Business Builder case studies
Find out more from local businesses about how our Business Builder scheme has helped them develop and grow, using the funding, support and training provided as part of the scheme.
Foundation support
Native2Norfolk - Finley Robertson
"I found the Business Builder online course extremely useful, as I’ve grown up in the business world and I’ve seen and managed many things but I’ve never received formal training or teaching around aspects of business. This course did just that, it covered everything you need to know in a course that wasn’t too long, strenuous or boring as some training is perceived to be. Alongside the course, the ‘portal’ was full of useful resources that I still find myself referring back to, to make sure what I’m doing is right. I strongly recommend this to anyone thinking about starting up a business as it only has positives and there’s no reason you should not do it, if you really want your business to be a success."
Build-up Grant
Thorpe Garden Services - Andrew Morgan
"I applied for a Build Up Grant for, amongst other things, wet weather and thermal gear to help me deliver more consistently and comfortably during winter. This stuff is professional standard (ergo very, very expensive) so I’m thankful for Business Builder’s support with 50% of the cost."
Nurture Marketing - Rechenda Smith
"When setting up my business, I bought a cheap desktop printer, which did the job for a short while. After expanding quickly into new office space and recruiting two members of staff, it became apparent that the printer was not fit for purpose. As my business was between 12 and 24 months old, I was eligible for a Business Builder grant for up to £1,000. The grant would cover 50% of capital costs on things to help my business develop.."
Trii - Yolanda Wetterland
"This is the first time I’ve ever applied for a grant and I didn’t know what to expect. I found it was easy to get started and then it was really fast, and the review meeting with Jane happened within 3 weeks. My website wasn’t working well so the grant meant I could book a digital marketing consultant to optimise it in terms of product presentation and customer experience"
Development Grant
Norfolk Football - Paul Suggitt
'I found myself in a situation where my printing supplier had pulled the printing service right at the beginning of the busy football season. So, I had to set up the fabric printing process inhouse at short notice and invest in this specialist (and expensive!) printer which creates the transfers for applying to fabric. The Development Grant was organised in a matter of days, everything was accepted almost immediately, with funds available within a week, which enabled to us to get the equipment.'
Grain Brewery - Phil Halls
'Last year we were looking for ideas to improve our turnover, as the business was under pressure. I had always wanted to convert this space in the barn alongside the brewery and create a taproom where people could stop by. It made a lot of business sense to do so, however I wasn’t in a position financially, to invest in the work on my own.'
Plantscape - Jim Adcock
'The Development Grant and support enabled us to build an online shop for our firewood business which at the time, had been operational for just under a year. As well as helping to grow sales, the online shop has automated what was previously a manual process, with the added benefit of an integrated client database.'
Bishy Barney Boats - Mark Appel
'The help I received from Broadland District Council has been of huge benefit to me, as the Development Grant allowed me to add a hire boat to my fleet, with another on schedule for next year. The extra income generated by the new boat this year means I’ve been able to give job opportunities to several keen local young people and organise occasional staff cover for myself.'
Rural Capital Grant
Farmyard Frozen - Hannah and Andrew Jones
'With our fantastic new blast freezer we can scale up and achieve a much higher standard, for example, without crystals forming during the freezing process. So, it always looks as good as it tastes. This grant allowed us to invest in this essential kit at a much earlier stage than we could have otherwise.'