Sector: Servicing Portable Toilets

Location: Chesterfield

Get Loos is a Chesterfield based business covering the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.

Established in September 2021, it provides fully serviced portable toilets to the construction and events industries. There are currently six full-time employees and one part-time.

Challenges faced

As a young and fast-growing business, one of its biggest challenges has been scaling sustainably, while navigating an unstable economy, high inflation and the ripple effects of customers going out of business. To keep up with demand, Get Loos has had to continually invest in new assets, but accessing finance at the right time and at sustainable rates, has proved one of the hardest parts of the journey.

Beyond the financial hurdles, the business has also faced growing pains internally such as keeping up with enquiries, managing customers efficiently, and ensuring nothing slips through the cracks as it expands.

Adam Sinnott, co-founder, comments: “We knew we needed better systems and stronger leadership structures to match the pace of our growth, but finding the right guidance and tools wasn’t always easy.”

Solution – Support Given

Get Loos has been supported by East Midlands Chamber’s Senior Business Adviser, Peter Lawrence and the Accelerator project. Peter conducted a thorough business review to understand where the business was and its growth aspirations.

During the 1-to-1 meetings they established that Get Loos was eligible for the High Growth Accelerator project, which helps scaling businesses in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Peter provided guidance on the application process helping the business secure a high growth grant of £5,616. This has enabled Get Loos to implement a new CRM system and automation tools which have transformed the way they handle enquiries and customer relationships.

Peter also supported the business with its application for a £2,000 Growth Voucher. This funding has been used to develop a strategic management process - using an external consultant - giving the team space to step back from day-to-day operations and see the business from an aerial view. This will be a game-changer in helping Get Loos make better decisions and focus on what really drives growth.

Adam commented: “Through Peter’s support we finally found someone who genuinely took the time to understand our business, our challenges and our ambitions. Peter has been amazing, not only helping us find practical solutions but also encouraging us to think bigger and run the business with more clarity and confidence.”

Accelerator has also funded a place for Adam to attend the Chamber’s five-day Director Development programme. Adam believes this will strengthen his leadership skills and give the team valuable tools to run the business more effectively, not just for today but in the future.

Recently, Adam has also attended the Access to Finance workshop, part of the High Growth Academy series, which provided a road map to understanding and securing funding.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

The support has had a huge impact on the business and team. Implementing the CRM system and automation tools has completely streamlined how Get Loos manage enquiries, quotes and customer follow up. This has saved the business around 15 hours a week in administration time, increased conversions and significantly reduced missed opportunities.

Business processes are now far more efficient, allowing Get Loos to handle higher volumes of work without needing to immediately expand the administration team. It has also improved communication between departments, giving it clearer visibility of the customer journey from enquiry to collection.

The investment has made Get Loos more competitive, safeguarded jobs and set it up for sustainable growth. It’s also freed up valuable time and headspace to explore its longer-term goals including acquiring other portable toilet businesses and seeking investment partners to accelerate expansion across the Midlands and beyond.

“The support from East Midlands Chamber has been transformational and Peter has been incredible. He genuinely cares and took time to understand who we are, and what we’re trying to achieve.

The High Growth Grant, Growth Voucher and training have not only improved how we run the business day-to-day, but also how we think as business owners.

We’re now more structured, more confident and more in control of our growth than ever before. I only wish we’d found this support years before.”

- Adam Sinnott, Co-founder

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Sector: Education

Location: Nottingham

Mariposa Education and Training is based in Nottingham and was set up in April 2021 by Vanessa McFarlane.

Vanessa is a sole trader who is supported by 2 or 3 freelancers in her business. The business delivers high quality Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) to young people in schools, communities, colleges and universities. It also provides expert training to equip staff from these organisations with the skills and confidence to delivery effective and inclusive RSHE.

Challenges faced

The main challenge for the business centred around generating new business to be able to get into new schools and organisations. Although the benefits of social media were recognised, there was a lack of time and experience to put an effective plan together to engage with the target audience and build a following.

On top of this, shrinking budgets and demand to spend it on other things has led many schools to deliver more in-house RSHE, which is reducing the need for external suppliers.

Solution – Support Given

Mariposa Education and Training has been supported by the Nottingham Accelerator project. East Midlands Chamber’s Business Adviser Richard Crowden has conducted a diagnostic with the business to find out where it is now and its growth plans. Richard has provided 1-to-1 advice to Vanessa and helped her apply for a £2,000 Growth Voucher. This has funded specialist social media consultancy and training through Klir Online, a business already familiar with Mariposa Education and Training.

Klir Online will support Vanessa to enhance her social media skills and improve the digital presence of the business, to make it more visible and generate leads.

Vanessa is introducing new processes to manage her social media presence on Instagram and Facebook, which is enabling a more strategic approach. She hopes to learn how to use social media as a more effective marketing tool to increase bookings for her services in education, training and life coaching.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

It’s early days but Vanessa hopes with a planned and strategic approach to her digital marketing, this will provide increased business, in particular lead generation through social media platforms. In the long term her aim would be to hire someone to take on this role and incorporate the use of AI to grow the business.

“I’m excited about the support being given. The Growth Voucher will help improve my skills and give me a better understanding of AI. I hope this will help increase the business profile and knowledge and ultimately lead to new business.”

- Vanessa McFarlane, Founder

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Sector: Retail

Location: North East Derbyshire

Nibbles, Needles and Hooks is a wool and coffee shop based in Lower Pilsley, North East Derbyshire. It was established in February 2023 and is owned by former teacher Liz Grec and partner, Simon Edwards, who runs the coffee shop.

In essence the business is a welcoming space where people can sit, drink coffee, make and talk. It has helped grow and nurture friendships across various ages, backgrounds and geographies. Liz is proud to provide their small village with a focal point, open five days a week, that offers a place for them to visit and build connections.

Nibbles, Needles and Hooks also sells its goods online from a range of local, national and international makers, supporting other small businesses as much as possible.

Challenges faced

The small size of the building has meant the business cannot reach a large instore audience, so Liz has been looking at the online store as a way of increasing sales. However, the online store struggles to compete with the larger businesses who have very large online and print advertising budgets. The current website was found to have limited SEO features which was further limiting online reach.

Solution – Support Given

Working on a 1-to-1 basis with East Midlands Chamber’s Business Adviser, David Smith, Liz was quickly able to establish the direction of support needed to grow the business. The business is being supported through the Accelerator project.

Liz knew the website was holding her back from more online sales. After completing an online Digital Marketing course, she felt the current site’s SEO needed improvement. However, through conversations with a consultant, signposted by David, the limitations of the current site were highlighted including the website platform being used.

The business was able to apply for a £2,000 Growth Voucher, through Accelerator, which was used for specialist website consultancy support from Rob Gregory of Magnifica. Rob has helped Liz to build a new website which will address all the shortcomings for the old site, including increased SEO capabilities.

Liz comments: “The knowledge I have gained regarding building my own ecommerce website will enable me to continue to work at increasing SEO and making every individual product more visible.”

The task of transferring 800 individually listed products from the existing site is huge and this is something Liz will be working on in coming months.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

A better website will mean higher rankings on Google searches bringing better visibility among the target audience and increased online sales. A longer-term goal is to link the website to the business’ POS system and streamline the inventory across the two. This will save man hours in the processing of stock items.

Liz commented that the hours saved through the consultancy support from Rob Gregory, is “immeasurable”. The old website was built over 2 ½ years ago by Simon via GoDaddy, and stock listed was half what it is now. Liz added that Rob’s advice on navigating the new platform (WordPress and WooCommerce) has saved hours and hours of trial and error. Rob was able to guide Liz on a number of things including how to create templates, the most efficient way to organise stock items, and what information was needed for each listing, to make it most visible to search engines, like Google.

“I am incredibly happy with the support I’ve received from the Chamber and for the Growth Voucher. It has enabled me to receive support and guidance that otherwise would have been far beyond my current means.

While the outcome is still in progress I have more than enough knowledge to make this happen myself now.”

- Liz Grec, Owner

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Sector: Manufacturing

Location: Erewash

With their headquarters based in Erewash, Derbyshire, Atlas Composite Technologies Ltd is a leading UK-based manufacturer of advanced composite tooling, components, and assemblies.

Originally established in 1998 it came under its current ownership in 2017. The business is led by Managing Director Ben Swain, supported by a senior management team. Today the company employs approximately 100 full time staff and is rapidly expanding.

Atlas Composite Technologies Ltd specialises in the design and manufacture of composite tooling, as well as the production of lightweight, high-performance composite parts and assemblies. Its solutions are used across a range of sectors, including aerospace, defence, motorsport, and niche automotive.

Challenges faced

There were several barriers the business was facing driven by a combination of different factors. The greatest being increases in energy costs which had an impact on parts of the business and led to uncertainty around the true cost of manufacture. This also meant that they struggled to identify how best to tackle these issues and make savings in energy and labour costs. In particular, the business recognised the need to embrace greater digitalisation across all functions and was still at the early stages of this process.

Solution – Support Given

Head of Strategy, Grace Atkinson engaged with the Accelerator project and, with guidance from Business Adviser Richard Smallwood, explored opportunities for business growth and in particular how they could address the various challenges that they were facing. Together, they identified digitalisation as a key driver for progress. On this advice, Grace was introduced to Tim Telford of Devtank, who are a Derby based business specialising in test, measurement, and smart solutions. With Tim and his team’s expertise Atlas developed a detailed plan and proposal to introduce sophisticated digital monitoring equipment across key parts of the business.

With this proposal, Atlas successfully applied for a Research and Development grant from Erewash Borough Council, securing the maximum amount of £20,000. This funding enabled the installation of energy monitoring equipment, giving the business accurate insight into the true cost of manufacture within key processes across their business.

The Atlas Team have also taken part in a range of workshops to support ongoing growth, including Carbon Literacy training and skills workshops on team management and harnessing AI.

Following the Harnessing AI workshop, Grace recognised how the business could benefit from adopting this technology. With adviser support, Atlas have applied for a £2,000 Growth Voucher under the Derbyshire Accelerator project. This funding will be used to access consultancy on integrating AI (Microsoft Copilot) in their business. The consultancy will be delivered by Martin Broadhurst from Broadhurst Digital.

The business has further benefited from Chamber networks such as the East Midlands Manufacturing Network and is now looking forward to exploring international opportunities through the Export Accelerator.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

The investment in the new monitoring system should make a huge difference to the business. The business now has greater visibility of manufacturing costs, helping to improve efficiency, margins and competitiveness. This in turn will create opportunities for growth, job creation, and staff development, while safeguarding existing roles.

“The support that we’ve had from the Chamber has been excellent and we have been particularly impressed with the way business advice has been provided allowing us to go at our own speed, which is a real breath of fresh air. We would recommend the Chamber’s funded support programmes to other SMEs.”

- Ben Swain, Managing Director

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Sector: Renewable Energy

Location: Erewash

LJM Solutions was set up in March 2023, right in the middle of global uncertainty about energy prices. Its mission is to help homes and businesses take control of their energy future through safe, high-quality electrical and solar installations.

The family business, which started in a garden shed, has grown quickly and now has a team of 14 skilled electricians, solar engineers and office administrators, all sharing the same goal to make a real difference to people, businesses and the planet.
Its work spans residential, commercial and social housing from large scale solar energy installations and rewiring projects to community retrofit programmes and domestic homes across England. It is based in Long Eaton, Derbyshire and its vision is to power a cleaner, more resilient future for the communities it serves.

Challenges faced

LJM Solution’s biggest barrier to growth right now is skills. The business employs a talented team of qualified electricians and solar engineers encompassing a diverse workforce from the local area. It also has a strong apprenticeship programme to develop the next generation of renewable energy professionals.  But despite this, they feel a broader regional effort is needed to build skills capacity and while national policy and government targets focus heavily on decarbonisation, the region still lacks the skills and qualified people to deliver it.

LJM Solutions feel without substantial and sustained investment in local training its ability to grow at the same pace will be constrained.

Solution – Support Given

The business has been supported by East Midlands Chamber’s Business Adviser, Richard Smallwood through the Accelerator programme. Richard also previously worked with LJM Solutions while at Erewash Borough Council.

Richard has undertaken a business diagnostic helping LJM Solutions access the right kind of support to move it forward. With guidance on the application, it secured a Growth Voucher with funding of £1,800 towards the cost of specialist consultancy which has been invested in SEO for its website.

Through Erewash Borough Council, LJM Solutions also secured a £20,000 innovation grant which has allowed them to start developing a new product for the solar energy sector – a potential game changer for the industry. The hope is to work with local universities to develop a prototype and eventually bring it to market. It could also lead to the creation of a new local manufacturing site in Erewash, helping to anchor skilled green jobs in its community. Richard has introduced the business to the Chamber’s East Midlands Manufacturing Network (EMMN) to support this when the time is right.

Some of the team have also attended Accelerator training events including How to Safely Update your WordPress Website, The One-Hour Google Ads Course, Getting Started with HR and Introduction to Marketing AI & ChatGPT.

Impact – The Difference it’s Made

LJM Solution’s Managing Director, Lee Lindley feels the impact of the support has been nothing short of “transformative.”

In the past four months the business has employed four new team members and has vacancies for two more electricians, an operations manager and four solar roofers – real job creation for the East Midlands!

The results from the consultancy support have also been impressive. Lee adds: “It has completely changed the way we present ourselves as a business. It’s improved our online visibility, provided stronger lead generation and more meaningful engagement from clients who share our sustainability values. Vimana Digital, who delivered the consultancy support, has made the website more professional, secure and credible.”

The improvements have given new confidence to its principal contractors, strengthening partnerships and opening new doors. In fact, LJM Solutions have been approached to deliver three major social housing contracts under the Warm Homes government programme. It has also been successfully awarded places on several key regional energy efficiency frameworks including Nottinghamshire County Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Contracts from these frameworks are expected to begin imminently, leading to more job creation and training opportunities.

Lee concluded: “For us, Accelerator support has been more than marketing or funding – it’s helped build confidence, credibility and momentum. It’s proven that when small local companies are given the right support, we can deliver growth that benefits not just our company but our community.”

“What I’m most proud of is how support has helped us turn our growth into something bigger than ourselves. It’s not just powering LJM Solutions - it’s powering opportunities for others too. Every new job, every new installation, every new contract takes us one step closer to a cleaner, stronger and more sustainable East Midlands.”

- Lee Lindley, Managing Director

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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