Howson Design
7 April 2025
Sector: Interior Design
Location: Rushcliffe
Howson Design is an interior design practice dedicated to creating timeless, sustainable spaces.
Founded by Katy Raywood in 2020, the business was born from her passion for creativity and a desire to follow in her late father Lewis Howson’s entrepreneurial footsteps. Naming the business in his honour, Katy ensures his inspiration and legacy lives on through her designs.
Based in Rushcliffe, Howson Design offers a personal, creative service to clients across Nottingham and the East Midlands. Katy collaborates with a diverse network of designers, suppliers, and artisans - from renowned manufacturers to exclusive brands transforming homes into beautifully curated spaces.
Challenges faced
Katy's biggest challenge as a new business was marketing, primarily due to cost and time constraints, as she had to manage this herself. While she occasionally hired freelance marketers for support, budget limitations remained a hurdle.
Solution and Impact
Katy has been part of the Rushcliffe Business Partnership for the past four years, regularly attending its events and networking opportunities. At this network, Katy learned about the support available through the Accelerator project and was referred to Chamber Business Adviser, Insan Farooqi.
Accelerator is funded through Rushcliffe Borough Council’s share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber. After enrolling onto the project, Insan provided tailored 1-to-1 business advice, helping Katy identify and access the right support to overcome the key challenges she was facing.
Katy accessed a £1,000 Growth Voucher, which allowed her to work with digital consultant Ian Lockwood, an expert in SEO. Through Ian’s guidance, Katy gained essential knowledge on improving SEO strategies to better reach her target audience. As a result, Katy enhanced her own expertise and successfully increased the online visibility of her business website leading to a higher search engine ranking.
The support from the Accelerator project has helped Katy streamline her marketing strategy, develop new digital skills, and gain confidence to implement effective growth strategies. With these improvements, Katy is confident in attracting new business opportunities and contributing to job creation in the future.
“It’s great to know there is support out there for new businesses. I would like to say a big thank you to the business advisers from East Midlands Chamber who have been so incredibly helpful and supportive.”
- Katy Raywood, 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 Rushcliffe Borough Council.
