Ellenvale Interiors
24 October 2024
Sector: Online Retail
Location: Chesterfield
Founded in January 2021 by Annie Johnson, Ellenvale Interiors stands as a beacon of style and sophistication in the realm of soft furnishings.
The inception of this online store was not just a business venture for Annie; it was a passion project driven by a desire to blend the timeless charm of English country designs with the modern aesthetics of today.
The business is already expanding and has recently moved to larger premises based in Bridge Way, Chesterfield. It has three employees.
Challenges faced
Ellenvale Interiors faced a few challenges. The business was using a manual process in the warehouse for labelling, stock control, order processing, fulfilment and despatch. This was quite labour-intensive and left them open to errors. It also restricted their capacity to grow and meet their aspirations to sell their product range into large high-street retailers.
Supply chain problems were also hindering growth; reliability and turnaround time for cushion pads to meet its current customer demand were falling short.
Solution and Impact
Annie has been supported by Business Adviser, Peter Lawrence and the Accelerator Project. Accelerator is funded by Chesterfield Borough Council’s share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.
Through one-to-one adviser support, they have not only identified the current challenges faced by Ellenvale Interiors but also sourced a number of solutions. This includes grant funding, digital processes and international trade support.
The business was successfully awarded a Growth Voucher which enabled them to enlist the support of Rob Gregory from Magnifica. Rob carried out technology and software research and produced recommendations on how to implement these. This included new warehouse hardware and systems to improve productivity.
Peter is also working with Ellenvale to scope and navigate potential Made Smarter and Innovate UK help for specialist manufacturing support and funding to bring cushion-making in-house.
Annie commented: “We have recently introduced new software that will help us streamline our processes and we expect to see more efficient order and despatch turnaround times.
Having the system in place has also led to a new role and is supporting our growth step change to work with well-known high street retailers and wholesalers.”
Annie and some of the team have also taken advantage of the fully funded Accelerator workshops and webinars including Advanced Guide to SEO, Introduction to Marketing AI and ChatGPT, The one-hour Google Ads Course, Champagne Marketing on a Lemonade Budget and more.
“The support from Peter at the Chamber has been invaluable.
It has led us down the right path in terms of finding the correct systems moving forward and it has also helped the whole team in terms of training.
- Annie Johnson, Founder
This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber on behalf of Chesterfield Borough Council.
