Case Studies

Garry

Helping me take my business forward

“The team of trainers and coaches have helped me take my business forward in a very positive direction. I have started seeing a positive step in new business enquiries and that in part is due to the new website I have created with help from yourselves, along with the rebranding of my company. The new skills I have taken from the courses are also going to be a big help with my day to day running of the business. Overall this has been a positive and worthwhile experience for me and I will happily recommend you all to anyone who may benefit from the same help I have received.” Garry

Beccy

So much help for my small business

“The programme has so much to offer for small businesses. The workshops and training sessions are incredibly valuable and I have learnt so much from these sessions. Martyn, my coach has been a brilliant facilitator, opening up opportunities with collaborators and connections that have been really beneficial to my business.” Beccy

Cath

Invaluable guidance

“Thank you so much for your support during this last year. I'm very grateful for all the guidance that Enterprising You has provided, with some very knowledgeable and approachable contributors.

In a challenging year for all of us, it has been an invaluable resource.” Cath

Mr Soot

Growth and expansion for one of our customers

David Sudworth, Director of Mr Soot, joined the EnterprisingYou business growth programme in March 2020. David is the director and owner of a Chimney Sweeping business and worked with business coach, Adam Butler, over a period of 6-months. David’s aim of the programme was to look for support in ways to grow his business.

As part of the EnterprisingYou programme, David accessed training and personal development with a view to refreshing some of his marketing skills. David was also matched with a business mentor, who supported him in growing his business.

David felt that he benefited most from the support offered by the business coach, and he gained a lot from the conversations discussing ideas how he could grow his business. He welcomed that the business coach had real life business experience and was relatable to David’s business. Offering a professional and reliable service and putting the customer at the heart of everything he does, David wants to differentiate himself from his competitors. He also offers advice around the environmental considerations of using a stove and fire, where he dispels some of the myths around these.

Since joining the programme, David’s business has really taken off and he has expanded his business to include the recruitment of 2 permanent staff, an online booking function and has extended his reach into other areas to include Wigan, Liverpool, Manchester and Salford

Myles Gurstang

Myles Gurstang starts up unique gaming business with PeoplePlus Enterprise support

We want to introduce you to our client from Leeds, Myles Garstang, founder of RuneFable Ltd. His business idea was to make and sell handmade artisan resin dice for tabletop gaming, offering ‘functional art’ to customers that desire designs to fit their own stories at the table. He hoped to sell directly through a website and bring an artisan level product to boardgame/gaming shops.

Myles previously worked in academia as a scientist, he had little experience with the financial and promotion side of business. He came to PeoplePlus to join the Start Up West Yorkshire programme hoping to gain support with starting his own business. He felt he needed someone to hold him accountable to commitments he set himself and have someone available to offer advice to help him set up his own business.

StartUp West Yorkshire equipped Myles to move his business forward

Myles was assigned a business advisor Jelani who held him accountable and provided encouraging feedback on his progress. Myles said:

“Having an advisor to go to with issues of concerns I may be having has been extremely important and has helped me stick to a business plan and commit to seeing how something plans out before changing tact”

Myles also joined a lot of the PeoplePlus online webinars on financial, marketing and bookkeeping which helped him get to grips with crucial aspects of running a business that he had no experience in. He found the breadth of courses amazing, and thought the information was very personalised in many cases, which is priceless. Myles said:

“I have, thanks to Start Up West Yorkshire, now got a particular and tailored business plan, my social media strategy has honed, and I’ve developed the confidence and building blocks to move RuneFable Ltd forward. I am doing something I love and have produced products that I am passionate about”

Plans for the future

Myles hopes to secure orders with local and national gaming stores in hope that they will stock his artisan dice. He plans to attend many conventions and scale up on production. He hopes that this will allow him to have the business as a sustainable sole income for himself.