Henry discovered his interest in painting at the age of 16 thanks to the encouragement and support of an astute art teacher who recognised his talent.  He was introduced to oils and fell in love. Interestingly, the art teacher wasn’t the only one who noticed his work and Henry realised that a fellow student had been making prints of his paintings and selling them for charity! As a result though, Henry started to really believe in his ability.  Whilst at University he studied Politics and Economics by day and created artwork by night.  His then landlord was so impressed that he asked him to draw all over the walls of the house and the exposure to guests led to further interest and commissions. Painting was the activity that really energised him but after his degree he needed a steady job and went to work in London at an advertising agency whilst continuing to do commissions for friends and family. Henry also let his creativity flow into music and realising that he was as driven in that field as in painting, he formed a band and started to play gigs around London.  He worked really hard to develop his craft in both areas but, whilst working a full-time job, he struggled to carve out enough time needed to get to the next level and, although his ability and confidence in both music and painting had continued to soar, neither were earning him any money.

In September 2019, whilst signing on at the job centre, he was directed to the Inspiring Enterprise programme and joined us. Thinking practically, Henry came to us with a plan to set up a marketing and design agency as something that seemed to be the best commercial use of his skills. However, it quickly became apparent that his passion lay in portraiture and music. Henry says “Inspiring Enterprise helped to bring clarity, inspiration and empowerment to his situation” and he and his mentor knew that the right business for him was to grow his painting commissions, work on his music and develop as an artist.  Today, only 5 months later, Henry has 3 well paid commissions complete and 6 more in progress.  He is developing his portfolio of art and music combined and has plans to interest galleries next year with a visual and auditory experience.

There’s a warm welcome (and a few wagging tails) to greet you at Cantine, Fleet’s first dog-friendly café opened by Inspiring Enterprise participant, Alison Bullamore. Having taken redundancy last May after 21 years of working for British Airways, Alison decided the time was right to take the plunge and set up her own business.

“I felt it was the one time in my life that I’d have a lump sum of money to invest in a business,” says Alison. “We’d also become dog owners about 18 months earlier and were finding it a struggle to find places to take them, so that’s how the idea for a dog-friendly café came about.”

Alison’s work coach at Camberley Job Centre pointed her in the direction of Inspiring Enterprise and in June 2019, Alison had her first meeting with her business mentor, Richard Ryan.

“There was so much to think about including insurances, legal structures and getting my food hygiene certificate,” says Alison. “That’s when Richard was such a great help and brought so much knowledge. I found going through all the sales forecasts hard because I was never very maths-minded and that’s when I did start to doubt myself and whether I could do this. But Richard would talk me through different scenarios and he used to send me regular emails encouraging me to keep going when things were tough – he was brilliant!”

As well as her regular one-to-one meetings with business mentor Richard, Alison also attended several workshops run by Inspiring Enterprise, including one on social media which she found particularly useful. “I also met some lovely people at the workshops and we’re still in touch,” says Alison.

Alison knew that finding the right premises for her café was key and soon settled on a location in Fleet town centre, but first needed to apply for planning permission for a change of use. The permission came through in September and Alison signed the lease the next day – it was then that the hard work started.

“There were definitely times when I thought about giving up,” says Alison. “I’ve cried, I’ve had wobbles. But I knew it was a good concept and I was confident in customer service from my background at BA. I want the café to be a friendly place where people feel welcome, it’s really important to me.”

Alison’s husband, Dave, carried out the refit of the café and having retired from the Metropolitan Police, now helps run the café with her.

The pair attended a barista course at Winchester Coffee School and keen to support other local businesses, started sourcing suppliers for the café. “All our cakes are made by a lady in Frimley and we get our coffee from an independent roaster in Surrey,” says Alison. As well as the delicious-looking cakes and savoury treats on offer, the café provides snacks and Puppicinos for pooches and plenty of fresh water. The café walls are also adorned with colourful art produced by local artists which customers can buy – another idea of Alison’s to support businesses in the community.

“Opening day on 3^rd February felt like such an achievement!” says Alison. “Lots of our friends have come in to support us and have even helped with washing up when we’ve been really busy. Seeing the café when it’s been absolutely rammed, has been quite a moment!”

Visit www.cantinefleet.co.uk for more information.

The branding of commercial vans is crucial for any company. While they are on the road most of the day, vans should present the right image for your business, and display high levels of quality. Potential customers will see your van and may take your number if it conveys good quality. Van branding is also the easiest and cheapest form of advertising so it’s well worth taking the time and effort to get it right. Charlie Mullins from Pimlico Plumbers says his recognisable vans are his biggest advertising tool, helping to bring in a lot of new business.

Think about every detail when branding your van, from logos and fonts to colours and sizes. I can’t stress the importance of using colours that stand out, and large fonts for the lettering and numbers; an illegible phone number is no use to anyone. Luton vans are ideal for sign writing because of their large surface area, although Transit vans can also be effectively sign written, despite their smaller and less even surface.

The most common way of sign writing a van is to use vinyl because it’s possible to remove if the van is sold or if its purpose changes. This can be done in a similar fashion to removing wallpaper, by using heat. If hiring a van on a long lease or hire purchasing a van, the hire company will only allow you to use vinyl for this reason.

Pimlico Plumbers vans are highly recognisable on the road. Aside from their bold and polished signage, their number plates really help them stand out from the crowd. Out of a fleet of about 145 vans, 90 have personalised plumber-related number plates, with names including: W4TER, BOG 1, and DRA 1N. These distinct plates are great advertising tools, explains Charlie: “Some customers even ask for specific plumbers by their number plate.” Personalising number plates is however not cheap and can cost anything from £200 to £50,000. For small businesses starting up this may not be an option as money is often tight, however, once finances improve, it could be worth looking into to enhance your brand and reputation.

As a recovering addict, Ashlene was introduced to the Inspiring Enterprise programme via the Action Hampshire network.

Ashlene was particularly motivated to begin something new as a response to her addiction, to create a living for herself and to also give others the opportunity to change their lives for the better.

Ashlene identified the Inspiring Enterprise programme as being a perfect springboard.

Ashlene attended two Enterprise Essentials workshop organised by Action Hampshire in January 2019. These workshops covered the basics of starting a social enterprise, including idea generation, business and financial planning and sales and marketing. Ashlene says, ‘the course back in January was the first time in a long time that I’ve felt engaged in starting a project. It really exhilarated me.’

Whilst the workshops provided the basics required, Action Hampshire made sure to give enough space to participants to think about and discuss their own ideas.

Following the workshops, Ashlene was supported by a mentor to support her through the next stage of her social enterprise journey. As with all our Inspiring Enterprise mentors, Ashlene’s mentor had first-hand experience of setting up and running a social enterprise.

It was during the course that Ashlene had the idea of setting up a social enterprise called Angels & the Architect, producing candles and eventually employing others who have come through addiction.

Ashlene says ‘These candles are to raise awareness and opportunity for the still suffering addict, their families and their communities. They provide a connection to a positive energy bringing the power of scent, warmth and light to renewed souls’

Ashlene’s mentor has supported her to create a comprehensive business canvas and she has been refining her candle-making techniques to create the perfect candles and scents, following her attendance at a Candle Making and Scent Production course in London in April 2019.

Ashlene has also taken part in other training since the Inspiring Enterprise workshop, to support her enterprise, including a Nat West Luv-4-Marketing class and e-commerce training. She has also successfully enrolled to study Law at Portsmouth University from September 2019 which she describes as ‘a dream come true’.

1. Nobody tops Santa for customer loyalty.

Mr. Claus certainly picked a large market but he divided his customers between who’s naughty and who’s nice. If you want to be bad, Santa isn’t going to waste his time on bringing you the toy that you’ve dreamt about all year. But for the children who made the “nice” list, Santa takes the time to listen to them. Whether it’s a bicycle, game system or puppy, Santa listens to each and every one of his customers and delivers what each one wants every December 24th. 

• To be successful, you also need to have a large, targeted market that can support your business but additionally, you should segment your customers so that you can make your loyal customers your first priority.

2. He knows the value of diversification.

Legend has it that, Santa’s humble start was with just one simple toy and when the children liked it, they wanted other presents. So Santa begins to diversify his operation so that he can offer children across the world a wide range of presents.

• Don’t box yourself into a corner by only offering one product or service. You don’t want to suffer the same fate as Blockbuster.

3. He takes breaks.

Don’t be surprised if you spot Santa surfing or relaxing on the beach and spending some quality time with Mrs. Claus following the holidays. This man works hard and he deserves a much-needed break from his workshop at the North Pole.

• Entrepreneurs are well known for working excessive hours and rarely taking any time off. Without taking some take off, you aren’t giving your body and brain time to recharge.

4. He’s recession proof.

Even turbulent economic times can’t stop Santa Claus .While children may not receive as many presents as they would like, Santa is still able to give them something when they wake-up in the morning. He doesn’t have to rely on huge marketing budgets and is willing to cut back on the number of presents he delivers when times get tough.

• Recession proofing your business is a challenge, You should focus on selling an essential product or service and tighten your budget so that you don’t spend money on items that aren’t needed.

5. He’s been indispensable for a long time.

Why has Santa been able to remain relevant after all of these centuries? It’s because Santa makes them happy.  When it comes to a child’s happiness and imagination, Santa has definitely cornered the market. That will continue to make him indispensable for generations to come.

• How is your business inspiring its customers? What are you offering that makes you a part of their lives? What sets you apart from your competitors?

6. Santa built a solid team that stays with him for the long run.

Santa has a skilled and talented team backing him. There are the elves making the toys. There are the reindeer pulling his sleigh. Santa, like all successful entrepreneurs, surrounds himself with the right individuals to make his operation run smoothly. And, he also shows appreciation for his team members as he’s known to share his milk, cookies, and carrots with reindeer

• As a business owner, it may feel like the weight of the world rests solely on your shoulders because working a team can have several drawbacks, such as decreasing productivity and morale. Having the right team in place ensures that you produce quality content and products, as well as reducing the pressure of meeting deadlines and goal projections.

Merry Christmas to you all.

With thanks to Entrepreneur.com