As London Fashion Week A/W 2022 comes to a close today, we’re feeling like it's about time to update our wardrobe! Stuck in a rut with your wardrobe too? Maybe you're feeling inspired to create runway pieces at home? From shoe making classes to vintage inspired clothing, we have BIPC businesses that are transforming the fashion industry to help pull you out of your rut. Find out how below

 

The Fold Line

The Fold Line is an award-winning online sewing pattern shop. Founded in 2015 and based in the UK, they are the home for people who love sewing and making their own clothes, offering an extensive range of paper and digital PDF sewing patterns plus copy shop printing services. They are on a sewing mission to help makers find the perfect project and create a handmade wardrobe they love. If the designs from London Fashion Week has inspired you to try your hand at sewing, why not try making one of The Fold Line's best selling sewing patterns for beginners.

Co-founders Rachel Walker and Kate Underdown took part in the Innovating for Growth Free Scale-Up programme and with the help of experts' advice, marketed their new online shop to an established community following. 

 

I Can Make Shoes

If shoes are more your style, why not try I Can Make Shoes, a London-based shoe-making school for beginners. Amanda founded the business back in 2010 to teach total beginners how to make their own shoes from home. Since we last spoke to the Innovating for Growth alumna, a lot has changed - she spent the first lockdown filming the same course content she had been teaching in-person for over 10 years and released it as an Online Course, this turned out to be great timing as people from all over the world had been wanting to take one of their courses but weren't able to travel the distance.

The past two years have been a very rocky road, as is the case many small businesses, but I Can Make Shoes has come out of it in a great position having had a chance reset the business and find their feet in the world of online training.

 

Revival Retro

Inspired by beautiful bygone eras Revival Retro’s garments have classic style, feminine tailoring and flattering cuts. They are the perfect antidote to the fast fashion and throwaway culture of the chain brands on the high street and are committed to enabling individual style with inclusive sizing (8-28). For the discerning woman who wants a better shopping experience, their thoughtful design and considered approach puts people, planet and provenance first. Clothing that women will choose to wear again and again, that are easy to care for, enabling this desire and therefor lowering impact on the environment.

Since completing Innovating for Growth in 2017 where they learned to create a solid foundation for their business plans, their small business has built upon lessons learned and stayed true to their values whilst navigating the challenges of the last few years.

 

Sabina Motasem

Sabina Motasem is a multi award-winning bridal boutique featured on vogue.com and in Elle. The entrepreneur and designer behind it is Sabina Ali whose dresses are proudly made right here in London with beautiful craftsmanship by an extraordinarily talented team. Having started in 2007, with a single wedding dress made as a present for a friend, Sabina's presence has steadily grown and she took part in our Innovating for Growth programme in 2012; it's an experience she calls "life changing" as it taught her the value of detaching herself and gaining perspective.

Like so many small businesses Sabina had to close her bridal shop in Islington but she believes it was the right thing to do. Her boutique is now online, becoming one of the first bridal brands in the country to pivot in this direction, and in 2022 she has started offering in-person appointments at bridal pop-up shops in Kings Cross, London.

 

Maria Grachvogel London

The Maria Grachvogel brand of Fashion and Luxury is about fit architecture – making clothes exist for the wearer, rather than the other way around. She engineers beautiful clothes, in fabrics that make every shape and size of woman look and feel her most confident, beautiful, and feminine. With a deep belief that cut and fit is transformative to the body and soul, each piece is carefully considered with seams that sculpt the body and fabric that drapes perfectly to move and flow as you do with thoughtful design details to enhance and flatter or allow for many ways to wear and style. The finest craftsmanship goes into every, considered piece so it can be loved and worn for many years. 

Watch the latest fashion film by Maria Grachvogel, Genesis - A New Dawn, which premiered during London Fashion Week on 21 February.   

 

B_Boheme

B_Boheme’s showcases how vegan, sustainable and ethical shoes can be desirable. The collection is 100% animal-free using the latest innovations in sustainable, plant-based materials, as well as natural and recycled materials. With their latest collection, they’ve upped the ante to create a collection with the lowest possible carbon footprint. It features three key styles that are designed to be bolder and brighter as well as durable and timelessly chic. They’ve focused on styles that women can wear to be comfortable while still elevating any outfit, the elegant flat shoe, the designer sneaker and the utility Chelsea boot.

Nigel Spencer is the Research and Business Development Manager for the BIPC and Electronic Services. He’s also the man behind our BIPC Reference team at the British Library, a team central to the support the BIPC provides to businesses through one to ones, intellectual property expertise and start up workshops. The team is going to miss Nigel's presence, as he retires this week so we wanted to give him a shout-out and say goodbye to him by bringing his knowledge and insight to you…

Nigel has been at the British Library for 39 years, when he started his work as a Clerical Officer on the Reference Desk at the Science Reference Library, Holborn in March 1983. A little bit of library trivia for you, this had previously been the Patent Office Library, and was funded to support innovation in the wake of the Great Exhibition of 1851.

“The library widened its coverage to include business information as well as intellectual property in 1982 – the origins of BIPC stretch back more years than you may have thought! I have been fortunate enough to be involved from the 1980s, to the service we launched in 2006 in the St Pancras building and that we are now rolling out across London and the rest of the UK.”

Through his career, Nigel saw the library change a great deal, from the arrival of the internet to the move from the Holborn site to St Pancras in the 1990s, which for Nigel, dominated the decade. He has managed reference teams across the Library, the Patent Express document delivery service, Imaging Services, managed European projects and much more. “Working on all of these has been challenging and fun and it has been wonderful to work with teams of highly motivated and talented people. It was also nice to spend some time working across Reference this year. Reference was where I started, so it feels right to work with this area just before I retire.”

What are your main interests or areas of expertise at the BIPC?

Information and the knowledge that can be gained from it has the power to change lives and this is what really keeps me motivated. This is particularly the case in the BIPC, our message is inclusive and the help we offer is very practical. This also applies to all the British Library collections, whether it is giving people a better appreciation of their own identity to having the confidence to form their own views based on evidence we provide.

I wouldn’t say that I am an expert in anything but in recent years I have become a strong advocate for the Lean Start-Up approach to starting a business. There is a lot of hyperbole about entrepreneurship and what makes an entrepreneur but, in contrast, this approach presents a simple process that is accessible to anyone.

What’s one BIPC resource you’d love to recommend to people?

I am going to take this opportunity to highlight what I think is a hidden treasure and the first collection I ever curated. This is the Trade Literature collection held in the basements. It is a collection of company catalogues and brochures dating back to the 1830s and they provide a rich insight into the detail of people’s lives and technological developments since then. Toy catalogues, for example, reveal detail about the nature of childhood at the time they were published, and the medical equipment catalogues from the 19th century make me very grateful to be living now rather than then! It isn’t all about history however, as they can also provide interesting design ideas that can be applied to new products.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself?

I was the least competent painter in my art class when I was 11. A mix up with colours led to me painting a picture that combined the Sussex countryside with a desert scene. This accidental surreal masterpiece was selected for the Sunday Mirror National Exhibition of Children’s Art in 1970 and was hung in the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly. At that age I believed that I was much better at nihilistic poetry but, unsurprisingly, never won any awards for that – although the, very dark, ‘Ed the Tramp’ did make the annual school magazine. I reached my creative peak aged 11.

Finally, where are you most likely to be found?

Almost anywhere talking to someone about Brighton & Hove Albion!

Thank you, Nigel, for your dedication to supporting the entrepreneurs who have walked through our doors and visited us online over the years, and for continuing to inspire a new generation of business owners through your community engagement work, especially in the local Camden area.

We’ll be catching up with Nigel in a few weeks to see what he’s been getting up to post life at the British Library and the BIPC, stay tuned!

A new year is a time of reflection, it's a perfect opportunity to make important changes and set goals you'd like to accomplish in the year ahead. For small businesses, 2021 remained unpredictable under COVID-19 conditions and in order to adapt, pivots were essential - a tricky environment to set goals and resolutions in. We spoke to businesses we have supported, through Innovating for Growth, our National Network and Start-Ups in London Libraries programme, to find out what their top three resolutions are for this year. If you're struggling to set resolutions of your own, we hope they inspire you!

Paul, Triple Double

Triple Double is a creative studio, founded by Paul Jenkins, that unleashes how youth engage in sport and education, using the power of design and creativity to transform their lives. Innovating for Growth alumni Paul doesn't usually set resolutions focusing instead on goals, this year he's decided to use themes to guide him rather than setting fixed aims:

• Responsibility. We can't control what happens, but we can choose how we react. This year I'm going to take more responsibility and empower those around me to do the same, so we can collectively highlight and fix the problems, not just put a band-aid over them.
• Future Thinking. 'What is the future of... X?' These are the questions I want to be asking this year, and beyond, within the spaces of youth, sport and education that Triple Double works in. Using design and creativity to be in pursuit of the answers rather than just trying to predict them.
• Team. I want to continue to identify people around me that truly understand why I'm doing what I'm doing, and invest in these relationships – reducing or cutting ties with those that don't. It's impossible to speak and please everyone, so it's about spending time with those that matter most. Goes back to responsibility above ultimately.

Jennifer, Stitch & Story

Founded by Jennifer Lam and Jen Hoang, Stitch & Story gives novice crafters a stress-free experience in learning to knit or crochet, their all-in-one kits contain everything you need to get started and learn the basic techniques. Read on to find out their top three resolutions for 2022:

• Focusing more on the systems and processes for the business. As our business grows, we’re needing to find leaner and more automated ways of working so that our team has all the right information needed to make decisions. I often find systems and processes quite dull compared to the front facing parts of the business, so this year I’ll be making extra efforts! 
• Delegating more to my team so that I can get away from the day-to-day and focus more on planning for the business.  
• Make sure I plan in adequate leave/holiday in advance - otherwise I’ll end up with the bad habit of not taking any time off. 

Tina, HumaniTea

Tina was inspired by Taiwanese bubble tea concept and British tea drinking culture to develop a delicious, well-balanced, vegan tea latte beverage - HumaniTea. As well as taking part in the start-up arm of the Innovating for Growth programme, she was also mentored by a successful entrepreneur from the scale-ups programme. Then, in 2021, HumaniTea began being stocked in the British Library canteen! Let's see what Tina's plans are for the coming year:

• Make HumaniTea accessible to even more people by launching our Vegan Tea Lattes into a nationwide retailer
• Explore new product development ideas to expand our range of HumaniTea Oat Milk Tea Latte flavours, like turmeric and rooibos
• Increase our sales to support more wellbeing and sustainability initiatives through growing our list of stockists in the UK and abroad

Fiona & Jennifer, Amaze Associates

Amaze Associates, founded by Fiona Wedderburn-Graham and Jennifer McLean, is a transformational coaching company that empowers individuals and  businesses to achieve their goals and to navigate work and life challenges. Their top three resolutions are:

• Review the business plan and celebrate our achievements: as often we don't lift our heads above the parapet long enough or take time to consider what we have actually achieved.
• Take social media by the horns: By planning/scheduling reels and stories in advance and introduce lives as part of our marketing strategy. 
• To be limitless: As a business we have set an aspirational income target, this acts as a real motivating factor for us and has informed our goal setting for this year.

Katherine, ArtPerÚK

ArtPerÚK, founded by Katherine Tinoco, is a business created to share Peruvian culture with the wider community in London and the UK, through the art and enjoyment of dance. ArtPerÚK burst onto the UK dance scene in mid-2019, offering Peruvian folkloric dance classes representative of the three regions of Peru: Coast, Andes and Jungle. Katherine let us know what her top three business resolutions for the new year are:

• Run events and performances outside London to increase Peruvian folklore visibility
• Create new and energetic choreographies with traditional costumes to increase our variety and diversity
• Run a Dance Performance with more than 30 dancers in one Theatre in London.

Hellen, Small Stuff

Hellen Stirling is the founder of Small Stuff, an eco-conscious children’s store in South Yorkshire. Hellen used BIPC South Yorkshire’s free market research reports and recently their IP support to become a trade marked brand. Her three goals for 2022 are:

• Continue to grow and expand Small Stuff, both online and in real life by taking on more specialised staff to share the load.
• Collaborate with the local community, support and engage with other local businesses, shoppers and residents to get Crookes high street on the map!
• Travel and promote the business nationally, but going back to Small Stuff’s roots and utilising pop-up spaces and empty units around the country to promote the brand and our sustainability ethos.

Paul, Solarglide

Paul Pringle, Founder and Managing Director of Solarglide, who are based in the North East, produce blinds, curtains and window shades for ships. They received help from BIPC North East to help take their business to the next level in terms of sustainability. This year, Paul is looking forward to progressing three things:

• We’re looking at the transport we use, when we travel to shows or to see customers in other parts of the world. What we can do to either offset that, which is not really the way we want to go, we want to try and get as low a carbon footprint as we can, so we’re just looking at every aspect. The support we’re getting to take that forward is great. It just means we’re getting guidance on how to go about it. I was unsure where to turn, now I feel a lot more confident. Our goal is to get the lowest possible carbon footprint that we can get as a business. Yes we’re a manufacturer, but we’ve got lots of other ideas and ways in which we can reduce our power consumption, the processes to make us more environmentally friendly and also the products and see what else we can do to make them more sustainable.
• One of the big developments happening at Solarglide is we’re going very motorisation with everything we do. For the last 10 – 15 years it’s been all manually operated products we offer. We are now heading into the era of motorisation, i.e. blinds and curtains. We’re investing heavily in research and the development of our products.
• The other area is we’ve moved in to the yacht industry, which is still under the umbrella of maritime and we’ve developed a whole range of products for the yacht and super yacht market. It’s an exciting time for us. We’re also looking at land-based projects, without diverting too much away from the maritime market, i.e. motorhome, caravan, as our products fit that type of environment very well as well. We’ll stay true to our maritime roots and won’t diverge too much.

 

 

The Start-ups in London Libraries programme has now come to an end, as much as we are sad to say it’s over, we couldn’t be more proud of all of the wonderful businesses we’ve seen flourish along the way. Join us as we take a look back and see just how far the project has come.

This pilot programme first launched on 2 May 2019, with a keynote speech from the Deputy Mayor of London for Business, Rajesh Agrawal and a panel discussion chaired by Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, founder of Stemettes. The aim was to deliver grass roots business support in high streets across ten London boroughs. Over the course of the programme running, we have seen a number of brilliant start-ups find success with help from the bespoke business support, workshops and one-to-one sessions available through Start-ups in London Libraries (SiLL). In less than three years, we have supported 2,369 people to get their business off the ground!

The programme has been funded by the ERDF and has helped to ensure that people from all walks of life can access the right information and support locally. It has also proven the value of being situated in local libraries, as they act as community hubs where people come to get information. SiLL has been able to address some barriers people face in starting a business and has reached underserved communities; with over 71% of our clients identifying as women, 56% from BAME community and 11% identifying as having a disability.

We couldn’t have delivered the project without the wonderful help of our Specialist and Reference Librarians within the BIPC and the SME Champions in the SiLL boroughs. They have the knowledge and access to useful databases and tools such as COBRA, saving aspiring entrepreneurs from wasting their time and money when starting their journey. Our latest report demonstrated that those who receive start-up support from the BIPC are 4 times more likely to succeed in sustaining their business.

We were able to pivot the programme to support businesses across all of London since we went into lockdown by delivering our services online so more people than ever were able to access the free support, just when they most needed it. We have seen a variety of different businesses come through Start-ups in London Libraries; from construction and publishing, to social work and hospitality.

Now it’s time to take a closer look at some of our superb start-ups and hear about their experience on the SiLL programme. 

ArtPerÚK

Delivering and promoting the well-being of individuals through dance classes, ArtPerÚK was created to share Peruvian culture with the wider community in London and the UK through the art and enjoyment of dance. Founder Katherine Tinoco received support from our Croydon Champion, Sophie White.

“I've joined more than ten SiLL online webinars and workshops, where I was able to learn more about how to reboot my business in this time of crisis. The Marketing workshop has really helped me to improve my social media presence on Instagram and Facebook, the Finance workshop helped me understand how to manage tax returns effectively. I was also able to enrol in several one-to-one meetings with a Business Expert, Sophie White, who was amazing! She helped me align my ideas for the business and connect me with people to receive support on finance, legal and also helped me to promote my events.⁣”

Parent Power Limited

Bianca Sapara-Grant, founder of Parent Power Limited works on teaching parents skills to help them take care of their children's mental health and wellbeing. Bianca was supported by our Greenwich Champions, Jawahir Sheikh and Martin Garlick.

“The SiLL project helped me tremendously. They helped me with identifying and crystalizing my vision and goals. I was able to attend a number of their workshops including marketing, social media and sales. I also found that their networking events were a great opportunity to share knowledge and experiences.

The most helpful part of the SiLL project was receiving one-to-one support. I had several one-to-one meetings, to discuss my specific needs and requirements. I remember one of the team members from the SiLL project supported me by using specific software to upload podcasts and YouTube videos.”

Yum Seng

Yum Seng is a successful Dim Sum and Cocktail meal kit business founded by husband and wife, Chuong and Stephanie Van Dang, during lockdown. They have always had a passion for great Dim Sum restaurants and decided to start their own. Chuong and Stephanie received support from our Lambeth Champion, Rachel Samuels.

“SiLL was instrumental in giving us the confidence to flesh out an idea, develop it into a viable business plan and then launch as a commercial business. We’ve learnt a lot from their workshops and were inspired by other entrepreneurs that we had met along the way. Our local SiLL Champion Rachel Samuels was incredible. She took time to help me with my previous venture, by identifying and introducing me to other council departments that could help. She also helped me successfully apply for grant funding. She gave me the confidence in myself and my idea, which was a massive morale boost.⁣

Starting your own business can be very lonely, and SiLL is offering you a community of support. You never know, you may even meet your future business partner there!”

Amaze Associates

Fiona Wedderburn-Graham and Jennifer McLean, are the co-directors of Amaze Associates; a transformational coaching company that empowers individuals and businesses to achieve their goals and to navigate work and life challenges. Fiona and Jennifer were supported by our Lewisham Champion, Mark Berbeck.

“The workshops SiLL provided were great, particularly the ‘get ready for business’, marketing and finance workshops. SiLL also provided excellent networking opportunities. ⁣

However the most helpful were the one-to-ones with our SME Champion (Mark Berbeck). Our one-to-ones helped us to consolidate the learning and gave us more business insight. Our champion connected us with other businesses, funding sources and helped us to think about how to scale the business.⁣”

The Goodfriends

Daphne Gutfroind founded her business The Goodfriends, which is a recruiting and coaching company. Daphne aims to bring career development and childcare solutions to the families of Haringey. She received help from our Haringey Champion, Nicola Moore.

“I was signposted to the programme by my DWP coach and felt so privileged to access such a valuable course, that I attended all the workshops. It has helped me with my marketing, if I had to point where I use my SiLL learnings the most. It has also greatly helped me with developing any funding strategy thanks to the finance and crowdfunding workshops. More generally, the programme has helped me to stay focused on my own development as the best way to keep my business moving and innovating.

I received direct support from Nicola on numerous occasions. It was helpful to navigate the programme and stay in the know of what is happening and when. It also helped me gain confidence in online networking. Nicola also offered to connect me and my business partner to key individuals of the council for our project (pot on the fire!). Finally it helped me simply feel confident that I am not alone, a professional is reachable for support.”

The Brave Project

Donelle Grant, founded The Brave Project community interest company, a non-profit suicide prevention and wellbeing service; for BAME boys and young men. The mission is to prevent suicide through public awareness and education. Donelle was supported by ⁣our Champion for Newham, Rashed Belal.

“Rashed has provided me with access to a number of business workshops and support for Marketing, to finance, and many more. I am so grateful for the SiLL programme and my SME Champion Mentor Rashed Beal, who has been a great business Mentor, consistently empowering me to  push forward with my business.”

Nu(pw)R Ltd

Roohi and Nida Mohiyuddin founded Nu(pw)R Ltd, a service-based business that helps professional women become confident and empowered leaders without overwhelm through mindset and success mentoring. Roohi and Nida were supported by our Southwark Champion, Dean Williams.

“We were given the most amazing mentor who is the SME champion for Southwark. He encouraged us to be better every step of the way. When we hit a wall he showed us how to work out a way to climb it with confidence. Our questions were answered, our worries were addressed and we kept growing and being better.

We understood that failure was a tool for growth and that our journey was about progression and not perfection.

In addition, the SiLL program allowed us access to numerous amazing resources. We had access to events, training and met other mentors to learn about marketing, copyright, patenting and the resources to start up a business.”

The Breakhouse Café

Chloe Bailey-Williams, founded The Breakhouse Café. With her passion for coffee and amazing food, Chloe has created a space that the local community loves. She aims for the business to be sustainable and ethical wherever possible, and to be inclusive of a variety of tastes, reflecting the diversity of her customers. Chloe was supported by our Tower Hamlets Champion, Abraham O'Dude.

“It’s been good to catch-up with Abraham in our one-to-ones and through emails, some other programmes that I have tried just don’t keep in touch. It’s quite challenging setting up a business in a pandemic so I appreciate that Abraham would visit me at the Café to go over different strategies. He would also inform and support me in taking up opportunities like the mentoring, which I successfully applied for. It really helps to speak with him about my business and I continue to benefit from his experience and advice. His ideas on how to use the space (like setting up a film club) and some Café tips I can’t mention (it’s a trade secret) have been great, we are currently planning our first film night!”

Delmora

Delmora helps turn a 'good look' into a 'great look' with their beautiful jewellery and accessories. Founder Judy Chicangana-Matthews, received support from our Bexley  Champion, Ioanna Lymperaki.

“SiLL is a terrific project because it's available to anyone. Even if you don't have your own business and you have an idea. That is how I started the programme; Delmora was just an idea when I decided to attend the masterclasses. Although I have a business background, I didn't know where to find information or how to address the British market. That was the most significant help. Learning about Cobra and how the library supports businesses with industry guides and multiple resources such as Mintel and Euromonitor reports, helped me to create my marketing strategy to start Delmora.”

Authentic Worth

Esther Jacob is founder of Authentic Worth, a book publishing company that is dedicated to help aspiring authors to write and publish a book.⁣ Esther was supported by our Waltham Forest Champion, Jacqueline Brown.

The SiLL project helped me in setting up my business through their workshops I attended in 2019. On the first day, I was able to connect and network with other aspiring entrepreneurs that had different ideas about what they wanted to achieve in their businesses. I was able to share ideas with them and vice versa which helped stimulate trust and the tenacity to grow my business gradually.

The most helpful part of SiLL were the one-to-one meetings with one of the SiLL Champions. It was very useful and I was able to get more clarity about starting my business, including creating further awareness through the use of social media, being able to connect and collaborate with other aspiring authors and business owners in my field and ultimately, focusing on my target audience which helped to create a catered/tailored service to those that publish their book with the Authentic Worth brand. 

Further support for you

The end of the Start-ups in London Libraries programme certainly does not mean the end of business support for you! We have plenty of online resources to help guide you on your business journey as well as our Innovating for Growth programme which is here to help you to continue building your business whether that means adjusting to ‘the new normal’ or scaling up. Our advisers and external consultants will help you to be more resilient and adaptable in the face of a changing future. 

According to Mintel research (which you can access for free in many BIPCs around the UK), 25% of consumers say they are shopping more with local businesses due to Covid-19*. This isn’t just via the traditional bricks and mortar stores, but online as well, with 44% of consumers shopping more online during the pandemic, as detailed in their COVID-19 Retail and E-commerce: A Year On in the UK report. So, we’re bringing you a selection of small businesses who have used the BIPC services around the UK, to give you some inspiration for gifts, not only for Christmas, but year round.

Treats for everyone

One business who received support from BIPC Glasgow, Cubby Salve, founded by Margaret (or Mimi to her cubbies), makes gentle, small-batch, skincare. Each Salve & Body Bar is made with natural ingredients and is blended and hand poured by Margaret in Cubby’s Salve Kitchen.

Cost: Gift sets from £28.99

Where to buy? Cubby Salve

For those with green fingers

Sacpots are tough yet lightweight ethical plant pots designed to be shaped by you. Sacpots are rot-proof, water resistant, and can be placed inside or outside, available in hundreds of colour mixes. The elastic neck lowers water consumption and the insulating fabric accommodates root growth with full stretch indicating it’s time to pot on. Dispatched with a liner in a post box friendly envelope, your washable Sacpots will store flat after use. Handmade by Marcela Livingston in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Marcela received IP guidance to protect her idea and help with general market research with BIPC Leeds through the free access to its databases.

Cost: £17

Where to buy? Sacpot

Pott(er)y about ceramics

Elena creates handmade functional and decorative ceramics at Sunken Studio and in her own studio in Leeds. Products include handmade mugs and bowls can be purchased via Instagram. Elena likes to play with surface patterns and geometries and decorate her creations with bright colours and uses natural elements she finds in her garden such as leaves to imprint and enrich surfaces. She is inspired by her surroundings and loves finding details and harmony in the shapes and colours of everyday life. Elena also finds inspiration from the places of her childhood, waves and rocks by the Sardinian sea. Elena used BIPC Leeds' ERDF funded Start-up Leeds programme to take her business to the next level, which included attending weekly workshops. 

Cost: Various (bowl, pictured, £30)

Where to buy? Instagram

For the bookworms

Afrori Books has the biggest selection of books by Black authors in the United Kingdom. Covering every genre that you are looking for with thousands of books in store and online. They have a simple mission: Support Black authors, create diverse bookshelves and be a voice for justice. Founder, Carolynn, had a one-to-one with BIPC Sussex to finding funding opportunities and to access their free databases, including COBRA.

Cost: Various

Where to buy? Afrori Books

For the chocoholics

Lucocoa Chocolate, is London's first bean to bar chocolate making company based in North London. You won’t find any refined sugar or artificial sweeteners in these bars, instead Lucocoa opts for the healthier alternatives of coconut sugar and lucuma while also sourcing the best flavoured cocoa beans from around the world. Amarachi, founder of Lucocoa, used Innovating for Growth experts' advice to help scale her business as demand for her product grew rapidly.

Cost: Food and Drink hamper £60

Where to buy: Lucocoa

Get mistletoe ready

Our Circular Economy Start-Up Day panellist, FRUU, is a pioneering cosmetics company that specialises in turning fruit by-products into sustainable cosmetics. Started from the spare room of founders Terence Chung and Kelly Yee in 2017, FRUU developed as an initiative to add value to the waste produced in the agricultural waste stream, reduce the use of resource intensive materials, whilst making sustainability an accessible lifestyle. All products are designed, manufactured and produced from their workshop in London and FRUU is currently stocked in 1000+ stores in the UK, EU, Australia and South Korea. Terence also took part in Innovating for Growth to access professional expertise and advice on critical business areas, strategy planning, marketing and intellectual property. 

Cost: Gift boxes start at £2

Where to buy: FRUU

Zero-waste cordial

Another from our Start-Up Day Circular Economy panel, Natasha from Urban Cordial started her business by foraging for ingredients in her allotment to turn them into cordials. Over a third of global food does not reach our plates, often because of the appearance of the item, even though it is perfectly safe to eat. Natasha, being aware of this issue, contacted local farms to source their surplus food produce and to date, Urban Cordial has helped to save over 100 tonnes of fruit from landfill. Urban Cordial’s production process is also zero waste with all fruit pulp going to the local farms to become animal feed.

Cost: Get the full range for £48

Where to buy: Urban Cordial

For those cosy nights in

A collection of single origin hot chocolates made with tablets and flakes of real chocolate; starting with White and then in varying cocoa percentages from Venezuela 58%, Organic Peru 70%, Academy of Chocolate Gold winning Haiti 75% up to a 100% pure cocoa! Everything, but the White, is registered with the Vegan Society so you can make it with your favourite milk.

Cost: Prices vary; use BLGIFT at checkout to get free shipping on all orders over £10.00 until the end of December!

Where to buy? Kokoa Collection

Handpicked luxury for the home and garden

At Sophie Conran they know that giving a personal gift to a loved one is the ultimate treat. Their collection has something unique to suit every special person in your life. From Sophie’s licensed ranges, exclusive collections and hand picked products, they have curated an inspirational shop for the whole home and garden.

Cost: Various

Where to buy: Sophie Conran

I’m dreaming of an Italian Christmas…

Primo Aperitivo encapsulates the very best of Italy making the Italian Aperitivo easy to enjoy in a sharing format. In addition to the most famous Italian Aperitivo, the Negroni cocktails, Primo Aperitivo is the first brand to release the Americano and Sbagliato cocktails, carbonated upon bottling, which create the first ever range of classic Italian Aperitivo cocktails in a ready to serve format. Primo is committed to serve the best and most authentic cocktails sustainably: each cocktail is produced and bottled using 100% renewable energy and every ingredient is produced at the distillery to reduce carbon footprint and wastage.

Cost: £27.90

Where to buy: Primo Aperitivo

Precious stones for a precious person

Innovating for Growth business, Tomasz Donocik, designs and manufactures bespoke and high jewellery sold worldwide in stores such as Saks Avenue (New York), Isetan Men (Japan) and Tsum (Moscow). If you are looking for something extra special, they also offer a bespoke tailor made service where clients can turn their dreams into modern day heirlooms.

Cost: Prices start at £250

Where to buy: Tomasz Donocik

For the creatives

Stitch & Story is a craft kits company based in London, revamping knitting and crochet as simple, modern and aspirational skills. They empower people to start their own creative projects and tell their own stories using chunky yarns, easy-to-follow instructions and online video tutorials. Stitch & Story believe in the power to create, personalise and achieve something meaningful by bringing out the artisan in everyone. Co-founder, Jennifer Lam, took part in our Innovating for Growth programme and with the help of IP experts; she has launched her business in international markets.

Cost: Various gift offers

Where to buy: Stitch & Story

Fashionable butchers for a Christmas lunch

A small but growing butchery located in Peckham and Beckenham, Flock & Herd aim to provide the very best possible quality and range of produce, combined with their service and experience. This Christmas they have carefully selected the best festive treats from Appledore Free Range Turkey to a perfectly dry aged Ayshire Rib of Beef, whether it’s a small lunch for two or a family feast there are plenty of tasty and delicious delights for you to enjoy.

Cost: Various + £30 deposit payable on the phone

Where to buy: Flock & Herd

For those with a sweet tooth

If you're tired of board games and looking for a fun family activity to do on Christmas day, Sweet Paper Creations have just what you need! The business supported by the Start-ups in London Libraries project in Waltham Forest make and sell piñatas, made from recycled materials, for any occasion, you can even commission your own bespoke character! The profits from their shop help to deliver their “Make It and Break It” workshops, which provide a creative outlet for those suffering from mental health issues, stress, bereavement.

Cost: Various (Snowman, pictured, £30)

Where to buy: Sweet Paper Creations

Get glamourous

Visit Delmora's online shop for the perfect gift to add a touch of Christmas sparkle to any outfit. Delmora took part in the Start-ups in London Libraries project in the borough of Bexley, they offer a variety of beautiful jewellery items and accessories to help you turn a 'good look' into a 'great look'. 

Cost: Various

Where to buy: Delmora

Make a splash

Haus of 420 have just what you need to unwind after the big day of festivities! Handcrafted using pure and organic CBD, essential oils and detoxifying natural spa mineral salts. It offers you consistency, relief, balance and calm resulting in the best nights sleep you’ve probably had in a while. Each bath bomb contains 50mg of CBD and 100% peace. Haus of 420 received local support in Lewisham from the Start-ups in London Libraries project.

Cost: £9

Where to buy: Haus of 420

Spread the Christmas cheer

MerryCherie offer a beautiful range of positive wellbeing cards for you to share with your friends and family over the festive season. They are proud to be as environmentally friendly as possible, the cards are wrapped in recycled brown paper and safely and securely packaged in hardbacked/padded envelopes for postage. The Start-ups in London Libraries local support in Lewisham helped Sheree-Marie to start her business MerryCherie.

Cost: (Gingerbread card, pictured, £2.95)

Where to buy: MerryCherie

Handmade with care

Crafty North Londoner is a group of London based artisans producing non-mass produced handmade products, with sustainable and ethical practices at the forefront of their activities. The business supported by Start-ups in London Libraries in Haringey offer beautifully created products so you can make sure the gift you give is the most unique one under the tree.

Cost: Various (Mini Necklace Kit, pictured, £24+)

Where to buy: NorioKnots

Amaze Associates, founded by Fiona Wedderburn-Graham and Jennifer McLean, is a transformational coaching company that empowers individuals and  businesses to achieve their goals and to navigate work and life challenges. We spoke to Fiona and Jennifer to find out more about their business and experience with the Start-ups in London Libraries programme.

'Our coaching provides clients with a safe and confidential space in which to explore the issue at hand; discover potential solutions and to develop a growth mindset so they are confident to take action and move forward. We are their cheerleaders, however we also challenge as well as support our clients to understand that they have the power to make the choices that will lead them to achieve the results they want; whether that is for their business, career or life. 

Our business idea had been marinating for a long time. Both of us were really fortunate to have received the most dynamic personal and professional development from amazing mentors and coaches throughout our careers.  This really influenced our leadership styles and led us to coaching staff and leaders inside and external to our organisations.  We always said we would go into business together, but never knew when; given that we were both busy     working in very demanding jobs.  When Covid hit we could see that a coaching service would be of real benefit to others;  because of the emerging impact on job security, well-being and the just the sheer force of unrelenting change. So the spark was lit and it was time to make a start.   

Why did you want to start up a business? 

To be honest it has always been a dream of ours and that sounds very cliche. We had both spent years contributing to someone else’s business, vision or mission and whilst we learnt a lot we wanted to be the CEO’s of our own, articulating our vision, deciding on how we wanted to work and to provide a coaching service where people would feel listened to and inspired to take action.  We are driven by our deep belief in the power of coaching and   mentoring to transform and help someone's performance at work, success in a new role, develop resilience, manage change, become a better leader and shed imposter syndrome.  Another element that drives us is working with people, particularly women some of whom have reported that they did not feel seen or heard in the workplace and often-times in wider society; leaving them feeling invisible. Lockdown was a bit like the quiet before the storm. We could see that the pandemic was having a negative impact on the confidence levels of individuals and business. We’re not valiant doctors, nurses or carers but we were not going to just sit there and not help in the best way we knew how.

How did the SiLL project help you in setting up your business?

Although we are seasoned professionals we wanted to refresh our business skills, so that we took the right steps that would help us to position ourselves for success. The SiLL project helped us do just that through the fantastic workshops it offers.

The workshops SiLL provides were great, particularly the get ready for business, marketing and finance workshops. SiLL also provided excellent networking opportunities.

However the most helpful were the 121’s with our SME Champion (Mark Berbeck). Our 121’s helped us to consolidate the learning and gave us more business insight. Our champion connected us with other businesses, funding sources and helped us to think about how to scale the business. What came across quite strongly was our Champion's belief in our business and our capacity to do well.

Can you tell us a bit about business community that is developing as a part of SiLL

As a business we have connected with the library's Instagram and the SiLL group on Facebook. This has produced opportunities for networking and potential collaboration.

What was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your business/plans to start up a business?

We started our business in during the COVID-19 pandemic; but we weren’t hugely impacted like other businesses. However, we did slow our wider plans until lockdown lifted. This gave us a chance to continue to shape the business and create a website. We also reviewed the needs of our clients, so we could align this with our coaching offer, plus we moved our coaching sessions online, temporarily halting all face to face coaching. Because we saw this as an opportunity to help we also delivered several webinars; our first was on the subject of the impact of Covid; which was well attended and provided an opportunity for people to share what they were experiencing and to feel supported.

What advice would you give anyone looking to start up a business?

Our advice would be to firstly work out what you want to do and the problem you’re going to be solving with your business idea. Plan, do your research, get skilled up on how to run and market your business to give yourself the best chance of success. Understand your service or product. Find your niche; you can always add new elements later. Know your worth by pricing appropriately. Finally, you need staying power and a dash of passion for what you do. Remember even if you fail, that doesn’t signal the end, you can learn from the experience and begin again, so throw your hat in the ring; because you’ll never know if you don’t try. If you’re struggling and require some coaching Amaze Associates are here to help.

What are the key things you have learnt while starting up your business?

We have learnt the importance of visibility; scary as it seems we understood that if people were going to find out about your business and become clients; we had to put ourselves out there. In addition, feedback is healthy. We may not like hearing it, but if you take the emotion out of any negative feedback and use it to improve your  business; the results will surprise you. Doing your due diligence pays off.  Don’t waste time comparing your business to another as this can disable you, its important to stay focused and have confidence in what you do. Know when is a deal is not a deal. We are always willing to review what we have done and celebrate our achievements no matter how small. Getting paid on time can be a challenge but it pays to have clear payment terms and a process for chasing unpaid invoices.    

What would you say to anyone looking to go to a SiLL workshop/talk to their local SME Champion?

There is something incredibly rewarding about creating a business from scratch and being central to its growth. So just sign up. We realise that if you haven’t fully formulated your business idea or you’ve just started up, you may feel a bit fearful. But you’ll be in good hands with the SiLL team and in the same room as people who are in a similar position. The workshops provide a solid learning platform on which to build your business. Plus you can have one-to-one sessions with one of the brilliant SME champions. Your SME champion will be your cheerleader and critical friend.

The SiLL Project acts as an anchor and stops you feeling buffeted around, pointing you in the right direction with great workshops that are delivered in a motivational and fun way.'

 

For more on Start-ups in London Libraries and how to register for our upcoming workshop, visit www.bl.uk/SiLL.

With Start-up Day 2021 just around the corner, we wanted to introduce you to some of the eco-conscious entrepreneurs taking part! 

This year, we’re focusing on the importance of sustainability in business. We believe sustainable businesses play a significant role in encouraging more sustainable behaviour. Through collaboration with consumers and government businesses and their owners will help accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis and make a positive impact in society. 

Natasha Steele, founder of Urban cordial

Bored of working in the city, Natasha started to forage for ingredients in her allotment and turn them into cordials. To let the fruits’ true flavour shine, she used very little sugar and soon perfected her recipes. It wasn’t long until she found herself selling them at her local farmers market and demand grew. Over a third of global food does not reach our plates, often because of the appearance of the item, even though it is perfectly safe to eat. Natasha, being aware of this issue, contacted local farms to source their surplus food produce and to date, Urban Cordial has helped to save over 100 tonnes of fruit from landfill. Urban Cordial’s production process is also zero waste with all fruit pulp going to the local farms to become animal feed.

Jane Riddiford, co-founder of Global Generation

Jane co-founded Global Generation in 2004. She has more than 30 years of experience in delivering environmental, arts and vocational training projects in New Zealand and the UK.

She managed a City Farm for Framework Trust and developed an Inner City Forest in Auckland New Zealand as a learning resource for the Dept of Education, set up and ran an NVQ Horticulture programme for Camden Job Train and co-ordinated Camden's Environmental Education Network. She also managed Rise Phoenix, a community arts organisation that worked with children and young people in the war torn areas of the Balkans, in Tanzania and in London. Her interest in young people and projects that bring different parts of the community together has been a consistent thread throughout her working life. Her love of the outdoors began as a child growing up on a farm in New Zealand.

In 2016 she was awarded a Dprof in Organisational Change from Middlesex University and Ashridge Business School. Through an action research approach her inquiry drew on experiences within Global Generation and focussed on how the living story of ecology and the wider cosmos can support collaborative approaches to leadership within an organisation. Jane invites engagement with the rhythms and patterns of nature through a combination of storytelling, hands on and reflective experiences.

Sheila Akinlabi, founder of CocoBean Giftbox

Sheila Akinlabi is the founder of CocoBean Giftbox, a themed subscription box aimed at multi-faceted, diverse and consumer conscious women who enjoy discovering new brands and products. CocoBean giftbox combines well-established lines with exciting and emerging black owned brands. Catering mainly to a female audience, the brand supports women-led initiatives and products, particularly ones founded from women of black and ethnic minority heritage.

CocoBean has worked with corporations such as Spotify and Warner Music to supply luxury gift boxes for their workforce. The company continues to be committed to championing Black owned businesses whilst working with established brands and curating high end gift boxes which are truly diverse.

Khalia Ismain, co-founder of Jamii

Khalia Ismain is the co-founder of Jamii, an online marketplace and discovery platform for black creators and makers in the UK. Launched in 2016, Jamii is home to more than 250 makers and has organically grown a community of more than 38,000 people keen to align their purchase with purpose. Named as one of HSBC's Top 25 Black Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2021, she is on a mission to make shopping with community-owned businesses as easy as possible. Khalia is also a member of the Lloyd's Bank Black Business Advisory Committee and a mentor on the Virgin Start Up programme.

Tonisha Tagoe, founder and CEO at Apples and Pears Holdings

Tonisha Tagoe is a certified business development strategist, enterprise educator and the CEO of Apples & Pears. She leads a team of talented individuals tasked with helping people of all nations to expand, scale and make their businesses sustainable. Having achieved a global reach, Tonisha has helped to transform the lives and careers of entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Carrying almost fifteen years of industry experience, she is bursting with knowledge and techniques for building a successful company from the ground up, and is now bringing her expertise to you.

BIPC Glasgow

Supporting entrepreneurs and innovators from that first spark of inspiration to successfully launching and growing a business. Whether you’re looking to start, grow or run a business, Business & IP Centre Glasgow, based in The Mitchell Library can help.

They have trained staff to assist with one-to-one sessions and workshops on a range of topics including business planning, marketing and intellectual property. They also host regular talks and events delivered by our partners.

Business & IP Centre Glasgow is being developed in collaboration with the National Library of Scotland.

 

To explore more about our speakers and enjoy a day of free talks and practical advice sessions designed to get your business idea off to a flying start, register your place here. It’s free to join and open to everyone. And for over a year, it has been fully available online.

With 61% of Mintel’s Sustainability Barometer respondents saying they were meal planning to prevent food waste and 58% are buying fewer clothes, sustainability and going green are at the top of people’s agendas. Inventors and entrepreneurs around the world are finding new, innovative, environmentally friendly ways to do things and help nurture our planet. This year’s Start-up Day will feature more than 45 speakers who have sustainability at the heart of what they do, all available to watch online, wherever you are and for free. Until then, let’s hear from some of our other BIPs, that’s bright and inspiring people to you and me, who have led the eco revolution.

From initial purchases, processes, marketing and right down to their uniform, Becca and Charlotte are making sure that running a business doesn’t have to cost the earth. The two co-founded North Sky Yurts, based in Yorkshire, which offers a unique venue for weddings, parties, or corporate events, surrounded by nature.

For Becca, having a sustainable business has always been important, ‘for years I’d dreamed of owning my own business. I knew I wanted it to be in glamping, be outdoors, and be something that also contributed something good to the world.’ They do this by planting a tree for every booking and the tent furnishings used are sourced responsibly or second hand where possible. 

Attending events and one-to-ones at the Business & IP Centre Leeds helped Becca and Charlotte with their marketing, writing a business plan and access funding. ‘The free advice was so valuable, and it was so great to meet other people wanting to start businesses. It also gave me the confidence that I had a credible idea and could do something with it. Having like-minded people and cheerleaders around your business is vital and working with other small businesses to recommend each other will really help your business along. Make sure you talk about your business in every conversation you have, you never know who that person might know that could help grow your business.’

Becca and Charlotte, Co-founders of North Sky Yurts. Photo by Elly Ball

Another business, who took part in our Innovating for Growth: Scale-up programme earlier in the year, wanted to change an industry from the inside. Amarachi who founded Lucocoa in 2015, after teaching herself how to make chocolate in her home, learned that the bean-to-bar quality chocolate could be much better than that available in the mass market, even than perceived luxury brands.

‘I started Lucocoa Chocolate to change how unsustainable the chocolate industry is. Chocolate is one of those things that we eat so much of and know little about – dark chocolate isn’t supposed to be bitter, milk chocolate isn’t supposed to be that sweet and white chocolate is actually chocolate.


Large chocolate companies exploit cocoa farmers, resulting in serious consequences. Farmers are unable to invest in technology or equipment to help them grow the best beans or meet the corporation's demands. This can lead to them to exploiting their workers and using child or slave labour. It is important that farmers are paid a fair price to help stop these harmful practices and it is our commitment to do that.’

Since 2015, Amarachi has rapidly driven the business to production capacity, having secured keystone customers and thriving online sales. ‘Innovating for Growth has been so useful to me, I have spent a long time trying to work out answers to certain questions alone and this course gave me access to experts that could answer the questions I had and give ideas on how to scale the business.’

If you live locally to Southwark, you may recognise our next business, Bottle Farm, who took part in the Start-ups in London Libraries programme. With everyone spending more time inside their houses over the last two years, Bottle Farm is now more relevant than ever. Co-founders Charlie Francis, Daniel Taylor and Emil Schneider, really put sustainability at the heart of their business, they manufacture in the UK and offset 100% of their carbon footprint by funding forestry and decarbonisation projects. In addition to this, the Bottle Farm kit is made from over 95% recycled material. The Bottle Stands and Grow Baskets are made using waste material from the factory floor.

'We are the kit that turns any used plastic bottle into a beautiful indoor farm. Grow delicious vegetables, fresh herbs and even houseplants on your window. Good for you, good for the planet.

The Start-ups in London Libraries programme has been really useful for us. Dean's specialised crowdfunding expertise was invaluable when we were developing a plan for our Kickstarter campaign. Some of the strategies he suggested were hugely effective. The marketing workshops were also great.'

With help from Dean, the SiLL Business Champion for Southwark, Bottle Farm were able to raise £30,000 through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, so keep an eye out for big things coming from them.

If you want to find out more about how you can be eco-concious in your business decisions from the start, join us for our biggest free event of the year, Start-up Day. You can also access Mintel reports and over £5m worth of other online resources for free at BIPCs around the UK. Turn your brilliant idea into a business.

Start-up Day is in partnership with Santander

In 1969, John Lennon said, “we’re trying to sell peace, like a product…like people sell soap or soft drinks”. That same approach is needed today to sell sustainable goods and services and we need data to help us figure out how to get them to resonate with people.

Some of the most popular sustainable behaviours according to Mintel’s research are driven by frugality, led by meal planning to avoid wasting food (61%) and buying fewer new clothes (58%). The sustainable consumer groups we have identified are more likely to agree with the statement ‘I have a budget that I try to stick to as much as possible’. It is this ‘return on investment’ mentality we need to appeal to when pushing solar panels and EVs, not just environmentalism.

Sustainable products and services should also appeal to people’s sense of well being and self-preservation. A sharp indication of just how seriously UK consumers are taking climate change and pollution is shown by the proportions interested in buying air conditioning (30%) or air purifiers (32%) to make their homes cleaner and safer. Health also informs the growth in greener transport behaviours seen this past year and those who have walked (45%) or cycled (17%) more often. 

Sustainably-minded consumers have stronger peacock tendencies, being more likely to agree with the statement ‘I like to stand out from the crowd’. Refurbished tech reseller Back Market appeals strongly to these values, addressing the growing problem of e-waste by selling products 70% below their new price, all delivered in a Freedom campaign that celebrates being ‘different’ from the sheep who line up en masse to pay more for the latest phone.

There’s still time to make a personal difference

The good news is that a small majority (54%) still believe we have time for redemption, and slightly more (56%) believe that their personal actions can make the difference. For brands, the opportunity here is to become the chosen partners of those consumers looking to make a difference. The challenge thereafter is for brands to maintain that relationship by proving what difference they’ve made and reporting back on that impact. So how can they do this?

1. Don’t cross consumers’ ‘red lines’

When asked to choose their top five considerations when purchasing coffee, socks or soap, consumers typically select two or more sustainable features, but they won’t sacrifice product quality, efficacy or brand familiarity for sustainability. We should never forget that a sustainable coffee must first and foremost deliver pleasure, taste and quality before anything else. These rules apply to packaging too: its primary role is to protect the product within to ensure that the energy and other resources that went into its production are not wasted. Their footprint will be much higher than that of the packaging itself. Patagonia is one of the very few brands to have had the courage to explain its reasons for using plastic in these terms.   

2. Educate on and disclose impacts

Consumers are fixated on ocean plastic (62% say it’s a top three environmental concern) yet even accounting for its production using fossil fuels, its incineration and disposal it generates less than 4% of annual GHG emissions. More consumers prioritise ocean plastic than a loss of biodiversity in the oceans as a concern, but Sea Shepherd’s revelation that 46% of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is actually fishing nets, confirms that fishing and food have a far greater impact than packaging when it comes to damaging the ocean and the role of its biomass in storing carbon. It’s the duty of brands to be transparent on their business’s biggest areas of impact when it comes to releasing carbon or methane. 

3. Offer tangible, local solutions

When it comes to accepting the reality of climate change, it’s a case of ‘seeing is believing’, with national levels of concern around climate change grounded in what people experience in their own countries. The visibility of ocean plastic is one of the reasons why it resonates so highly and this element of tangibility will also be key in whether people engage on issues. This may hardly seem an earth-shattering insight, but it signifies the importance of tangibility and localism when it comes to delivering sustainable solutions, confirmed in characterisation studies showing ‘sustainably-minded consumers’ to be distinguished by the high emphasis they place on values like ‘community’ and ‘localism’. This means that corporate initiatives – wherever possible – must deliver local visible benefits like cleaner local air from brands using EVs or investing in urban tree planting schemes.

4. Sell in the science

Just 45% of UK consumers agree that “science can provide solutions to the climate crisis”, which is pretty disappointing when we consider how intrinsic available technologies (solar panels, batteries, fuel cells, hydroponics) and those still in development (carbon capture, climate engineering, zero-carbon manufacturing materials, chemical recycling and lab-grown foods) are to us achieving emissions reductions. The pandemic has afforded us a zeitgeist moment to seize upon the speedy and spectacular successes in RNA vaccine development and trust in science needs to be built up by brands to help us achieve progress to net zero. Brands need to be brave enough to explain the benefits of science and synthetics instead of taking the easy option of celebrating ‘natural’ for all of its’ supposed purity. Palm oil, beef and coal are all “natural” resources, but they are finite and threatened and release GHGs in their production.

5. Use clear metrics and language

What will convince consumers to purchase products that claim to have environmental or social benefits? 

To build belief in science and to convert potential into actual purchases, companies need to offer a new sustainability lexicon and use simple data and metrics that consumers can understand. Some 44% of UK consumers want labelling that shows a product’s environmental impact and 40% want this communicated in terms they can understand (eg litres of water used or km travelled). Mondra has developed colour-coded on pack “eco scores” that will go on trial in the UK this autumn and go some way to meeting that need.

Richard Cope is a Senior Trends Consultant at Mintel and author of the Sustainability Barometer. Join Richard at our Start Up Day 2021 event on 11th November. He'll be hosting a session on understanding sustainability trends in the UK right now - an unmissable and informative event for all small businesses wanting to start up sustainably. 

Our annual flagship event, Start-up Day is back again. Our free day of online panel discussions, talks and training is back on Thursday 11 November and will feature more than 50 speakers all helping aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to not only start-up, but start-up sustainably.

Over the years, we’ve had thousands of people attend our events both online and in person around the UK. We’re catching up with some to hear what they’ve done since joining us.

Sara-Jayne Slocombe attended BIPC Manchester’s Start-up Day in 2019 and was self-employed supporting other businesses with their annual reports and admin. This then developed into project work and Amethyst Raccoon was born. Hearing from other people who had been in her shoes, who were now the ones giving the talks was one element of the day Sara-Jayne connected with.

‘The biggest takeaway from Start-up Day was appreciating how much and what is involved in starting up a service-based business, and learning that it is completely do-able and can be dealt with in bite-sized chunks.’

Since October 2019, Sara-Jayne’s business has gone from strength to strength, despite the pandemic. ‘If anything, I’ve had more business. For me, the main effect was being flexible with payments to support clients who had been impacted by Covid. Looking ahead, I hope to pick up more clients, finish my booking keeping qualification and connect with industry leaders.’

Speaking to those who are thinking about starting their own business, Sara-Jayne says, "Get really clear on what you want to do, why you want to do it, and who you want to do it for."

Norwich-based magician, David Fung, started his business with the help of BIPC Norfolk in 2018. ‘I first attended Start-up Day and gained many tools and much knowledge near the beginning of my journey. I later signed up for an accounting one-to-one session, which answered many of my questions and put my mind at rest.’

Start-up Day helped David get more knowledge and understanding of the ‘business fundamentals – there’s so much to learn if you’ve never done this before. In addition, the BIPC has given support in local networking and increasing publicity, and are really accessible if I have questions or need other support.’

David’s advice for others looking to start their own business, “Plan first, then just do it. You can learn by doing. I remember attending Start-up Day and asking a business mentor “What’s the next step after this workshop? Is there a part two?” and she replied “The next step is to do it. Start your business.” Take small steps; before you know it, you’ll be running a business.’

Start-up Day can also provide networking opportunities and allow people to share their skills to support other entrepreneurs. Northamptonshire-based business, Clock and Compass Coaching, founder by Daniel O’Connor, made many connections during BIPC Northamptonshire’s Start-up Day in 2019. ‘One of the people I met went on to design my logo and website, I met the person who runs local networking events and from a workshop on copywriting, I then used that copywriter for my website. There was one other person there I met through networking on the day who became my mentor for a year. Lots of great workshops and lots of great connections which have led on to helping me really boost my business.’

Jessica Runyard, founder of Runyard Editorial Services, studied English Literature at university as she knew she wanted to go into the editorial world. However, living in Devon meant the opportunities were few and far between.  She set up freelance and is helping self-publishing authors. Jessica also worked with businesses, helping with their websites. She offers a wide range of services around editing for the local area as well as being a freelancer where she has also worked with people overseas.

Jessica attended BIPC Devon's Start-up Day and found the discussions about networking very helpful, the importance of networking but not over networking. Jessica feels like if she could’ve networked more this year than she could’ve been making a bigger profit by now.

"The most memorable thing about Start-up Day 2019 was the talk on accountancy and business banking – things that I knew very little about but were very interesting. After the talk I knew where to look and who to contact, which was very helpful."

She also took away from the Start-up Day some key things for starting a business that she never knew, for example, when she needed someone to do her accountancy. She learnt how long she could stay a sole trader, when to be registering for VAT – all very important things for when starting a business which she didn’t know about before attending Start-up Day.

Jessica’s advice for others starting a business; “Be confident. Imposter syndrome isn’t a thing, you may feel like an imposter but, everyone feels like an imposter, just do it. The more you sit there and say you can’t do it, you will never start if you come up with an excuse."

Book onto our Start-up Day 2021 event, here.

Start-up Day is in partnership with Santander