introduced them to the Made Smarter programme. With Prashant’s support Vesiculab secured a Grant of £19,800 which funded new digital systems strengthening quality control processes in line with ISO 9001 standards.

They also accessed support through the Skills Workshops and attended the local Gedling Business Support Network where they benefitted from expert talks, and valuable networking opportunities. More recently, with guidance from Business Advisers, Paul Stuart and Richard Crowden, Vesiculab applied for and secured an £8,000 Export Grant via the Export Accelerator. This funding enabled the company to re-engineer components of its products, making them more suitable for marketing in the US and Asia-Pacific.

The company is now exploring support through the High Growth Accelerator as it prepares for the next phase of scaling and expansion.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

The funded advice and support has enabled Vesiculab to significantly improve product quality, making their solutions more attractive to existing and prospective customers.

The implementation of the new digital quality control systems has reduced waste in new product design by up to 50%, which has saved huge amounts of energy. The company has also taken steps towards achieving compliance with internationally recognised quality standards expected by biotech and pharmaceuticals companies. Increased overseas sales supported the recruitment of an Export Assistant and plans are underway to further expand to meet growing manufacturing demand.

“The support we received through the Chamber and its funded programmes has been invaluable. The Business Advisers understand the needs of fast-growing businesses such as Vesiculab, and they have genuinely taken interest in our success and we are excited about what the future holds.”

- Dimitri Aubert, Founder and CEO

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Manufacturing

Location: High Peak

Slõ Drinks is a manufacturing business based in Glossop, Derbyshire and was established in 2005 by Mathew Done.

It makes drinks that flow slowly to help those with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) to drink safely without choking. Its products include drinks for hydration made with Slõ Syrup – a liquid drinks thickener, and for nutrition there’s Slõ Milkshakes+. Both products are available to prescribe by doctors/clinicians and can be purchased through its eCommerce website.

The business employs three people and has an extended team of 10 people who support a range of company activities.

Challenges faced

Slõ Drinks has been selling to the NHS for several years. However, working with such a large organisation means things move at a very slow pace. To achieve its growth ambitions the business has been looking to export and wanted to target 11 European countries.

Solution – Support Given

Slõ Drinks has taken advantage of various support services to build the business.

East Midlands Manufacturing Network (EMMN)

It has been a member of the East Midlands Manufacturing Network since 2023 attending the regular forum meetings where founder, Mathew Done has had the opportunity to meet peers, exchange ideas and hear about different ways of running the business. In fact, Mathew will be sharing his exporting experience as guest speaker at the EMMN Regional Meeting later this year.

Made Smarter East Midlands

The business had some advice from the Made Smarter East Midlands programme which helps businesses explore digital technology to improve efficiency and cut costs. They were guided by David Dobson and signposted to Made Smarter Innovation regarding support with data analysis.

Innovate UK Business Growth

Adviser, Neil McCluskey provided support through the Innovate UK Business Growth High Growth programme. This included an intensive business diagnostic to determine the business support direction.

Following this the business proactively engaged with the Enterprise Europe Network creating a business profile on the EEN Partners and opportunities database. This resulted in interest from a German distribution agent. Slõ Drinks are currently following up on the initial conversations and developing a formal distribution agreement for the German market. It is now hoping to move up to the next level of Innovate UK Business Growth Support – the Scale Up Programme!

East Midlands Chamber International Team

The Chamber’s international team has also provided origin consultancy on its commodity code for trade with the EU and the UK under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) earlier this year.

Accelerator Programme

More recently the business has been supported by the Derbyshire Accelerator project, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber. Derbyshire Accelerator provides 1-to-1 advice and coaching, Growth Vouchers up to £2,000 for specialist consultancy and an extensive workshop programme for established businesses.

It was at one of the EMMN meetings, Mathew heard about Accelerator. Through working with Business Adviser, David Smith and following a business diagnostic Slõ Drinks registered onto the EMCCA funded Export Accelerator project, which supports Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire businesses to explore and enter new markets.

With guidance from David, they applied and were successfully awarded a grant of £7,584 enabling the business to upgrade its website and make it compatible in 11 countries across Europe. This included translations of web pages and downloadable documents. This support will help Slõ Drinks accelerate its export plans.

In addition, the business was also successful in its application for a High Peak Business Development Grant of £10,000, through High Peak Borough Council. This grant has been used to purchase and install a sachet-packing machine to automate the filling and sealing of Slõ Syrup into single serve sachets, making them more convenient for customers.

Mathew and his team have attended several training sessions including Lean Manufacturing, Harnessing AI for Business, and were involved in the Peer Network programme.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

The support has had a significant impact on the business. Its processes have been streamlined saving a great deal of time. The 1-to-1 business advice and international support has increased their knowledge, and they’ve been able to get a foothold into the countries they wanted to specifically target.

Mathew added:

“Just the support internationalising the web site, has saved us, at the very least 3 months in time! When you factor in all the other support received so far – add another two months - and the time we will save in the future – with the support and guidance I know is available - it will be a multiple of these.”

“It’s this type of support that has bolstered the foundations we have built to give me the confidence for us to take on the challenge of expanding into Europe. Knowing that as the inevitable problems arise, I have somewhere to turn for invaluable advice.”

- Mathew Done, Founder and MD

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Food & Beverage

Location: Derby

The Little Brewing Company came to life in March 2020 when the current management team bought the assets and "goodwill" of the then Littleover Brewery.

The re-brand took place in 2022, with Director Matt Willers using his previous experience of running a micropub to take the helm, fully supported by his father and fellow director Nick.

In 2024, the pair invested in new premises – The Tiny Tap – to provide a retail front. At the same time, they invested in additional brewing capacity to commence keg brewing to cater for a wider audience not reached by their cask beers.

The business has since grown to a team of 13 people to include the brewery tap bar staff.

Challenges faced

Competition from the large multinational brewers is fierce since they can offer their products at a much lower price and are able to lock pub groups into supply agreements. Nevertheless, the Little Brewing Company’s growth has been exponential, and despite the investment in additional brewing capacity in 2024, there are already limitations on the range and volume of beers the team can produce.

At the same time, the business had identified the exciting potential of export. It had undertaken research into the countries most receptive to craft beers and were keen to implement these plans as quickly as possible.

Solution – Support Given

East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, David Smith introduced the business to the support on offer from the EMCCA Export and High Growth Accelerator projects. 

With his guidance on applying, the business was able to secure grant funding from the Export Accelerator project to commission the re-design and re-print of its canning labels in readiness for its launch into new export markets. The business was also successful in applying for support from the High Growth Accelerator project to scale-up its brewing capacity and, in turn, the range of beers on offer.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

The business has been able to use the cash reserves built up for these projects to hire additional staff, as well as invest in energy saving technology.

It has streamlined its production process by adding new tanks that allow it to condition for longer, which in turn has improved the quality of the product.

As a result, brewing capacity has increased by 30,000 litre per annum and products are now ready for the export market, with an initial launch into Norway and Sweden now planned.

“We honestly could not have navigated the grant process without David’s support. The impact it has had on the business has enabled us to push on with high-growth projects that will not only safeguard jobs but allow us to invest in additional people. We are incredibly grateful for his support and for the support of East Midlands Chamber”.

- Matt Willers, Director

Read the full Case Study

Sector: Event Management

Location: Bassetlaw

Trans-Sport.tv is a global events company based in Treswell specialising in the transportation and technical delivery of equipment and personnel to major televised events worldwide.

The family business, started by husband and wife, Shaun and Helen Cope over 30 years ago, supply solutions, people, equipment, transport and manufacturing for all types of events but mostly televised, from the World Championship Snooker staged in Sheffield to the King’s Coronation to Tuxford Academy’s school production of Oliver, and everything in between!

For the last 18 years it has been the contractor of choice for the BBC events team covering all royal and parliamentary occasions including the late Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and most notably her funeral, watched by millions of people around the globe.

Although Shaun and Helen are still active in the business their children - William (Operations Director) and Rosie (Managing Director) together with their Executive Team - run the business from rural Bassetlaw, which has excellent access to main arterial roads, rail, sea and air facilities enabling an efficient service on a worldwide platform.

Accolades in 2024 include winning ‘Family Business of the Year’ in the North Notts Business Awards and being finalists in East Midlands Chamber’s Business Awards for ‘Small Business of the Year’.

Most recently the Trans-Sport.tv team is celebrating its win as ‘Small Business of the Year’ at the 2025 Enterprising Women Awards.

Challenges faced

The business has a strong appetite for new and emerging overseas territories. It is ideally placed through existing relationships with UK sports promotors and outside broadcast facilitators to work with and develop key relationships. However, one of its challenges, especially since Brexit, has been in accessing these overseas markets with issues around international documentation, entry and exit rules.

Also, for the business to be able to satisfy and maintain current levels of work, here and overseas, it is critical for Trans-Sport.tv to have the technology and infrastructure to grow in all areas - revenue, productivity, people and processes - year-on-year.

The biggest challenge remains to be centred around recruiting and retaining the right people as well as training requirements to facilitate pushing down and releasing key members of staff to enable more work on, rather than in the business.

Solution – Support Given

Chamber member, Trans-Sport.tv took advantage of Accelerator support last year. This included business advice, a growth grant from Bassetlaw District Council to purchase equipment plus a premises audit and grant towards energy efficiencies. It also benefitted from funding via the Made Smarter East Midlands project for a new barcoding system.

More recently it has worked with Chamber Business Adviser, David Smith in three areas:

• High Growth Accelerator: funding through this EMCCA support project is enabling training and coaching of new rigger team leaders, including the creation of personal development plans, ensuring each person has the skills and behaviours to deliver in their new roles.
  This will protect its existing business whilst the coaching and training element is critical to the second part of the process to upgrade its website as detailed below – both projects together will win new business – and are resolvedly linked.
  The impact of the coaching and training will ensure Trans-Sport.tv’s market share and trajectory domination of televised world pool events remains on track.
• Export Accelerator: The business has worked with David to also secure support and funding from the EMCCA Export Accelerator project which helps new and established businesses to explore or enter new overseas markets.
  Funding has been used to refresh its website helping to keep it current and ensure that cultural words, pictures and colours are relevant and not offensive to its emerging overseas markets. The Trans-Sport.tv website acts as its shop window. The challenge is for this to be ‘glitzy’ enough to satisfy some markets yet culturally sensitive enough to satisfy others.
  The refreshed website will give the impression the business is big enough to handle projects in these territories and will act as part of the process to win new business. The website is critical but the second part of the process to win new business is capacity, supported by the High Growth Accelerator as detailed above.
• Commercial Training Bursary: Being registered on the High Growth and Export Accelerator projects enabled the business to take advantage of a £2,000 commercial training bursary from the Chamber. This funding will support two members of the team for the Director Development and Manager Development training programmes.
  Team members have also attended the fully funded Accelerator workshops including Getting Started with HR, Harnessing AI for Business, Recruitment and Selection – how to recruit the right staff.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

The implementation of a redeveloped website with international markets in mind will improve productivity and enable the business to develop and grow its export markets. More specifically to reach into new territories whilst retaining and growing existing export markets.

Two new positions have been created as a result of the Export and High Growth Accelerator support and the business is anticipating an increase in productivity and a strengthening of its export position. The support has offered a solution to help them access new international markets.

The successful upskilling and release of those key operational team members via the consultancy support and the High Growth grant will directly impact its expansion of market share of global televised sports, enhance productivity and enable the business to take on more work.

In addition, the Director and Manager training programmes will further strengthen its leadership team and increase skills of the staff taking part to lead and deliver their teams forward. This will subsequently support an overall improvement to the services it offers its customers.

The business believes the support will improve its sales conversion rate to 95%.

“Getting and retaining the competitive advantage, whether that’s via our people or processes is a constant challenge for our Executive Team.

With the two-strand approach achieved via the High Growth and Export Accelerator, funding our business will 100% be placed to access new markets, increase productivity, revenue, people and processes.

We are grateful for the ongoing support from the Chamber and the specific projects funded by Government.”

- Helen Cope, Director

Read the full Case Study

This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.

Sector: Manufacturing

Location: Erewash

MW Polymer Products Ltd (MW Polymers) was established 48 years ago by current chairman, Mike Wild.

Based in Little Eaton, Derby the business took its current form and name in December 1992 and is a leading manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and industrial coatings for the utility sector. It provides innovative pipeline remediation technology especially to the gas sector (including all gas distribution networks). There are 15 employees who work from its 13,000 sq. ft facility, where all products are made.

Challenges faced

The fluctuating economy and inflation have been the primary challenges for MW Polymers. These factors have driven up production costs and the price of essential services required to operate. In addition, the year-on-year increase in wages, rising energy costs and war in the Ukraine have upped the cost of oil or oil-based products, which have also contributed to the cost of production.

Solution – Support Given

MW Polymers is being supported by the Derbyshire Accelerator project, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.

It has taken advantage of several support areas:

• Last year the business secured funding from Made Smarter East Midlands which provided expert advice to support its digital transformation through road mapping and automation to improved operational efficiency and boost productivity.
• More recently MW Polymers has been working with Chamber Business Adviser, Richard Smallwood. Richard has introduced the business to the Export Accelerator project which supports businesses to enter and explore new international markets. They are looking for funding to upskill staff and give them an advanced understanding of international trade and custom procedures to facilitate operations.
  The MW Polymers team are also talking to the Chamber’s International team to explore potential funding to engage in new markets and increase international reach through attendance at overseas events through the Export Accelerator project.
• The business is a member of the Chamber’s East Midlands Manufacturing Network (EMMN).  The Network has opened doors through information and advice from fellow manufacturers in the area and network partners to support operations and discuss similar difficulties.
• In addition, through Richard’s 1-to-1 adviser support and mentoring MW Polymers has applied for and been successfully awarded Erewash Borough Council’s Grant for Research and Development this year for the design of a new water repair clamp.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

It’s early days but the business anticipates the benefit of improved understanding and capacity around international trade procedures, new market entry and presence from the Export Accelerator support.

The Council grant will push its core project into development, reducing costs significantly and ensuring the product to market timeline is undisturbed by external factors.

“M.W. Polymers is enormously proud to be a recipient of the Erewash Borough Council Research & Development Grant.

We appreciate the support provided by the government to support SMEs in the region. We also applaud the dissemination efforts of the Chamber to its members and the entire region and encourage them to continue championing efforts to boost industry growth.

We thank all external stakeholders both private and public for their continuous support and contributions.”

- Mike Wild, CEO

Read the full Case Study

This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.

Sector: Retail

Location: High Peak

New Mills Market Hall (which expects to employ 10-20 people once it is up and running) is the brainchild of four lifelong friends who have come together to restore the iconic but vacant Market Hall building into a unique, welcoming food and drink space that celebrates the spirit, culture and history of the town.

The ownership of the building, management of the property and the trading business are all tied together but will operate under different roles and responsibilities. The team therefore needed professional guidance to ensure everything is structured properly from the start.

Challenges faced

The team pooled their savings and got huge support from family members and the like-minded seller of the building. The greatest barrier to making their dream a reality is, however, funding. An ambitious crowdfunding campaign has been set up to raise £25,000 to complete key works and support the opening of a space that will fuse the best of High Peak and the urban flavour of city street food under the same roof.

Solution – Support Given

Support from East Midlands Chamber together with a start-up grant from Derbyshire County Council has given the fundraising campaign the boost it needs.

One-to-one business advice from Chamber Business Adviser Steve Phillips has supported the business in applying for a Growth Voucher for expert financial advice. The chosen accountant had previous experience of advising on similar property-backed ventures, was familiar with the legal, tax, and operational considerations of setting up layered ownership structures and had practical experience of VAT planning in complex property and hospitality settings. Their understanding of how to implement integrated accounting and EPOS systems using Xero and the Access Group suite – both of which will be relied upon to run the food hall efficiently – also proved valuable.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

As a result of the financial advice received, the business has a much better understanding of tax implications, how best to separate risk between the trading business and the building itself, and putting in place agreements to protect the four owners. Most importantly, it means the business is set up to run smoothly and sustainably from day one, without needing to restructure later at much greater cost and disruption.

“This space is important; not just for us, but for generations of New Mills locals. It’s hard to measure precisely, as we implemented the consultancy at such an early stage, but in theory, accessing this support could have saved us many thousands in future fees and taxes.

Our Chamber Business Adviser Steve Phillips was incredibly helpful in ensuring we accessed the right financial consultancy at the right time and has given us confidence we are more streamlined, financially resilient, and better prepared for growth.”

- Beth Eadie, Co-Owner

Read the full Case Study

This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.

Sector: Manufacturing

Location: High Peak

A4 Laser Labels is a self-adhesive labels manufacturer and printer located at Whaley Bridge, in the High Peak District.

It began in June 2017 and has 23 employees. Earlier this year the business moved to larger premises, located at Bingswood Industrial Estate, which has more than 3,700sqm of space.

Challenges faced

In recent years, A4 Laser Labels has seen increased competitor activity, in particular cheaper alternatives coming from overseas which has affected sales. Rising energy costs as well as recent hikes in NI and National Minimum Wage have also taken a toll.

Solution – Support Given

A4 Laser Labels is being supported by the Derbyshire Accelerator project, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.

Working with Chamber Business Adviser, Richard Crowden, the company successfully applied for a Growth Voucher.

Businesses in Derbyshire (excluding Bolsover and South Derbyshire) can apply for a Growth Voucher up to the value of £2,000 to fund specialist training or consultancy which has been identified in an action plan.

The business was keen to recycle its waste more efficiently and reduce costs. The Growth Voucher enables A4 Laser Labels to fund an external consultant to evaluate its current processes of waste removal and design an extraction system to separate the recyclable and non-recyclable waste.

A4 Laser Labels has also just been awarded an Export Accelerator grant. Export Accelerator supports new and established exporters to navigate the complexities of international trade whether that’s to undertake initial research or launch a new product or service overseas through grants, events and specialist advisers.

Research has indicated that the Netherlands is potentially an excellent market for the business with turnover, production, staffing numbers and profitability all likely to increase. The grant will be used to help the business translate its current site into Dutch enabling expansion into this market, something which would have been greatly delayed without the grant.

Richard has also introduced A4 Laser Labels to the East Midlands Manufacturing Network, a Chamber initiative which provides peer support, insights and updates for manufacturers in the region through a manufacturing network adviser and regular forums.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

It’s early days, but it’s hoped the new systems will enable the business to recycle more efficiently, with a lot less material going to waste (estimated 90%) and also create jobs.

“The assistance afforded by the Growth Voucher will enable us to use our consultant to investigate systems to make us more energy efficient and recycle more of our waste.”

- Laurence Bloom, Chairman & Director

Read the full Case Study

This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.

Sector: Travel

Location: Gedling

Blue Stamp Travel specialises in tailor-made cultural tours, language courses and work experience abroad.

Since its inception in 2018, it has grown to employ ten staff which has led to a recent move to new premises in Daybrook, Nottingham.

Challenges faced

Working in international markets means this Chamber member business is highly exposed to the volatility of the exchange rate. A single political event or decision on the other side of the world can have an impact on its transactions and requires the business to be continually fleet footed in how it manages its operations. At the same time, it seeks to achieve its ambition to become a more sustainable business and to develop a growing portfolio of destinations and organising more trips that inevitably require an increase in staffing capacity. Choosing when to scale up and managing staff and workload through this change takes some consideration, not least against a backdrop of global uncertainty.

Solution – Support Given

Under the first round of the Accelerator project, the business took advantage of a premises energy audit which supported its successful application for a £10,000 decarbonisation grant from Gedling Borough Council, contributing to the purchase and installation of a solar battery and two replacement energy efficient external doors.  Staff knowledge was boosted by attending the Accelerator workshops on HR Essentials and Marketing Made Easy for Tourism Businesses, and its Managing Director Steve Manderson boosted his personal network by regularly attending the Gedling Business Support Network meetings.

Most recently, the business has benefitted from an £8,000 High Growth Accelerator grant to develop a trip planning portal to efficiently manage enquiries, quotes, bookings and trip delivery.  Since first implementing this platform with the support of a £2,500 Business Growth Grant from Gedling Borough Council, the business has increased capacity for delivering more packages.  The High Growth Accelerator grant will develop the platform further to support work with the increased number of students and schools.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

As a result of enhancing its Group Trip web pages and refining the way it quotes, as well as the presentation of its quotes, the business expects Accelerator support to increase the number of enquiries for group travel. The business’s success rate of converting enquiries to sales is already very good so it anticipates this will directly lead to increased sales. In anticipation of this, it has appointed a new member of staff. 

“Maintaining and developing the bespoke technology that sits behind so many of the company systems and operations is an ongoing labour of love.

The support we have received with this through the Accelerator programme has allowed us to grow and enhance our offer at a much faster rate than would otherwise be possible.”

- Steve Manderson, Managing Director 

Read the full Case Study

This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.