Business Boost: The North Devon Startup & Business Development Guide 2022

HEADER
Business Boost
business
ACTION
supplement
The North Devon Startup & Business Development Guide 2022
Introduction
Atthemomentitfeelslike
NorthDevonishumming
tothesoundofnew
businesses.Itiswonderful
toseethevarietyof
businessesthatare
thrivinginourrelatively
rurallocation.
Butwhileitishugely
rewardingtorunyourownbusiness,lifeisoftenfraught
withthornydecisionsthatdon’thaveonecorrectanswer.
I’dliketothinkthissupplementcananswersomeofthose
questionsorgivesomeideasforwhereyoumightfind
furtherhelp.
Myownexperiencehasbeenthat,whileIhadaplanto
start,ittookmeseveralyearstoworkouthowtoexplain
thattootherpeopleandtofindcustomerswhovaluedthe
serviceIprovide.
Sowhilemybusinessplaninitiallysounded
straightforward,therealityhasbeenmorelikea
wanderingfootpath.Butit’sbeenhugelyrewardingalong
thewayandIwouldencourageanyonethinkingoftrying
outontheirowntogiveitagoandjointhisthriving
communityofentrepreneurs.
Susie Kevern
Business Action Supplement Editor
t: 07801 199671
w: poundlane.co.uk
SincelaunchingBusiness
Actionmagazinefor
NorthDevonin2020,it
hasbeenanaimto
publishsupplements
focusingonspecific
aspectsofbusiness,
althoughthepandemic
putthisonhold.Achat
withSusieKevernreturnedittothefrontofthequeue.
WorkingwithSusietocompilethematerialforthis
firstsupplementhasbeenagreatpleasureandwehope
youwillfinditahelpfulreferenceguideifyou’restarting
anewbusinessordevelopingyourexistingenterprise.
Andwithchangeoccurringsofastinallareas,eachofus
hastostayawareandrefreshourknowledgeandskills.
Thesearticlesareintendedasastartingpointtohelp
youasknecessaryquestionsaboutyourbusinessand
findusefulanswers.Youarewelcometocontactthe
authorsdirectformorespecifichelpandadvice.
Aswellasthissupplement,weareorganisingthe
BBxpobusinessexhibitioninBidefordonThursday27
OctoberandcontinuetopublishBusinessAction
magazineeveryquarter.Addedtogether,wehopethese
activitiesboostyourNorthDevonbusiness.
Robert Zarywacz
Business Action Publisher & Series Editor
t: 07971 176044
e: robertz@business-action.co.uk
Useful guide
Start up and grow
GET STARTED 2
Thebasicsofstartingtotradeofficially–fromregistering
withHMRCtotermsandconditions,andfindingadvice.
PRIVACY & GDPR 4
Abriefintroductiontothelawandregulationstohelpyou
protectyourself,youremployeesandcustomers.
HR & RECRUITMENT 4
5tipsongoodemploymentpracticeandresourcestohelp
yourecruitthestaffyouneed.
CASE STUDY 6
HowaNorthDevonmumtookthefirststeptofinancial
independenceanddevelopedaflourishingbusiness.
FINANCE & FACILITIES 7
Anintroductiontodifferenttypesoffundingandaguide
toNorthDevonbusinessaccommodationandfacilities.
MARKETING 8
Wheredoyoustart?Somethoughtsonmarketing,the
powerofdirectmailand5tipsondigitalmarketing.
IT & TECHNOLOGY 9
UseITandtechnologytoolstorunyourbusiness
efficiently,protectandpromoteit.
SUSTAINABILITY 10
Resourcestohelpyourbusinessmaintainandprotectthe
environment–plusprotectyourselfandyourbusiness.
CASE STUDY 12
HowoneNorthDevonbusinessdevelopedintoa
nationallyrecognisedbrand.
ACCESS SUPPORT 13
Currentprogrammesprovidingsupporttohelpyoustart
uporexpandyourbusiness.
NETWORKING 14
Buildbusinessrelationships,enjoyrepresentationatlocal
andnationallevels,andattendexhibitions.
Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business-action.co.uk
@businessactionm | Winter 2021 | business action 1

1 Define your business
Definingyourproductor
serviceandtheprocessofhow
youdeliverittoyourcustomers
iskeytodefiningfuturesuccess.
Themomentyoustartto
thinkspecificallyaboutwhat
youaresupplyingandidentify
youridealcustomer,itwill
becomeeasiertoseehowto
targetyourmarketandfindthe
rightpricepoint.
2 Plan your business
Next,plan.Keepyourbusiness
planassimpleandspecificas
youcan.Yourplanshouldhelp
youidentifywhatequipment
youneed,whoyouneedto
employ,ifyouneedapremises,
anyfinancerequiredandmost
importantly,theprecisecostof
yourproductorservice.
Thecreativepartofyour
planistoconsiderhowtoput
allofthistogethertogiveyour
businessitsuniqueedge,ensure
itisresilienttochange,and
provideagoodincomeforyour
hardworkandcreativity.
3 Choose a structure
Nextyouneedtochoosethe
structureforyourbusiness.
Wemayrolloureyesatthe
thoughtof‘thesmallprint’–
typicallawyerschargingfees
forsomethingnotreally
needed–butbelieveme,when
youareinthemiddleofalegal
disputewhichcouldhavebeen
avoidedbyforwardplanning
andagoodsetoftermsand
conditionsofbusiness(T&C),
youmaynotberollingyour
eyesafterall.AlthoughT&Cs
maynotbeabletocoverall
eventualities(although
Amazon’sexclusionclause
shouldthezombieapocalypse
occurwasprettyenterprising!),
itcanstillpreventalotof
problemsinthefuturesoitis
worthgettingthemdrafted
beforeyoustarttrading.
Howdoyougoabout
draftingyourT&Cs?Youwill
probablywantsomeinput
GETHEADER
STARTED
5 steps to start up
There is so much to consider when starting up a business so James
Dapling of JD Accountants in Barnstaple has distilled five basic formal
steps to help you. Of course, there are many more steps . . .
Alimitedcompanyisits
ownlegalentityandwillgive
yournewbusinessalevel
standingnotprovidedbysole
tradeorpartnershipstructures,
aswellasprovideyouwiththe
protectionoflimitedliability.
Asoletradeorpartnership
formatisasimpler,easier
structuretosetup,orcloseif
yourbusinessideasdonot
work.However,youwillnotget
thelegalprotectionsthatcome
withlimitedcompanies.
4 Register business
Allbusinessesarelegally
requiredtoregisterwithHM
RevenueandCustomsand,if
tradingasalimitedcompany,
CompaniesHouse.
Registrationcanbe
completedonlineatgov.uk,or
usingformsCWF1forsole
traders,SA400&SA401for
partnershipsorIN01fora
company.Tip:usetheseforms
toworkoutwhatdetailsyou
need,evenifyouactually
registeronline.
Youwillneedtoconsider
registeringforPAYE(PayAs
YouEarn)ifyouplanto
employandforVAT(Value
AddedTax)ifyourturnoveris
plannedtoexceed£85,000.
Don’t,however,becaughtin
theVATtransitiontrap,
experiencedbymanygrowing
businesses,whofindthatthey
arerequiredtoregisterforVAT,
havingbuiltacustomerbase
thatisusedtolowernon-VAT
prices.Ifyourbusinessisone
whereVATregistrationis
inevitable,considerregistration
forVATandpricingofyour
productorserviceattheoutset.
Allbusinessesarelegally
requiredtomaintaina
completerecordofallbusiness
transactions.Moreimportantly,
yourbusinessrecordsand
professionallyproduced
It’s all in the small print
fromasolicitoratsomepoint
butitisworthwhilethinking
whatyouwantbeforehand. So
herearesometips:
1. Howdoyouintendto
trade?Web-basedservices
willneeddifferentT&Csto
physicalservices.
2. Whereorhowwillyou
displayyourT&Cs?
3. Ifyouarewebbased,are
yougoingtobestoring
personalinformationabout
acustomer?Inwhichcase,
youneedtocaterforGDPR.
4. Doyouwanttolimityour
liability?How?Any
financiallimit?
5 Bookkeeping
Emma Slade, partner at Slee Blackwell who specialises in litigation,
advises on the merits of having terms and conditions of business
5. Doyouwishtoprotectthe
copyrightorother
intellectualpropertyright
inyourproduct?
6. Paymentterms:all
important.Whathappensif
theydon’tpay?Doyou
wanttochargeintereston
latepayments?
7. Andwhataboutrefunds?
8. Willyouwanttoterminate
thecontract?
Thoseareonlyafew,very
basictipsbuthopefully,itwill
getyouthinkingaboutwhat
youmayneedandalsomay
highlightafewreasonswhy
youmayneedsomeT&Cs.
accountsareasourceofgold
that,ifusedproperly,canlift
yourbusinessabovethecrowd.
Youcanclaimthecostsof
anyexpensethatisincurred
whollyandexclusivelyforthe
purposesoftrade.Thereare
complexrulesaroundwhat
maybeallowable,whichare
notalwaysconsistentbetween
differenttaxes.HMRevenue
andCustomsdoprovidesome
guidanceatgov.uk/expenses-ifyoure-self-employedasa
startingpoint.However,dotake
advicefromyouraccountant.
Webelieveinkeeping
bookkeepingsimpleand
recommendtheuseofa
dedicatedbankaccount,freeof
personaltransactions,anda
systemforfilingyourinvoices
asyoupayforthem,whetheras
oldschoolpaperoronline.
Digitaltoolsintheright
handscanhelp,butunlikethe
advertssuggest,theywillnot
blessyouwiththeskillofbeing
abookkeepingortaxgeniusat
themereclickofyourmobile.
James Dapling
JD Accountants
t: 01271 378606
Importantlythough,speak
toyoursolicitortoget
guidance.Becauseifyoudon’t
talktoyoursolicitornow,you
maybetalkingtomany
solicitorsinthefutureasthe
disputesstart.
Emma Slade
Slee Blackwell
t: 01271 372128
w: sleeblackwell.co.uk
supplement
Web site | business-action.co.uk
Online version | business-action.uk
t: 07971 176044
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© Need it Find it 2022. All information in this supplement is published in good faith. Any views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher, Need it Find it. Articles
included in this supplement do not constitute business advice. Readers are strongly recommended to seek advice from an appropriate professional before taking any action
on any topic discussed in the supplement and to check full terms and conditions of any products or services promoted in advertisements.
2 business action | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business-action.co.uk

Whose advice is best?
As well as publishing Business Action, Robert Zarywacz’s long career
includes corporate roles and running his own copywriting and
communications partnership. He believes running a business is a
way of life which must fit with your own beliefs and needs
Advice based on experience
Therearemanybusiness
advisersandconsultantsready
togiveyouadvice,buthow
manyhaveactuallystartedor
runtheirownbusiness?Thisis
verydifferentfrombeingan
employeeandisdifficultto
understandifyou’venot
experiencedityourself.
Muchbusinessadviceis
aimedathelpingbusinesses
thatwillgrowlargefastand
employlotsofpeople,butvery
fewbusinesseseverdoeither.
Mostaresoletradersormicrobusinessesemployinglessthan
10.Doesthismakethemany
lessvaluable?
Establish your value
Itdependsonyourreasonsfor
runningabusiness.Some
mightwanttoearnextra
moneytosupplementtheir
mainincome,othersmight
wanttosupporttheir
community,whileambitious
entrepreneursmightwantto
foundagiantbusinessempire.
Howdoesasmallbusinessthat
helpsthecommunityor
improvespeople’slives
comparewithabigonethat
employslotsofpeopletosell
consumerproducts?Valueis
measurableinmorewaysthan
justprofit.
What’simportantisto
knowwhat’sdrivingyouto
runyourbusiness,whether
youwanttopromoteaworthy
cause,runahairdressingchain
ormanufactureelectronics
products.Perhapsyouwant
morecontroltoenjoylifemore.
Try out your ideas
It’salwaysgoodtodrawupa
plan,butmanyplansare
purelytheoreticalbecause
thereisnowayofknowing
howrealistictheyareuntilput
intoaction.
Thesedaysmorepeople
seemtobetestingbusiness
ideaswhilestillinajobtofind
outwhatworksandwhat
doesn’t.Thisresearchis
invaluablebecauseyoudon’t
havetorisklosingyour
incomeorbiginvestment.You
canstartsmallandbuildupto
thedaywhenyourbusiness
needsyoufull-timeandyou
canresignfromyourjob.
Marketing. What works?
Godigital,everyonesays,but
rememberthosebusinesses
thatthriveonword-of-mouth
recommendations,the
personaltouchandpeople
whorememberyourname
withouthavingtolookitupin
adatabase.
Digitalandonlinetoolscan
bevery,veryeffectivebutdo
notguaranteesuccessontheir
own.Whiledigitalexperts
focusonnumbersofviews,
visitsandshares,theonly
statisticthatreallymattersis
sales–doesithelpyousell?
Lookatthewholemarketing
mix–frombrandedshirtsand
phonenumbersonvehiclesto
socialmediavideos–tofind
whatworksforyou.
Who should you listen to?
Everyone,especiallyyourself.
It’sgoodtohearawiderange
ofopinionsandinvestin
whatevertrainingyoucan.
Chooseadviserswhose
advicecorrespondswithyour
ethos.Andrememberthat
whatworksforothersisnot
guaranteedtoworkforyou.
Yourgutinstinctisvital.
Youwillinevitablyhavetodo
thingsyoudon’tenjoydoing–
taxreturns,admin,cleaning
equipment–butdon’teverdo
anythingyoudon’tbelieveis
therightthingtodo.Listen
carefullytoyourownvoice.
Enjoy your business
And,finally,havefun.Along
withtheinevitableupsand
down,problemsand
frustrations,manybusiness
ownerslovewhattheydoand
wouldn’tchangeitfor
anything.That’sagoodaim.
Perhapsyoursuccesswill
leadyoutoofferadviceto
otherpeoplelookingtofollow
yourexampleandstarttheir
ownbusiness.Goodluck!
Robert Zarywacz
Zarywacz
t: 01271 879100
w: z2z.com
FIND HEADER ADVICE
Are you a Small Business in the North
Devon and Torridge area and would like to
have an input with the Petroc curriculum?
The Big Benefits for Small Businesses project works
collaboratively with small businesses in North Devon
and Torridge to improve the relevance of skills
provision, maximise innovation and develop training
and skills opportunities.
For more information please e-mail
projects@petroc.ac.uk
in partnership with
@businessactionm | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business action 3

Maintaining privacy
and data protection
Most businesses collect and store data on customers, employees and
other individuals. Ensuring their privacy and protecting their data is
vital. But where do you start? Nigel Hellewell provides specialist
advice and training on privacy and data protection to organisations.
Below is an extract adapted from a comprehensive introduction to the
topic published by Nigel on his web site at enaych.com
Whatarethemainconstituent
partsofUKdataprotection
lawandhowdotheyinteract
witheachother?
Information Commissioners
Office (ICO)
TheICOregulatesthelegislation.
Itisfundedmainlybyfees
paidby‘datacontrollers’.
Datacontrollersarethe
legalentity(soletrader,
partnership,company,
organisation,etc)who
ultimatelydecidesthe
purposesandmeansofthe
processingofpersonaldata.
Data Protection
(Charges and Information)
Regulations 2018
Theseareoftenreferredtoas
theDataProtectionFee.There
arethreetiersofpayments
dependingonthesizeand
natureofanorganisation.
Data Protection Act 2018
(DPA2018)
TheDPA2018setsoutthe
frameworkfordataprotection
lawintheUK.Itsitsalongside
andsupplementstheUK
GDPR(seebelow),egby
providingexemptions.Italso
coverslawenforcement
authorities,nationalsecurity
anddefence.
TheDPA2018issplitinto
differentparts,whichapplyin
differentsituationsand
performdifferentfunctions.
Part2:Generalprocessing
(UKGDPR)supplementsand
tailorstheUKGDPR.
Formostorganisations,this
isthepartthatwillapply.Read
italongsidetheUKGDPR
itself,asbothsetsofprovisions
applydirectlytoyou.
General Data Protection
Regulations (GDPR)
AftertheUKlefttheEU,the
EUGDPRwasreplacedbythe
UKGDPR,whichsimilarly
has99articles(asitisderived
fromtheEUversion).The
wordinghasbeenchangedin
somearticlestomakeitrelevant
totheUKandsomehavebeen
redactedanddonotapply.
TheUKGDPRappliesto
processingofpersonaldataby
organisationsoperatingwithin
theUK.Italsoappliesto
organisationsoutsidetheUK
thatoffergoodsorservicesto
individualsintheUK.
Specificarticlescover
definitionsoftheterminology;
theprinciplesofprocessing
personaldata,includingthe
‘lawful,fairnessand
transparency’principle;the
provisiontoindividualsofall
detailsaboutwho,where,
what,whenandhowpersonal
dataisbeingprocessed;the
rightofaccessforindividuals
toaskaboutandreceive
confirmationaboutprocessing
oftheirownpersonaldata;the
keepingofrecords;andmore.
Good practice
Gettoknowthepersonaldata
youoryourorganisation
processes.Reviewtheamount
andvalidityofthedata,ensure
itissecureandonlythose
authorisedhaveaccesstoit.
Trainyourstaffinthe
processingofpersonaldata–
it’salegalrequirement.
Rememberpersonaldata
thatyourorganisation
processesarenotyourdata–
youarejustthecustodianofit
whileit’sbeingprocessed.
Privacy and Electronic
Communications
Regulations (PECR)
ThePECRsitalongsidethe
DataProtectionActandthe
UKGDPR.Theycoverpeoplespecificprivacyrightsin
relationtoelectronic
communications.
■ Formoredetailed
information,adviceand
trainingondataprotection
andprivacy,call02171595001
orvisitenaych.com
PRIVACY HEADER / HR
5 HR tips for hiring
a member of staff
Hiringstaffisexciting,but
therearelegalobligationsyou
needtomeetasanemployer.
Workers/employeeshave
employmentrights,soyou
mustbecarefultoavoidrisk
andprotectyourbusiness.
Foranessentialcheckliston
gettingstarted,usetheguide
ongov.uk/employing-staff
Here,full-serviceHR
outsourcingspecialist
FitzgeraldHRoffersfive
practicaltipstohelpyou
navigateyourfirsthire.
1 What do you need?
Scopeouttherole,its
responsibilitiesandnecessary
skillsandexperience,and
recordthisinajobdescription.
Thiswillhelpyoutorecruit
fairly,communicateyour
expectations,andmonitor
performance.
Considerhowyouneedthe
roletooperateandits
employmentstatus.Ifyouneed
torecruitfromoverseas,you
willneedtomeetspecific
criteriaandapplyforasponsor
licence.
Decidehowmuchyouwill
pay.Researchthemarketto
understandwhatafairpay
rangeisfortherole.Itis
essentialthatyoupayatleast
nationalminimumwage.
2 Advertise your role
Itisagainstthelawto
discriminateagainstsomeone
becauseofaprotected
characteristicsuchasage,
gender,disability,race,religion
andmore.Takecarenotto
discriminatewhenadvertising
yourrole,suchasthroughthe
languageinthejobadvert.
Advertiseinmultiple
locationstoreacharangeof
candidates.Itisagoodideato
attachyourjobdescriptionto
theadvertandcommunicate
theprocessifyoucan–eg
closingdate,interviewdates.
3 Select candidates
Aninterviewwillhelpselect
therightcandidate,andby
askingifyoucanmakeany
reasonableadjustmentsyoucan
ensuretherecruitmentprocess
isaccessibletoall.
Avoiddiscriminative
questionsandscorecandidates
basedonhowwelltheymeet
therequirementsinthejob
description.Thiswillhelpyou
tocomparecandidatesfairly
andseewhoisthebestfitfor
therole.
4 Making the hire
Onceyou’vemadeaverbal
offerofemploymenttoa
candidate,youshouldfollow
thisupinwriting.
Youmustcheckthe
candidate’srighttoworkinthe
UK.Considerifyouneedto
carryoutanyadditionalpreemploymentchecks,suchasa
DBScheck.
You’llalsoneedtoregisteras
anemployerwithHMRC
beforethefirstpayday,acquire
employers’liabilityinsurance,
andcheckifyouneedto
automaticallyenrolyour
employeeontoaworkplace
pensionscheme.
Youarelegallyrequiredto
providethewrittentermsof
employment(themaindetails
ofacontractofemployment
suchaspayandworkinghours)
onorbeforetheworker’sstart
date.Inaddition,we
recommendhavingessential
HRpoliciesinplace–suchas
processestomanagebullying
andharassment,grievanceand
disciplinarymatters.
5 Friends & family
Friendsandfamilyareoften
keentosupport,butyoushould
makesuretheyarethebestfit
fortherolebeforehiringthem.
Likeanyotheremployee,
theywillhaveemployment
rights.Werecommendyou
alwaysfollowafairprocessto
ensureyourbusinessis
protectediftherelationship
doesnotworkoutprofessionally.
■ Wehopeyoufoundthis
useful.Ifyouneedsupport
withtheabove,werecommend
thatyouseekprofessional
adviceforyourbusiness.Call
03302235253orvisit
fitzgeraldhr.co.uk
4 business action | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business-action.co.uk

A combination of the pandemic, global conflict and high
accommodation costs makes it hard for employers to find new staff.
Traditionally, many employers sought staff ‘ready to go’, but a
different approach is needed now. Many people want to work but
need encouragement, training or some other assistance. Here are two
support schemes available now to help both employers find valuable
members of staff and jobseekers wanting rewarding careers
Jobcentre: Way to Work
WaytoWorkisanational
pushtohelpevenmorepeople
benefitfromtherecord
numberofvacanciesavailable,
includingmanyinsectorsvital
tonationalrecovery.
Atthesametime,thereare
hundredsofthousandsof
peopleonUniversalCredit
whoareactivelylookingto
makeafreshstartinwork.
Thismeanstherearemany
talented,work-readypeople
onourbookswhoareeagerto
takeonyourroles.
Thiscampaignwillhelp
peoplemoveswiftlybackinto
workandhelpyoufilltheroles
youandoureconomyneed.
How do we help you?
Ifyou’relookingtofilla
vacancy,wewillofferyoua
namedemployeradviserin
yourlocalJobcentreto
supportyou(ordedicated
nationalaccountmanagerfor
largecompanies).
Ourrangeofrecruitment
servicesinclude:
➤ Theopportunitytobe
introducedtopeople
lookingforworkthrougha
varietyofplatforms
➤ Simplifyingandshortening
therecruitmentprocessto
findbettermatched
candidatestointerview
➤ Helpsettingupworktrials
toassesspotentialrecruits
➤ Adviceaboutofferingwork
experienceand
apprenticeships
➤ Supportfromother
employmentschemes
■ CalltheEmployerServices
Lineon08001690178oremail
employer.services@dwp.gov.uk
RECRUITMENT HEADER
Be Ready . . . to unlock
talent for your business
Beinganinclusiveorganisation
couldenhancethereputationof
yourbusiness,improve
innovationandattractmore
customers.
TheBeReadyEmployer
Hubcansupportyoutogrow
yourbusinessinnewwaysby
harnessingtheabilitiesandideas
ofamorediverseworkforce.
Theserviceisfree,offering
informationandguidanceon
employingandkeepingstaff
whoapplytheirskillsandtalent
differently.Itoffers:
➤ onlinetrainingworkshops
➤ telephonesupport
➤ business-to-business
learningnetworks
➤ onlineresources
Employer challenges
Asabusinesssupportservice,
BeReadyEmployerHub
recognisesthechallenging
timeslocalemployersare
facing.Asemployersmakethe
decisionsonwhentoreturnto
anoffice,orhowtokeepthe
workplaceCovid-safe,many
employeesmayalsohaveto
discloseadisabilityorhealthconditionforthefirsttime(as
theirconditionhadnot
impactedontheirabilityto
workpreviously).
TheBeReadyEmployer
Hubcanprovideguidanceand
linkstospecialistsupportfor
employersandaccesstogrant
fundingforanyreasonable
adjustmentsthatareneededto
supportemployeeswith
disabilitiesorhealthconditions
(includingmentalwellbeing).
TheDepartmentofWork
andPensions(DWP)Accessto
Workgrantschemehas
introducedadditionalmeasures
toenabledisabledpeopleto
moveintoorretainemployment,
whichincludescontinued
supporttoworkathome.
■ Call01392241124orvisit
readydevon.org.uk
@businessactionm | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business action 5

Somepeoplegrappleforyears
withthethoughtofstarting
theirownbusiness,butare
heldbackbyfears.When
GemmaMullinger’sson
startedpre-school,shewas
determinedtobefinancially
independentandpostedon
Facebookaskingifanyone
neededacleaner.
“Itwasveryspontaneous,”
saysGemma,buttheresponse
snowballedandshestarteda
Facebookbusinesspagein
February2019.Requestsfor
cleaningcontinuedtoincrease
duetoword-of-mouth
recommendationsandin
October2019,Gemmawas
joinedbybusinesspartner
KellytolaunchHiddenGem
Housekeeping.
Gemmawasdriventostart
thebusinessbyseveralaims:“I
didn’twanttoworkforother
peopleandIdidn’twantto
missmysongrowingup.I
neededsomethingIcoulddo
withnostart-upcosts.Iwould
highlyrecommenditto
womeninmysituation.”
Gemmaaddsthatthe
cleaningmodelfitsinperfectly
aroundchildrenandthatitis
CASE HEADER STUDY
It started with a
Facebook post
easytopromoteasyouarenot
sellingaproductthatpeople
don’tunderstand.
“Iusedallmyprevious
customerserviceskillsand
businessexperience.”
HiddenGemHousekeeping
nowemploysateamof12selfemployedmembersand
providesdomestic,commercial
andend-of-tenancycleaning
servicestocustomersacross
NorthDevon.
Gemmaexperienceda
considerablebuzzwhen
buildingabusinessandnow
wantstosupportotherwomen
tostarttheirownbusinesses
bydevelopingherown
coachingpractice.
“Yourmindsetisvery
important.Self-development
toworkonyourselftoworkon
yourselfisalsoreallyvaluable.”
Gemmaencouragesanyone
wantingtostartabusinessto
gooutandmakeastart:“If
youhaveaskill,justdoit.You
canworkonalogoand
marketingafterwards–you
candoallthatlater.”
Shealsoencouragespeople
toattendthemanyfree
businesseventsorganised
acrosstheareaandtonetwork
asmuchaspossible.
■ Fordetailsandtobook
cleaningservices,
call07403476427orvisit
hiddengemhousekeeping.com
6 business action | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business-action.co.uk

FINANCE HEADER
Funding options for start-up and early-stage businesses
1 Bank loans
Yourbankisstilloftenthefirst
portofcallforbusiness
funding.However,manybanks
arerisk-averse,andyoumight
findthattheyarenotwillingto
lendwithoutaproventrack
record–somethingwhichnew
andearly-stagebusinesses
won’thave.
2 Small business grants
Grantsarenon-repayablesums
ofmoneythatareawardedto
businessestomeetspecific
needs.Whilethenon-repayable
aspectisattractive,these
schemesgenerallyhave
Accommodation & facilities
Node Cowork
Node,locatedofftheA39at
Roundswell,wasofficially
openedinOctober2021.
Thecompletedphase1now
offers37smallandmedium
offices,acoworkingspacefor
upto50people,meeting
roomsandon-sitecoffeeshop.
Broadbandinternet
connectivityofupto1Gbpsis
availabletousers,dependent
onmembershiplevel,which
rangesfrom£20&VATfora
daypassupto£249&VATper
monthforpromembership.
Ratesforteams,which
include24-houraccessseven
daysaweek,arealsoavailable.
■ Call01271452442orvisit
nodecowork.co.uk
Business & IP Centre
TheBusiness&IPCentre
Devon(BIPC)atBarnstaple
Libraryoffersbusinesses
accesstoalargecollectionof
businessandresearchdatabases.Manycanbeaccessed
fromhomewithalibrarycard,
whileothersareavailable
throughthepubliccomputers
inthelibrary.Businessescan
alsobrowseandborrowan
extensiverangeofbusiness
books,eBooksandmagazines.
BarnstapleLibraryalso
offersanin-houseFabLab
wherebusinessescanaccess
3Dprinters,laserandvinyl
cutters,anddigitalsewing
machinesataffordablerates.
■ Detailsfablabdevon.organd
bipc.librariesunlimited.org.uk
When your business needs finance, you’ll discover that there is an
array of sources available. Understanding your options and
determining what is best for your business can seem daunting. These
different types of finance serve different purposes and you might find
that you’ll need to utilise more than one option during the course of
your business journey
particulareligibilitycriteria.Be
preparedtoinvesttimeand
effortintoyourapplicationbut
don’tlosesightoftheendgoal
–profitabletrading.
3 Overdraft / credit card
Overdraftsandbusinesscredit
cardsoffera‘lineofcredit’which
isattachedtoyourbusiness
transactionaccount–youcan
accessthesewheneveryouneed
to.Youpaybackwhatyoucan,
Castle Hill Work Hub
CastleHillWorkHubinGreat
Torringtonoffersameeting
roomforuptoeightpeople,
15workspacesaswellasa
collaborationareaand
kitchenette.
Membersalsobenefitfrom
freedrop-insupport
opportunitiesandaregular
presencefromPetroc’sBig
BenefitsforSmallBusinesses
programme.
■ Visittorridge.gov.uk/
castlehillworkhub
Cotie (Centre of Technology
and Innovation Excellence)
CotieatPetrocoffersaccessto
advancedtechnology-based
facilities,includingshared-use
laboratorieswith3Dprinting
anddesignequipment.
■ Detailsatpetroc.ac.uk
South West Institute of
Technology (SWIoT)
SWIoTatPetrocincludes
twostate-of-the-artfacilities:
TheEngineeringfacility
housescleanroomfabrication
capabilities;electronicsdesign,
manufactureandtesting
laboratories;additive
technologies(3D);and
productionrobotics.
TheDigitalSciencesuite
containsabespokeareafor
developingvirtual
environments;alargespacefor
droneexperimentation;and
thelatestspecification
networking,software,anddata
engineeringfacilities.
■ Detailsatpetroc.ac.uk
whenyoucan–ifthecredit
staysundertheapprovedlimit.
4 Crowdfunding
Crowdfundingiswhenfunds
areraisedbyalargenumberof
peoplecontributingsmall
amountsinreturnforaninterest
orfeereturnand/or‘rewards’.
Typically,rewardstakethe
formofmerchandiseor
benefitsrelatedtothebusiness.
5 Investors
Theseincludeequity
investment,angelinvestorsand
venturecapitalists.Investment
couldbeusefulforfast-growth
businesses.However,
investmentscanbecomplex
andappropriatelegaladvice
shouldbesought.
6 Non-bank loans
Therearemanynon-bank
lenders,manyofwhichcan
giveveryquickdecisionsby
usingautomatedcredit
assessmenttools.
7 CDFIs
CommunityDevelopment
FinanceInstitutions(CDFIs)
arenon-profitlenderswhohelp
financiallyexcludedbusinesses
togrow,createjobsand
developtheirlocal
communities.Theygettoknow
theircustomers,challenge
businessplans,andtakea
flexibleapproachtolending
whenthebankhassaidno.
TheSouthWest’sCDFIfor
businessisSWIGFinance,who
istheregion’sleadingdelivery
partnerforStartUpLoans,a
government-backedinitiative
providinganaffordablesource
offinancetohelpnewand
early-stagebusinessowners
bringtheirplanstolife.
■ TofindoutmoreaboutStartUpLoans,call01872227932,
visitswigfinance.co.uk/start-up-loans/
oremailstartup@swigfinance.co.uk
START
Start-up and Grow your
business in Devon
Call: 0800 500 3107
devon.ytko.com/community-renewal-fund/
Funded by
GROW START
• Start-up Support
Sessions
• Growth Training
Support Sessions
• One-to-one coaching
• Grants of up to £10k
• Skills workshops
Delivered by
@businessactionm | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business action 7

Everynewbusinessneedsto
attractnewcustomers,butwith
endlessoptionsformarketing
(allofwhicharemust-haves)
andalimitedbudget,youneed
tomakesureyourmarketing
effortsproducetheright
results.
Customer focus
It’smostimportanttostartby
identifyingyourideal
customer.Whoarethey?
What’stheirproblem?This
helpstargetyouradvertisingso
thattherightcustomersseeyou
andunderstandwhyyou’re
whattheyneed.
Targetingonegroupdoesn’t
necessarilyexcludeothers,but
givesyouabetterchanceof
beingnoticedbythepotential
customersthatyouwant.
Spend wisely
Withsomanyoptionsoutthere
it’seasytogetcarriedaway.This
iswherethecustomerfocus
comesin:wherewillyourideal
Use the power of direct mail
Thewrittenwordisthesecond
oldestformofcommunication
afterthespokenword.It
continuestobesuccessful
becauseitismemorable.
Mail reaches customers
Today,RoyalMailprocesses
morethan14.4billionletters
peryear.Eachonestandsout
inacrowdedmarketing
landscape.Unlikeemail,a
letterisaphysicalobject:itis
postedthroughaletterbox;it
avoidsspamfilters;reduces
unsubscribes;andgrabsthe
attentionoftherecipientthe
momentitlands.
Withmoreofusworking
fromhome,physicalpostis
achievingevenhigher
engagementrates.Thisis
becausewhentheletterbox
rattles,consumers
instinctivelyjumpupand
openthemailstraightaway.
Theystopwhattheyaredoing,
theninstinctivelyleapbackon
totheirPCtogetthedeal.
Personalise your mail
Thekeytograbbingconsumer
attentionispersonalisation,
whichisavailabletoall
businessesthroughplatforms
suchasstannp.com.This
enablesyoutosend
MARKETING HEADER
Marketing: where to start?
Marketing doesn’t come naturally to many of us, but when you run a
small business it’s likely that marketing will be one of your main roles.
Susie Kevern of Pound Lane Financial Management shares experience
she has gained when marketing her own business
customerbelooking?Canyou
useFacebookinsteadofaweb
site?Doyouwantanonline
shoportohavecustomersvisit
inperson?
Usingfriendsandcontacts
tospreadnewsaboutyour
businesswillalwaysbemore
effectivethanpayingfor
advertising.Potential
customersvaluereviewsof
otherpeople’sexperiencesso
tryaskingfriendsorrelatives
forfeedbackandusethatfor
marketing.
Build authority
Selfpromotiondoesn’talways
comenaturally.Rememberthat
whatyouthinkofasbasic
knowledge–makingagood
lemondrizzlecakeorwritinga
personalisedmailtoyour
customersfromyourdesk
throughaneasy-to-usewebbasedplatform.
Monitor and engage
stannp.comalsoprovides
trackingandengagementtools
soyoucantellthatyourmail
arrivesandisread.Mailis
scannedateverystage–apart
fromthelastmilewhen
deliveryisassumed–while
engagementcanbemonitored
throughaQRcodeprintedon
youritem.TheQRcodecan
takecustomerstoaspecific
webpageorprovideacustom
promotionalcode–all
measurablesoyoucanmonitor
yourreturnoninvestment.
Thesearejustsomeofthe
standardreportingtools
stannp.comoffersyouand
therearealotmorethat
integrateallthebenefitsof
traditionalprintedmailwith
up-to-datedigitaldesign,data
processingandbusiness
managementsystems.
Lorien Hamilton
Stannp
t: 01271 320864
w: stannp.com
Usevouchercode‘POST4’at
checkoutfor10%off.
concisereport–isnotso
simpletootherpeople.Be
proudofyourskillsandhave
confidencethatyouare
providingavaluableservice.
Talkaboutyourstartupto
everyoneyouthinkmightbe
interestedandtakeevery
opportunitytogetamention:
somethingintheparish
magazine,aprizeinaschool
raffle,orsomethingmore
creative.Anywayofraising
yourprofilewithpotential
customers.
Take the long view
EarlyoninmybusinesslifeI
wastoldthatittakesthree
yearstoestablishabusiness.I
wouldsaythatperhapsittakes
longertofeelyouarereally
self-sustaining,butthekeyis
nottoexpectsuccessovernight.
Oftenpotentialcustomers
becomeawareofyourbusiness
longbeforetheyarereadyto
buyfromyou.Usethepowerof
smallbutconsistentmarketing
effortstobuildupawarenessof
yournewbrand.Ifpotential
customersseeyourname
regularly,discussingthingsthat
theyareinterestedin,youwill
bethe‘goto’person/place
whentheyareready.
Listen for feedback
Finally,it’simportanttoreview
youroriginalbusinessidea:
Howdoesitcomparetoyour
currentexperience?Doyou
wanttosticktotheoriginal
planorcanyouseenew
opportunities?
Susie Kevern
Pound Lane Financial Management
t: 07801 199671
w: poundlane.co.uk
5 digital marketing tips
1 Own your web site
Owningyourowndomain–eg
yourname.co.uk–andwebsite
givesyoutotalcontrolover
materialyoupublish.Anyposts
onsocialnetworks–eg
Instagram–aresubjecttothat
network’scontrol.Andifa
networkclosesdown,as
Google+did,youcouldloseall
yourmaterial.Evenifyouuse
socialmedianetworks
extensively,youcanalwaysfall
backonyourownwebsite.
2 Grow your web site
Whenyoustartout,youmight
onlyneedaone-pagestaticweb
site,sodon’tspendmoneythat
youdon’tneedto.Some
services,likewix.comeven
offerfreewebsites.
Youcandevelopandexpand
yourwebsiteatanytimeas
yourbusinessdevelopsandyou
knowwhichdirectionyou’re
goingin.
3 Plan social media
Socialmediaisveryusefulbut
cantakealotoftimetocreate
contentandbuildafollowing.
Thinkabouthowmuch
resourceyouwanttocommitto
it.Withsomanynetworks,itis
besttofocusononeortwoto
avoidover-stretchingyourself.
Monitorresults,asitcan
takealongtimetoestablish
yourself.Isitgeneratingactual
enquiries?Areyouspending
toomuchtimeforlittlereturn?
Rememberthatsocialmedia
networkscomeandgo–don’t
putallyoureggsinonebasket!
4 Sell online
Manyservicesmakeiteasyto
setupanonlinestore,which
canbeespeciallyeffectivefor
sellingconsumerproducts.
Theseservicesand
marketplacesprovideallthe
infrastructureforyourshopfor
amonthlyorannualfeesoyou
don’tneedtechnicalknowledge.
Becarefulifbuildingyour
entirebusinessonsucha
service.Howeasycanyou
changeserviceonceestablished?
Andensureyoucanaffordthe
feesoyourshopdoesn’tvanish.
5 Stay safe and secure
Thedigitalworldisexcitingbut
notalwayssafe.
Keepuptodatewithactions
youcantaketosecurethedata
youstore(seepage4)andto
protectyourwebsitesand
systems(seepage9).
8 business action | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business-action.co.uk

Harnessing the
power of IT
IT & TECHNOLOGY HEADER
Greatnews!Youareyour
company’snewchief
technologyofficer(alongwith
everythingelse).
Don’tpanic!Formicrobusinesses,harnessingsome
smarttechnologychoicesearly
willsupportyourplanstogrow.
In the cloud
Asyou’restillgettingyour
businessofftheground,it’s
wisetopickcloud-based
technology,ratherthan
investingheavilyinhardware.
Manyweb-basedplatforms
offerlow-coststarterplans
thatgiveyoujustthebasicsat
afractionofthetechnology
costs–coveringeverything
fromprofessionalbusiness
emailtopowerfulcreative
tools,simpleaccounting
systemsandyourownonline
store,allavailableviathe
cloudforasmallsubscription
cost.Thebarriertoentryis
low–socapitaliseonthis.
WithyourITresources
cloud-based,you’llbeableto
keepupfrontcostsdowninthe
beginningandstayflexible.
Beingabletoaccessyourtools
fromanywherealsohelps
makethingsconvenientfor
youpersonally,duringwhat
willprobablybehecticearly
daysforyournewbusiness.
Cloud-basedsystemsare
usuallyscaleablesoyoucan
adduserlicencesfornew
employeesorassociates
wheneveryouneedthem.
Monthlypaymentoptionsalso
giveyouflexibilitytocancel
licenceswhenyounolonger
needthem,usefulifyou
assembleateamforthe
durationofaprojectand
disbanditoncompletion.
Keep cybersecure
Youwon’thaveabig
cybersecuritybudgettobegin
with,soithelpstomakesome
shrewddecisions.Areputable
antivirussoftwareisamust
(evenifyou’veonlygotone
device)butleveragefree
resourcestoo:theUKNational
CyberSecurityCentreoffersa
free‘CyberActionPlan’
toolkitforsoletradersand
smallbusinessesatncsc.gov.uk,
andITGovernanceoffers
accessibleGDPR/data
protectionguidesaimedat
beginnersatitgovernance.co.uk.
Ourbestrecommendation?
Turnonmulti/two-factor
authentication(MFA/2FA)
everywhere.Thisworksby
requiringextraauthentication
ontopofusualusername/
passwordlogins,suchas
inputtingaone-offcodetexted
toyourmobilephone.Itwill
keepyouraccessprotected,
notjustforyouronlinebank
account,butforallyourother
websiteloginstoo.Manybig
onlineplatformsofferthis
safeguardforfreeinyouruser
settingsanyway–sotakefull
advantageandturnMFA‘ON’.
Virtual landline
Partofthechallengeisalso
aboutpresentingyourselfas
anauthoritative,professional
concern–somethingthatis
alsomucheasierinthe2020s.
It’sworthinvestigatinga
low-costvirtuallandline
serviceforthatofficial
‘businessnumber’look.Most
usefully,thesesolutionsoften
includefeatureslikeanopen
choiceofareacodes,
scheduledaudiogreetingsand
integratedaccessfromyour
smartphone–helping
customersthinkyou’re‘inthe
office’evenwhenyou’reout
andabout.
Withtherighttechnology
choices,youcanensureyour
newbusinesspuncheswell
aboveitsweightina
competitivemarketplace
withoutspendingafortuneat
thestart.
■ Linealisamulti-disciplinary
ITsupportcompanybasedin
Barnstaple,committedto
providingreliabletechnical
supportandserviceswithan
honest,professionaland
approachablemanner.
ForspecificITand
communicationadvice,
contact01271375999or
lineal.co.uk
BBxpo
BIDEFORD
BUSINESS • BOOST • EXPO
Thursday 27 October
Devon Hall
▶ Business exhibition
▶ Talks & workshops
▶ Networking buffet
Book space at bbxpo.uk
@businessactionm | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business action 9

10 sustainable
business tips
The Sustainable Business Resource is a North Devon-based
organisation connecting SMEs with the tools required to reduce their
carbon footprint and improve sustainability in all possible aspects of
operations. Working as part of the Plastic Free North Devon charity, it
will run a full assessment of your business and then lay out a plan of
action to tackle every aspect from a sustainable point of view, helping
you, target, source and measure change
1 Include your people
Includeandengageyourstaff.
Withoutbringingyourstaff
alongwithyouontheprocess
ofchangeandimprovement,
thejourneywillbetwiceas
longandtwiceashard.
2 Draw up a list
Createahitlistofalltheareas
thatneedimprovingand,
regardlessofhowchallenging
theyare,givethemtargetdates
forcompletion.Startwiththe
lowesthangingfruitandbe
realisticabouttime.
3 Measure progress
Assessandrecordalltheareas
whereyouareworkingto
improvesoyoucanreportyour
improvementstoyourstaff,
stakeholdersandcustomers
withfactsandfigures.
4 Assign roles
Appointkeystaffmembersto
workonspecifictargets,eg
packaging,energyetc.Most
importantly,apportiona
suitableamountoftimeper
weektomakethishappen.
Askingthemtofititintoan
alreadyoverloadedweekwill
neverwork.
5 Explain your aims
Whenmeasuringcostof
change,factorinthelonger
termbenefitsandreturnsin
regardtostaffandcustomer
engagementandallegiance.In
mostcases,ifyourcostshaveto
rise,explainthereasonsbehind
thisandyourcustomerswillbe
morelikelytoacceptthem.
SUSTAINABILITY HEADER
6 Assess all changes
Foreachareaofproposed
change,completeafulland
honestappraisalbefore
embarkingonthechange.Can
thesavingsfromsomeofthe
changesbeusedtooffsetthe
additionalcostsforothers?
7 Collaborate
Workwithyoursuppliersto
helpthemunderstandthatyou
needinformationonhowthey
operatealongwithcertification
ofmaterialsandsources.Bring
themalongonthejourneywith
you.
8 Network
Networkwithyourindustry,
findoutwhohasdonewhat
andhow,workwithspecialists
tocutdownthetimeon
research,andshareyourresults
andfindingssootherscan
benefittoo.
9 Raise awareness
Tellyourcustomerswhatyou
areplanningandwhatyouhave
achieved.Ateverylevel,in
everyindustry,customersare
choosingtoworkwith
responsiblecompaniesfirst.
10 Plan sustainably
Recognisesustainabilityasa
keypartofallyourbusiness
planning.Factoritinatthe
beginningofanynewdesignor
projecttorecogniseboththe
materialcostandecological
costwhendecidingwhich
product/servicetobuy.
■ FordetailsoftheSustainableBusinessResource,
call01271311104orvisitthesbr.org.uk
Protect
yourself
It’aeasytogetcarriedawayby
theexcitementofstartinga
businesssothatyouoverlook
yourownprotection.
Sometimesnewbusinesses
strikeluckyfastandwinbig
contracts–thenyouneedto
ensureyouhaveeverythingin
placetoprotectyourself–and
yourcustomers–ifsomething
majorgoeswrong.
Develop processes
Whatifyouplaceanorderon
behalfofaclientworth
thousandsofpoundsandyou
findthatyourcontactdidnot
havetheauthoritytodothis
andnowtheclientisrefusing
topay?Youwillbeliablefor
allthismoney.
Processestoensureyou
obtainanddocument
authorisedordersfromclients
arevital,asisinsurancecover.
Insurance cover
Aswellasinsuranceforyour
businesspremisesand
equipment,youmightneed
professionalindemnity,public
liability,employers’liability
and/orothercover.
Youwon’tnecessarilyneed
theseimmediately,butdo
speaktoatrustedinsurance
specialistfortheiradviceand
monitoryourrequirements.
Remember,asyourbusiness
grows,sowillyourliability.
Peace of mind
Manypeopleusepersonal
financestofundanew
business.Therightprocesses
andinsurancehelpprotectyou.
Promote your business in local media distributed to businesses across North Devon
Advertise from just £30 a year with Business Action
All plans include
➤ 4 adverts (if selected)
➤ 4 magazine listings
➤ 12-month web adverts
➤ online listing
➤ 4 mailed magazines
➤ plus more
Select plan
£30 Business Action Plan – 4 magazine listings
£125 Business Action Plan – 4 business card adverts
£225 Business Action Plan – 4 banner adverts
£315 Business Action Plan – 4 quarter page adverts
£645 Business Action Plan – 4 half page adverts
£995 Business Action Plan – 4 full page adverts
Payment options
Pay in full or by
12 monthly instalments –
with no extra charges.
Put yourself in front of
North Devon businesses.
Book online at business-action.co.uk/plans or call Robert on 07971 176044
10 business action | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business-action.co.uk

DIRECTORY HEADER
ACCOUNTANTS
Cranford Business Services
Bideford
t: 01237 488077
w: accountsindevon.co.uk
JD Accountants (South West) Ltd
Barnstaple
t: 01271 378606
AESTHETIC CLINICS
Orchard Clinic
Bideford
w: orchardclinic.net
ANTIQUE MAPS & CHARTS
Old Folding Maps
South Molton
t: 01769 573935
w: foldingmaps.co.uk
BRANDING & DESIGN
Boom Boom Media
Barnstaple
t: 01271 326694
w: boomboommedia.co.uk
BrandLanterns
Barnstaple
t: 01271 372620
w: brandlanterns.co.uk
BREWERY
Combe Brewing Company
Ilfracombe
t: 07973 488409
w: facebook.com/
CombeBrewingCompany
GT Ales
Chivenor
t: 01271 267420
w: gtales.co.uk
BUILDING SUPPLIES
Heritage Cob and Lime
Bideford
t: 01237 477431
w: heritagecobandlime.com
RGB Building Supplies
Branches in Barnstaple, Bideford,
Hatherleigh, Holsworthy,
Ilfracombe, Okehampton, South
Molton, Tiverton
w: rgbltd.co.uk
BUSINESS ADVISORS
Pound Lane Financial Management
North Devon
t: 07801 199671
w: poundlane.co.uk
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Be Ready Employer Hub
Devon
t: 01392 241124
w: readydevon.org.uk
CAR SALES & SERVICING
Blights Motors
Bideford
t: 01237 472282
w: blightsmotors.co.uk
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
James Doble Commercial
North Devon
t: 01237 424053
w: jd-commercial.co.uk
CONSTRUCTION
Advanced Scaffolding
Barnstaple
t: 01271 321100
w: advancedscaffoldingltd.co.uk
COPIERS & PRINTERS
Clarity Copiers North Devon
Barnstaple & North Devon
t: 01271 374061
w: claritynorthdevon.co.uk
COPYWRITING & MARKETING
Zarywacz
North Devon & UK
t: 01271 879100
w: z2z.com
COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY
Devon Counselling Training
Barnstaple
t: 07522 841009
w: devoncounsellingtraining.co.uk
North Devon Counselling
Barnstaple
t: 07872 501606
w: northdevoncounselling.co.uk
DIGITAL & WEB SITES
Kameleon
Barnstaple
t: 01271 375100
w: kameleondigital.uk
Peak Online
Bideford
t: 01237 721256
w: northdevon.peak-online.uk.com
DINING
Terrace Tapas & Wine Bar
Ilfracombe
t: 01271 863482
w: terracetapasbar.co.uk
The Royal George
Appledore
t: 01237 424 138
w: trgpub.co.uk
ENVIRONMENT
North Devon Biosphere
North Devon
t: 01392 388647
w: northdevonbiosphere.org.uk
FINANCE
SWIG Finance
North Devon & South West
t: 01872 227 932
w: swigfinance.co.uk
FINANCIAL ADVISERS
D Scott Financial
Bideford
t: 01237 426450
w: dscottfinancial.co.uk
Philip J Milton & Co Plc
Barnstaple
t: 01271 344300
w: miltonpj.net
GARDENING & LANDSCAPING
AB SEA Services
Torrington
t: 07799 478318
w: abseaservices.com
HEALTH & SAFETY
Safety Supplies Direct
Barnstaple
t: 01271 377558
w: safetysuppliesdirect.co.uk
HOLIDAY COTTAGES
Marsdens Devon Cottages
North Devon
t: 01271 813777
w: marsdens.co.uk
HOTELS
The Carlton
Ilfracombe
t: 01271 862446
w: ilfracombecarlton.co.uk
HUMAN RESOURCES
Fitzgerald HR
Barnstaple, Exeter, London &
Wellington
t: 01271 859267
w: fitzgeraldhr.co.uk
INSURANCE
Together Insurance Solutions
Barnstaple
t: 01271 347147
w: togetherinsurancesolutions.co.uk
INTERNATIONAL TRADE SUPPORT
International Trade Matters Ltd
Bampton
t: 01398 332881
w: internationaltradematters.com
IT
Lineal Software Solutions
Barnstaple
t: 01271 375999
w: lineal.co.uk
JOINERY & CARPENTRY
Bespoke Timber Joinery &
Carpentry
Barnstaple
t: 01271 603411
w: bespoketimberjc.co.uk
LOCKSMITHS
MJS Locksmith
Bideford
t: 07532 139388
w: northdevonlocksmith.co.uk
SW Locksmiths
Holsworthy / Bude
t: 01409 255533
w: swlocksmiths.com
MANUFACTURERS
The Clovelly Soap Company
Clovelly
t: 01237 432280
w: theclovellysoapcompany.com
Smart Manufacturing
Bideford
t: 01237 471977
w: smart-manufacturing.co.uk
MASSAGE & BEAUTY
Essential Bodyworkx
South Molton
t: 01769 574474
w: essentialbodyworkx.co.uk
NETWORKING GROUPS
Business Networking in Barnstaple
Barnstaple
t: 0843 289 1339
w: bnibarnstaple.co.uk
North Devon Networking Group
Barnstaple
w: northdevonnetworking.co.uk
Torridge Business Network
Westward Ho!
w: torridgebusinessnetwork.co.uk
OFFICE SUPPLIES
South West Office Supplies
North Devon
t: 01271 889337
w: swofficesupplies.co.uk
PACKAGING
Atlas Packaging
Barnstaple
t: 01271 344055
w: atlaspackaging.co.uk
PRINTING
Jamaica Press
Buckland Brewer
t: 01237 452333
w: jamaicapress.co.uk
RECRUITMENT
Cooper Golding
Barnstaple
t: 01271 349745
w: coopergolding.co.uk
RETAILERS
Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium
Ilfracombe
t: 01271 867193
w: ilfracombechocolateemporium.co.uk
Pedlars
Ilfracombe
t: 01271 863509
w: Facebook @pedlarsofilfracombe
SHEDS
SHEDS 4 you
Bideford
t: 01237 459193
w: sheds4you.co.uk
SIGNS
Doubleuprint
Barnstaple
t: 01271 268 041 / 07866 420436
w: doubleuprint.co.uk
The Sign Maker
High Bickington
t: 01769 561355
w: sign-maker.net
SOLICITORS
Slee Blackwell Solicitors
Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton,
South Molton
t: 0808 139 1606
w: sleeblackwell.co.uk
SPORTS EQUIPMENT
Aramis Rugby
South Molton
t: 01769 550284
w: aramisrugby.co.uk
TELECOMS
Integra
North Devon
t: 01271 555 666
w: integra.im
TRAINING & EDUCATION
Petroc
Barnstaple & Tiverton
t: 01271 345291
w: petroc.ac.uk
TRAVEL AGENTS
Clare Flint – Travel Counsellors
North Devon & UK
t: 01271 828990
w: travelcounsellors.co.uk/clare.flint
WILLS
Wills at Home
West Yelland
t: 01271 860105
w: wills-athome.co.uk
BOOK YOUR £30 LISTING NOW AT needitfindit.uk
➤ Listinginfourissuesof
magazinewithbusiness
nameandcategory,phone
number,websiteandtown.
➤ 12-monthonlinelistingat
needitfindit.ukNorth
DevonBusinessDirectory
withbusinessnameand
category,logo,phone
number,addressandlinks.
➤ 4issuesofmagazinemailed
directtoyourUKaddress.
@businessactionm | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business action 11

HEADER
Moo Free – growing a national brand
What is Moo Free?
MooFreewasfoundedinMay
2010byhusband-and-wife
team,AndreaandMikeJessop.
Andreaisglutenintolerantand
Mikeislactoseintolerant.
Whentheirsonwasababy,
hesufferedwithallergies.Like
anymum,Andrearesearched
hissymptomsanddiscovered
anarticlerelatingtodairy.
Seekingadvicefromtheir
doctortheydecidedtocutout
milkandhewasprescribed
withsoyababymilk–thiswas
intheearlyeightieswhensoya
milkwasn’treadilyavailable.
Withintwoweeks,his
symptomsimproved.
AndreaandMikedidn’t
wanttheirsontomissouton
seasonalchocolatebecauseof
hisallergies,sotheystartedto
createdairy-freealternativesat
home.Theybothstudiedat
ReadingUniversitytogether.
Whenleaving,Andreastarted
asawebandmarketing
managerforachildren’scharity
andMikehadastrong
backgroundincomputer
scienceandexperienceinweb
development.Theybothused
theirtransferableskillstocreate
MooFree!
Thetransitionincareer
happenedgraduallyoveralong
periodoftimeandtheyinitially
beganbysellingchocolates
online.Moreandmore
customerswereaskingforfreefromoptions,particularly
aroundseasonaloccasionslike
EasterandChristmas,sothey
startedtoresearchdifferent
If you’re dreaming of developing a brand that transforms your market,
is it achievable? Especially in North Devon? Holsworthy-based Moo
Free’s dairy-free and vegan chocolate is now available from many
independent retailers across the UK as well as in the major
supermarket chains. Below Moo Free’s chief executive Andrea Jessop
explains how the business started and achieved national success
supplierswhocouldmeetthese dairydodgingchoccybars
demands.Theyweresurprised catertomanydiets.Allofits
tolearnthattherewasn’tany chocolatecreationsaregluten,
currentlyonthemarket,sothey soyaanddairy-free,making
settoworkonmakingtheir themnaturallysuitablefor
own;thiswasbackin2008. vegetariansandvegans,too.
Theystartedwithafew
Eastereggs,usingamilk
What led to the start of the
alternativechocolate,which
business?
flewoutthedoorandwere
Everychilddeservestohavean
incrediblypopular.By
Eastereggthatwon’tmake
Christmastheywereinundated
themunwell(unless,ofcourse,
withemailsaskingforthesame they’veeatentoomuchofit!)
inanadventcalendarformat andthesameforChristmas
andotherproducts.Itwasthen chocolate.It’stheseoccasions
thattheyknewtheyneededto wherechildrencanfeel
investinmachineryandquality particularlyleftout,whichis
ingredientstomakethisa whyMooFreebegan.It’sMoo
permanentoptionforcustomers. Free’smissionthatchildren
Theyspentthefirsttwo withallergiesandintolerances
yearsresearchingandtweaking don’tfeelthisway,notjust
theirrecipestomakesurethey duringseasonaloccasionsbut
didn’tjusttastedeliciousbut fortheeverydayaswell.
werealsogreatqualityand AndreaandMikecan
sustainable.Duringthistime, rememberwhentheirsonhad
theydiscoveredalotabout hisfirstEasterEggandittasted
pesticidesandinsecticidesand nothinglikechocolate.It’sthese
howitaffectsworkersinthird personalexperiencesthat
worldcountriesduetothe continuetomotivateanddrive
constantexposure.Theywere MooFreefurther.
alreadyeatingorganicfoods Asabusiness,ithasvery
andgrewtheirownvegetables. strongethicssurrounding
Theywerealsokeentorecycle, equality,diversityand
sotheykepttruetotheirown sustainability–notjustwithin
valueswhenitcametosetting theproductsitcreates,butfor
upMooFree. thewidercommunityaswell.
Theypridethemselveson MooFreepartnerswithlocal
beingknowledgeableaboutthe charitiestoprovidework
market,whichiswhytheir experienceandpermanent
rolestothosewithdisabilities
wherepossiblewithinits
company.They’reincredibly
proudoftheirMoofamilyand
believeeveryonedeservesa
chance–thisishowitshouldbe.
What were the biggest
challenges and how did
they overcome these?
Everyoneprobablyhastheir
concernswhenstartinganew
business,butAndreaandMike
decidedtostartMooFree
duringtherecession,which
meantgettingfinancialsupport
wasverydifficult.Theyended
upre-mortgagingtheirhouse
forasecondtimebecausethey
weresodeterminedtogettheir
chocolateoutintotheworld,
especiallyforchildrenatEaster
andChristmastime.
Fromtheirresearchthey
alsoknewthatnobodyelsewas
doingthisandtherewasa
strongcustomerbasewho
neededthemtodeliver.They,of
course,couldn’thavedoneit
withouttheirfamilyand
friends,whohelpedthemto
developtheirthinking,
conceptsandideas,whilstalso
samplingdozensofproductsto
makesuretheygotitright.
Fortunately,AndreaandMike
wereinittogether,socould
sharethechallengestheyfaced
knowingthattheybothhada
strongpassiontomakeitwork
andbringtasty,ethical,freefromchocolatetothemasses.
Thepandemicalsobrought
withitseveralhighsandlows,
likemanyotherbusinesses.Its
12 business action | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business-action.co.uk

SUPPORT
strategypre-COVIDwasto
concentrateontheUKmarket,
ratherthanoverseas,duetothe
uncertaintyaroundBrexit.
Theyfelttherewasplentyof
roomforgrowthonhomesoil,
butthenthepandemichit,and
theirplanscametoahalt.Like
alotofcompaniesinthefirst
lockdown,theyhadnoidea
whatwasgoingtohappen.The
supermarketsunderstandably
prioritisedeverydayessentials
whichaffectedMooFree.
Fortunately,theywereableto
quicklyrecoverandassoonas
theirteamreturnedtoworkin
Junetheywereworkingflat-out
tomakeChristmasandthen
Easterproducts.Theirsales
shiftedtoitsonlinesiteand,
thankstotheirloyalcustomers,
theywereabletomakeit
throughsomedifficultmonths.
Sincethen,theyhave
launchedanumberofnew
productsincludingthelatest
ChoccyRockrange,which
includeschocolate-covered
Moofreesas,Bunnycomband
Raisinpieces.
What advice would they
give anyone with an idea
for a business?
There’ssomuchadviceout
therethatitcanoftenfeel
overwhelming,butforMoo
Free,talkingtothosewhoare
alreadydoingitordoing
somethingsimilarisinvaluable.
Sharingyourexperiencesand
learningfromotherswillhelp
tobuildasupportnetworkand
youwillbeabletoshareyour
knowledgeandskills.
What should new business
owners avoid?
Thereisprobablyawholehost
ofthingstoavoidbut
somethingthatshouldneverbe
avoidediskeepingtrackofyour
finances.Evenifitdoesn’tcome
naturallytoyou,itcanmakea
hugedifferencetowhetherthe
companysurvivesornot–
especiallyduringtestingtimes
likethepandemic.
Makesureyouunderstand
howmuchprofityouneedto
generatetonotjustkeepyour
businessrunning,butyourself
aswell.
■ Formoredetailsandto
orderMooFree’smulti-awardwinningdairy-freeandvegan
chocolatesforyourself,visit
moofreechocolates.com
Looking to start up or grow a business?
Ifyouarelookingtosetup
yourownbusinessorgrow
yourrecentlyestablishedsmall
businesslocatedinDevon,you
cannowbenefitfromsupport
thankstotwonew
programmesdeliveredby
YTKOinpartnershipwith
DevonCountyCouncil.
If you are thinking of
starting a new business
OutsetStartDevoncanhelp
youtoexploreifselfemploymentisrightforyou
andgiveyouthetoolsand
confidenceyouneedtostart
yourbusinessjourney.
If you want to grow your
new business but are not
sure how
GetSetGrowDevonhelps
businesseswhohavebeen
tradingforlessthanthree
yearswithfewerthan10staff
togetbackontrackafterthe
Enjoy Big Benefits for Small Businesses
What it is?
TheBigBenefitsforSmall
Businessesprojectisbeing
deliveredbyPetrocandfunded
bytheEuropeanSocialFund.It
alsohasthecollaborative
supportofTorridgeDistrict
Council,NorthDevonCouncil
andDevonCountyCouncil.
What are the objectives?
Ouraimsareto:
➤ Helpsmallbusinessesin
TorridgeandNorthDevon
toaccessfullyfunded
trainingopportunitiesto
allowtheirbusinessesto
grow.
➤ Workcollaborativelywith
businessestoencourage
themtoparticipateand
supportPetrocwithits
curriculum.Forexample,
providingatalktoour
learners,orworkingwithus
toensurePetrocstaffhave
up-to-dateindustry
knowledge.
Covidpandemic,especially
tourismandleisure,
constructionandretail
businesses.
Who is eligible?
YoumustbebasedinDevon,
excludingTorbayandPlymouth,
havebeentradingforlessthan
threeyearsandhavefewer
than10full-timeemployees.
How the programmes can
help you
Aswellashelpingtobuild
skills,supportfromboth
programmescanhelpyouto
accessgrantsofupto£10kto
buynewkit,installnew
technology,hirepeopleor
expandyourpremisesto
achieveaprofitableand
sustainablebusiness.We’ll
evenhelpyoutocompletethe
applicationpaperworkto
optimiseyourchanceof
successfullygainingthegrant.
Allbusinesseswhowork
withuswillbeinvitedtoattend
anin-depthTrainingNeeds
Analysiswherewecandiscuss
anytrainingneedsyour
businesshasanddesigna
coursetosuityou.Wecanalso
signpostyoutoothercourses
wethinkmaysuityou.
What are the benefits to
your business?
Youcanaccessfullyfunded
trainingprogrammesto
supportyourbusinessandhelp
itgrowordiversifyintonew
areas.Trainingprogrammes
canbedesignedanddelivered
tosupportyourbusinesswitha
specifictrainingneed.Wealso
workwithindependent
businessestodeliverworkshops
oncurrenttrends,
environmentalawareness,and
businesssupport.
BysupportingPetroc
throughinvolvementwithour
curriculumandourevents,
BusinessActionisNorth
Devon’sindependentquarterly
businessmagazine,distributed
tobusinessesintownand
villagecentresandonbusiness
parksacrosstheareaand
Advice and training
Bothprogrammesoffer
informalinformationsessions,
practicaltrainingworkshops
andonlinelearningtoprovide
youwiththeskillsyouneedto
succeed.Businessadvisorsare
alsoonhandateverystepof
thewaytoprovidesupport
andadvice.
Theprogrammesare
availableforalimitedperiod,
sogetintouchnowtospeakto
oneofourbusinessadvisors.
Theprogrammesareledby
YTKOinpartnershipwith
DevonCountyCounciland
fundedbytheUK
GovernmentthroughtheUK
CommunityRenewalFund.
■ Formoreinformation
call08005003017,visit
devon.ytko.com/communityrenewal-fund/
oremail
start-grow-devon@ytko.com
yourbusinesscanshowcase
yourbusinesstoawider
audience.Youcantellour
learnersandotherbusinesses
aboutexcitingdevelopments
youaregoingthrough,how
youadaptedtotheCOVID-19
pandemic,orwhatyouhave
learnedintheworldofbusiness
thatwouldbenefitothers.
Byworkingwithour
learners,youcanaccess
potentialfutureemployeeswith
moreindustry-relevantskills
whoaremoreeffectiveinthe
workplace.
More business support
programmes from Petroc
AswellastheBigBenefitsfor
SmallBusinessesprojects,
Petrocalsohasseveralother
employersupportprojects
whichcansupportyour
businessthroughfullyfunded
training.
■ Fordetailsemail
james.walker@petroc.ac.uk
onlineatbusiness-action.uk
Wewelcomebusinessnews
fromandofinteresttoNorth
Devonbusinesses–call07971
176044oremail
robertz@business-action.co.uk
@businessactionm | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business action 13

Securing local, regional and
national representation
Networkingisessentialtobuild
relationshipswithnewcustomers,
suppliers,collaboratorsand
evencompetitors,anditis
importanttofindgroupswhere
youfeelwelcomeandvalued.
Anotherimportantaspectis
representationtogovernment,
councilsandotherbodies.So
manybusinessesfeelthatthey
lacktheauthoritytomake
themselvesheardbybig
organisationsandthisiswhere
representationbylarger
businessgroupsisinvaluable.
Representing Devon business
DevonandPlymouthChamber
isthelargestnetworkof
businessesintheSouthWest,
andincludessmall,medium
andlargeorganisations.Asan
accreditedmemberofthe
nationalBritishChambersof
Commercenetwork,itfulfilsan
Resourcing & Talent Planning
HR Policy and Process
Learning & Development
Employee Relations
importantroleinconnectingits
memberstonationalbusiness
issuesandWestminster.Itaims
toprovideastrong,influential
voiceforallbusinesses,
whetheryou’reastartup,sole
trader,educationalorganisation
orlargemanufacturer.
Strategic priorities
DevonChamberhaseight
strategicpriorities:skills,
educationandtraining;sales,
supplychainsandlocal
procurement;accesstofinance;
buildingbusinessresilienceand
offeringopportunities;new
marketsandinternational
trade;digital;environmentand
climatechange;andtransport
infrastructure.
■ Fordetailsandtojoin
DevonandPlymouth
Chamber,call01752220471
orvisitdevonchamber.co.uk
Organisation Development
Pay & Benefits
Business Change
Occupational Health & Safety
Human Resources with the human touch
E: office@fitzgeraldhr.co.uk W: fitzgeraldhr.co.uk T: 0330 223 5253
NETWORKING
Networking likes & dislikes
Every individual has a different approach to networking. Andrew
Bowers of digital specialist Peak Online gives his personal view
1. What do you look for in a
networking event?
Overtheyears,Ihaveattended
manynetworkingeventswith
differentformatsandstyles.
Theyrangefromtheindustryexclusiveapproach,whereonly
onememberfromeachsector
isallowedandisveryformal
andregimented,toopen
groupswherepeoplecomeand
go.Thenthereareverysocially
targetedevents.
3. What part does
Frommyexperience,the networking play in selling?
industryopengroupswork Onceyouhaveestablished
best.Itgiveschoicetothe goodrelationshipswithyour
groupifseveralpeopleoffer networkinggroups,theyform
thesameservice,butthose agoodpartofyourlead
individualscanalsowork referrals.Networkingformsa
togetherasnobusinessis thirdofPeakOnlineleads,
100%thesame. whichhaveahighconversion
Thebesteventformatis rate.Themainreasonforthis
when,onarrival,theroomis isthereisalreadyaleveloftrust
openforyoutomovearound fromthepersonknowingyou
asyouwanttospeaktoas orthepersonwhoreferredthem.
manypeopleaspossible.
Whenseatedforbreakfastor
lunch,circletablesortable
formatswhereyoucanspeak
withsixtoeightpeopleare
bestasyourengagement
opportunitiesarenotlimited.
It’sgoodtohave10-15
minutesattheendtoengage
furtherwithpeopleyouhave
spokentoduringtheevent.
2. What’s your approach
when you meet people at
networking events?
Ideally,beforetheeventyou
shouldknowwhoiscoming
andresearchthosepeopleand
theircompanies.Sowhenyou
arrive,youalreadyknowwho
youwanttospeakwithrather
thanrandomlyspeakingtothe
firstpersonyousee.Ifit’san
eventof25,youwillnothave
timetospeaktoeveryone.
ThenIconnectwithpeople
ontwolevels:firstly,thoseI
canresellservicesforPeak
Onlineorcompaniesthat
wouldbeusefulformyclients;
secondly,thereasonweall
attendeventsistogainleads
andnewbusiness.
Thispartisthelonggame,
asyouneedtobuildup
relationshipswithpeoplefor
themtotrustyouwiththeir
ownbusinessorclients.Ifind
thiscantakeonetothreeyears.
4. What don’t you like
about networking events?
Mybiggestbugbearwouldbe
peoplepretendingtobe
interestedinyourproductsor
servicestousethisartificial
opportunitytoselltheir own
productsorservicesina
speeded-upprocessinsteadof
buildinganaturalrelationship,
whichtakestime.
Toanyonelookingforthe
shortgame:Iwouldsay
networkingisnotforyou.
Thenextdislikewouldbe
poorlyarrangedroomsor
tablesandnofreemovement.
Therehavebeentimeswhen
yougetlimitedtosmalltables
oftwotothreepeople.Ifthey
arenotagoodmatchforwhat
youarelookingfor,theoneto
twohoursdoesnotturnoutto
beasuccessfulevent.
Thelastonewouldbeif
peopleusetheexperiencefor
moreofasocialeventrather
thanbusiness.Thesocialpart
isimportant,sotheeventis
enjoyable,butthemain
outcomeisthatpeoplework
togethertoachievemore
businessforthemselvesand
theotherpeopleinthegroup.
Andrew Bowers
Peak Online
t: 01237 721256
w: peak-online.uk
14 business action | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business-action.co.uk

EXHIBITION
BBxpo
BIDEFORD
BUSINESS • BOOST • EXPO
North Devon’s business
exhibition returns in October
BBxpo,NorthDevon’slargest
independentbusiness
exhibition,returnsafteran
absenceoftwoyearson
Thursday27OctoberatDevon
Hall,BidefordCollege.
Business Boost branding
OriginallynamedBideford
BusinessExpo,theevent,
whichfastbecameknownas
BBxpo,hasbeenrebrandedas
BusinessBoostExpo–Bideford
tomatchcomplementary
activities,includingthis
BusinessBooststartupand
businessdevelopment
magazinesupplement,all
aimedatsupportingNorth
Devonbusinesses.
ThiswillbethethirdBBxpo
exhibition,followingthe2018
and2019eventsand
cancellationofthe2020and
2021eventsinthepandemic.
Successful exhibition format
Theformatofthe2022event
willrepeatthepreviously
successfulformulaof
exhibitionstandsrepresenting
businessesfromacrossDevon,
aprogrammeofworkshopsand
/ortalksplusthefreelatelunchnetworkingbuffet.
Detailsareyettobefinalised
atthetimeofpublication.
Affordable promotion
BBxpo’saimsremainthesame:
toprovideeffectiveand
affordableexhibitionand
promotionalopportunitiesfor
allNorthDevonbusinesses.
Aswellasstandspace,
exhibitorsreceivebusiness
profilesinBusinessAction
magazineandarepromoted
widelyonline.
■ Fordetailsandtobook
exhibitionspace,visitbbxpo.uk
@businessactionm | Startup & Business Development Guide 2022 | business action 15

THRIVE
with free business support for sole traders
and SMEs in North Devon
Are you a sole trader, micro business or limited
company in the South West? Thrive is for you.
Whether you are looking for ways to increase your turnover, grow your business
or just do things more efficiently, Thrive can help.
• A 3-hour review meeting leading to a development plan for your business
• 1-2-1 sessions focusing on your particular needs
• Webinars on relevant business topics
Webinars and 1-2-1 sessions will cover a range of topics to support your
business: Digital Support (websites, SEO, social media, Google Analytics),
Leadership, Finance, HR, Innovation, Marketing and Business Planning.
*Thrive is open to businesses in Devon, Somerset, Torbay and Plymouth
(excluding BANES and North Somerset).
Register online today:
www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk/thrive/
The Heart of the South West Growth Hub Service for All is receiving up to £781,965 of funding from the England
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The accountable body for this programme is Devon County Council.