Meet Sue, the visionary behind National Forest Ebike Holidays! Sue runs a sustainable tourism business that offers electric bike and walking holidays in the National Forest. Sue's passion for nature led her to start her business, but she soon realised that she had a knowledge gap when it came to the digital world.
Sue describes herself as the ‘pre-computer’ generation, and she’s not alone! Digital Boost supports many entrepreneurs from all stages of life, and one of the main challenges is moving into the digital world. Thanks to the support of her mentors, Sue’s business is thriving and she’s seen organic traffic and bookings in her business thanks to her new digital skills.
Sue's Vision
Sue's journey began with a vision to offer unique, sustainable tourism experiences in an area of the UK often overlooked by traditional tourism. After exploring some off-the-beaten-track holidays in Germany, Sue saw an opportunity to showcase the hidden gems of the National Forest. With this vision,
National Forest E-bike Holidays was born!
📸 images from Diane Jarvis via National Forest Ebike Holidays
A passion-led business
National Forest Ebike Holidays, is more than just a business! It's a reflection of Sue’s deep-rooted love for nature and her desire to share its beauty with others. The National Forest has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last century. With the transition from coal mines to incredible greenery, the landscape has gone from ‘black to green’ thanks to the hard work of local conservationists. Inspired by this transformation, Sue is passionate about continuing this regeneration and educating guests through her sustainable tourism business.
Embracing Sustainability
Sue encourages guests to travel to the area in eco-friendly ways, taking the train or carpooling to create as little environmental impact as possible. Her tours are all focused on ‘leaving no trace’ and ensuring that her guests can enjoy the area of natural beauty whilst not damaging the landscape. Sue also donates money from each booking for tree planting so that she can positively impact her area! Every aspect of Sue’s business is beautifully thought out and a testament to her dedication to preserving her local area.
Impact of Digital Boost’s Mentoring
Coming from the ‘pre-computer era’, Sue says that she was looking for support to increase her online presence. With a 25-year background in marketing, Sue had all the "practical" marketing skills to build her business. But she didn't have the digital skills to confidently grow her business online. Sue needed support to reach a larger audience online, so she was introduced to Digital Boost through Leicestershire's Business Gateway programme.
Initially, Sue was looking for support with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to reach a new audience. But she admits that she didn’t really know much about digital marketing so thought mentoring could be the answer!
Digital Boost connected her with Jonny, a seasoned volunteer mentor who supported Sue as she moved into the digital marketing world.
Saving time and money
After meeting with Jonny, Sue soon realised that her business wasn’t ready for pay-per-click marketing. In her own words, she acknowledged that she had the website, the social media and the SEO. But there was more that she could do that wouldn’t cost her money before she needed to move into PPC.
Sue describes how Jonny helped her to look at her business as a whole. Rather than seeing her marketing as individual pieces, he helped her to see the bigger picture of her marketing strategy. He asked questions to get her thinking strategically so that she could understand how to align her marketing efforts with her goals.
By helping Sue step back and see the bigger picture, Jonny saved her an enormous amount of money and time! Sue says that rather than wasting time setting up PPC ads and ‘frittering’ away money without a strategy, Jonny’s guidance allowed Sue to take stock and double down on the organic marketing that she could do that wouldn’t cost her a penny!
Building confidence
Sue was blown away by the ‘quality of the mentoring’ and described her experience with Jonny as ‘incredible’. She noted that Jonny was an excellent listener and, not only was he really experienced, he was also an amazing teacher too! Jonny always ensured that Sue understood the topics they covered together in their mentoring sessions. As a result of Jonny’s mentorship, Sue saw her confidence grow! She left her mentoring session armed with new confidence and knowledge to take the digital world by storm.
Measurable Success
With the support of her mentors, Sue’s digital efforts have started to pay off! She’s increased traffic to her website and secured bookings which is an amazing achievement. We’re so proud of the progress that Sue has made with both her business and her confidence and we can't wait for more people to discover her incredible business!
We also loved hearing that we’re not the only ones celebrating Sue! National eBike Forest Holidays was awarded the Silver Award for sustainable tourism by Visit England in 2023! This is a huge milestone in Sue’s journey and a testament to her commitment, vision and hard work as she grows National Forest Ebike Holidays.
Conclusion
Sue had the vision and drive to grow her business, but needed the support of an expert to guide her as she ventured into the world of digital marketing. The advice of a mentor can make all the difference to small businesses as they navigate new territories like this.
Small businesses don’t have time and money to waste, and by having the support of her mentors, Sue was able to save money and still grow her business! And not only that, but as we’ve seen time and again here at Digital Boost, mentoring has unlocked new confidence for Sue. She now knows that whatever lies ahead in the Digital world, she can tackle it. And she’ll always have the support of Digital Boost’s mentors at her fingertips.
Whatever stage of business or life you’re at, our mentors can help! So if you’re a founder who needs to build their confidence and skills online, why not connect with our mentors and access free support?
It won’t come as any surprise to you but here at Digital Boost, we’re really passionate about both volunteering and mentoring. If you're thinking of becoming a volunteer mentor, you've come to the right place!
We’re so incredibly grateful to all of our volunteer mentors for giving up their time to share their skills with small businesses to help them grow and thrive! 🚀
But it’s not just the small businesses that benefit. There are so many benefits to being a volunteer mentor - here are our top 5 ⬇️
Develop your personal and professional skills
There is so much that you as a mentor can gain from mentoring and sharing your expertise with others. You’ll get to apply the things you’ve learned throughout your career to new situations and businesses, solve new problems, and learn about new industries.
It’s also a great opportunity to develop personal skills, such as active listening, asking open-ended questions, and giving actionable and constructive feedback.
Our volunteer mentors also tell us that they’ve become better hosts and presenters after hosting Masterclasses for our community!
Improve your confidence
Through 1:1 mentoring, people gain more confidence in their skills and their ability to share advice with others. Through Masterclasses, people gain confidence in presenting to a group and answering questions.
This is something we’ve heard this from so many mentors and it makes us so happy every time! So many of us underestimate the skills we have because we think of them as ‘things we do’ rather than skills. But in each mentoring session, when you see a mentee learn from you and overcome the challenges they’ve been struggling with, it becomes much easier to believe in yourself and your skills.
Gain new perspectives
Mentoring is a two-way street. While you share your expertise, you can benefit from seeing a fresh perspective from someone who’s had entirely different experiences to you. It’s a wonderful opportunity to step away from your work bubble and social circle and see things from a different perspective.
Grow your network
Through mentoring, you can meet and get inspired by people you’d never have crossed paths with otherwise from industries you may never have even thought of!
We have an incredibly diverse community of mentees who have unique businesses, from niche products to innovative services, and our mentors love meeting with them! And you never know, it could create opportunities for collaboration too.
Support small businesses
Small business owners put everything into their businesses - they spend every minute learning and developing their skills to turn their passion into a successful business.
By becoming a volunteer mentor, you can help a small business grow and thrive, and in doing so, help someone achieve their dream.
Become a volunteer mentor today!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of our jobs and let time pass by without realising it. By becoming a volunteer mentor, you get to take some time out and give back.
At Digital Boost, we’ve made it easier than ever to get involved and mentor small businesses. Mentoring sessions last just one hour and are all online. There’s also no minimum commitment - you decide how much or how little to mentor and can schedule meetings at times that suit you!
Starting a business is a journey filled with highs, lows, and countless learning experiences. At our International Women’s Day event in March, we heard from four inspiring female founders in our panel who shared their insights, challenges, and successes. Watch the video or keep scrolling to read what they shared ⬇️
Meet our panel of female founders
🧪 Abi, founder of LitLabLondon, which holds Science & Sip pop-up events in London.
🍫 Amarachi, founder of Lucocoa, London's first bean-to-bar chocolate company.
💡 Thalia, founder of Sparkle Lighting, an online store offering pretty decorative lights for your home and garden.
❄️ Keri, founder of Snow Windows, which creates bespoke art pieces for clients using snow spray at Christmas.
Abi's Female Founder Journey: Embracing the challenges of solopreneurship 🙌
Abi is the earliest in her business having just completed her first year. She highlighted the unique experience of being a solopreneur, where every aspect of the business falls on her shoulders. Despite the challenges, she finds fulfilment in owning both the victories and setbacks. As she aptly put it, "All of the wins are yours, but all of the challenges are yours too". Abi emphasised the importance of celebrating small wins, and for her, that includes press coverage she’s received, including Time Out and Secret London.
Whilst running her own business, Abi also works full time. When asked if she’s aiming to turn LitLabLondon into her full-time job, she said "I'm not sure yet. I don't think it has to be one or the other. My business is currently a pop-up, so I've kind of built-in that flexibility for it to work around me in some ways”. While Abi wants to continue with both, she has built flexibility in both to be able to manage them. “I say don't quit your day job if that's not what you're wanting to do. It's not an absolute requirement and a lot of the skills you learn will support you [in your business] and vice versa. And of course, the funding comes from somewhere. So I think if you are in a position where you can do both, and it feels okay to you, then I'd encourage that.”
Amarachi's Insights: How a clear purpose can help overcome challenges 💪
When Amarachi first started Lucocoa nine years ago, she started like many founders do - in her bedroom. “When you talk about bootstrapping, this is the ultimate bootstrapping. I taught myself how to make chocolate. I converted my second bedroom in our two-bedroom flat into a chocolate factory”. She first launched at a chocolate show in Islington and sold out! Amarachi spent the next 2 years at Brick Lane Market, getting feedback and tweaking her product range. Her business is now a global brand with a factory in the UK and another in South Africa!
People think of businesses being an overnight success but more often than not, ‘overnight’ is actually years of hard work behind the scenes.
When talking about what keeps her going when she faces challenges or setbacks, Amarachi said having a strong sense of purpose is important.“If you haven't got that purpose, it's really easy to let the lows really stick with you. So the fact that we're talking about child and slave labour, the fact that we're talking about building a proper supply chain, and all those sorts of things, it kind of makes those lows kind of a wash because you're like I'm doing this for a bigger purpose”.
Thalia's Perspective: Leveraging mentorship and digital skills for growth 📈
Thalia, is four years into her business journey and says one of her biggest challenges is stepping out of the day-to-day of the business. Founders are in the unique position of being responsible for the strategy and for executing every single part of it. Being able to take a step back and evaluate the business can be difficult. “To start with, there's a lot of excitement and energy about growing your Instagram and getting people to the site, but as you get a little bit bigger, you have to really work out how it's working”. Thalia has worked with mentors from Digital Boost, including our Financial Director, Gemma, who’s been helping her with her projections.
Thalia saw a lot of press coverage and an opportunity came up as her products were used in TV shows, including The Only Way Is Essex, Made In Chelsea, Married at First Sight, and the new Star Wars (we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for that!). She’s also received commercial orders from bars and restaurants, which she says came from her Google Ads, which her Digital Boost mentor, Tom, has been helping her with.
“When I get stuck now, I think about who I need to talk to and discuss that with someone who's really experienced in that area. When you talk about getting stuck and feeling low, you start to realise maybe I need to get some help. I think mentoring has been really amazing.”
Keri's Founder Experience: Turning a hobby into a global sensation 🤩
Also on our panel of female founders was Keri, who is in the 9th year of the business she started with her husband Tom. She spoke about how compliments from friends and family on her husband’s designs on their windows at home led to her thinking this could be a business. It shows that a business idea really can come from anywhere! Keri asked on her Facebook if anyone would be interested and came back a few hours later to over 800 comments!
In their first year, they had enquiries from the Empire State Building (yes, really!) and a double-page spread in the Daily Mail. The business has continued to grow and has had over 250 million impressions on Facebook alone! Keri saw all the attention and people interested in the business and thought ‘What do I do with that? How do I sell to these people, how do I grow the business, how do I build Tom as the number one snow spray artist in the world?’. That’s where Digital Boost came in! As well as getting support with her digital marketing strategy, Keri found the community she’d be longing for.
“The hardest thing about being a female entrepreneur is the loneliness. I don't have anyone to talk to, and there's no community. And for me, that's what Digital Boost has created - that community of really diverse, interesting people.”
Conclusion
We're so grateful to these four female founders for taking part in our panel discussion! Even though they all have unique businesses, they also have common experiences. They all talked about the importance of celebrating your wins, the need for community and guidance, and how their passion keeps them going.
At Digital Boost, we’re here to support entrepreneurs with every aspect of starting, growing, and running a business. Whether you need help with something specific, want to bounce ideas off someone, or want to connect with other founders for peer support - we’ve got you covered! Find out more about how our small business mentoring can support you 🤩
For small businesses, goal setting can feel like navigating a balancing act. Ambition is vital, but finding the sweet spot between reaching for the stars and staying grounded is key to sustainable success. Here are our favourite tips and techniques to help founders set ambitious goals that inspire progress without overwhelming you and your business.
Keep your goals attainable
Setting goals that are both ambitious and realistic is essential for driving progress in your business. While ambition is commendable, overly ambitious goals can backfire and demoralise you and / or team. Objectives should stretch your capabilities without setting you up for failure.
If you have a team, engage them in the goal-setting process to ensure alignment and motivation. They’ll be more empowered, engaged and active.
Break it down
To make goals feel achievable, we prefer to break down objectives into manageable chunks for better traction and momentum. So instead of setting a one year goal, set a quarterly goal. This also helps you ensure that your goals are realistic and achievable within the resources and time available.
Keep it personal
Avoid getting swayed by competitor activities or achievements and instead focus on what truly matters to you and your business growth. Set goals that align with your vision and address genuine needs within your team and operations.
Set metrics
How will you know if you’re achieving your goals? From the start, establish clear metrics to measure your progress towards each goal, and a system for tracking it regularly. You don't need a lot of metrics - a few key ones will be manageable and achievable. Make sure your tracking system is something you can keep up with.
Finding the balance between ambition and attainability is key to sustained growth and success. By keeping your goals realistic, involving your team in the process, and aligning with your personal ambitions, you can set your business on a path of focused progress, guiding you towards a thriving and balanced entrepreneurial journey.
To get some help setting goals, talk to a Digital Boost business mentor - they can share their experience, help you evaluate potential objectives and define how to measure them. .
We've never spoke to a small business owner who wasn't incredibly busy - it unfortunately comes with the territory. Your to-do list is a mile long and there are never enough hours in the day. But small changes can make a big difference. We asked our community of small businesses for some tips and techniques for how they manage their time and become more productive. Here are some examples of what works for them.
Time management techniques
How do you prioritise tasks, minimise distractions, and make every minute count? Different things work for different people. We recommend trying out a few different things and see what works for you. Here are a few to try!
- Pomodoro technique: Break your work into intervals, typically 25 minutes each, separated by short breaks. This helps maintain focus and prevent burnout.
- Time blocking: Allocate specific time blocks for different tasks or categories of work. This creates structure and prevents task overlap, increasing efficiency. For example, block off every Tuesday morning for social media content development, so it's not following you around all week.
- Eat the frog: Start your day by tackling your most challenging or important task—the "frog." By prioritising difficult tasks early, you set a productive tone for the rest of the day. For example, let's say you hate financial management, do this first thing in the morning so you get it out of the way.
Project management tools
For some of us, pen and paper (or Post-its!) is the way to go when managing projects and tasks. But when you have complex, longer-term initiatives in play, or need to collaborate and communicate with others, digital project management tools can be a game changer. A good place to start is the Action Plan tool on Digital Boost. This allows you to capture tasks, track progress, and share actions with your mentors. Check it out on your dashboard.
If you have more complex needs, there are also lots of online tools available - most with free versions. Again, we'd recommend you try some out and see what works for you. Some popular options include:
- Trello: A visual collaboration tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to organise projects and tasks. Offers a lot of flexibility and is very user friendly.
- Asana: A versatile project management tool that allows you to create tasks, set deadlines, assign responsibilities, and track progress—all in one place.
- Monday.com: A centralised project tracking system to enables tracking, communication, and collaboration. Good for slightly larger teams or more complex projects
Automation tools
Think about those tasks that you need to do all the time - they're often boring and time consuming. Could digital tools help you to automate them and save time? This might sound daunting but most of these systems are actually easy to use, and can be cost effective, given the time you'll save. Here at Digital Boost, we use automation to help us with many repetitive tasks including:
- Financial management: Accounting software like Sage or Xero can help you save time on invoice generation, payment reminders, cash flows, and financial reporting.
- Email marketing: Platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact can help you more efficiently manage lists, run campaigns and personalise communications.
- Social media management: Social media may feel like it never ends - you're always having to create content and post. Social media tools can make this easier by allowing you to schedule posts, track engagement, and analyse performance across multiple platforms.
Small changes can make a big difference
It might sound counter-intuitive, but often the best thing you can do when you're feeling overwhelmed and out of time, is to stop. Take a pause and think about how you could work better. That's where productivity techniques and tools can help.
If you're not sure where to start, talk to a Digital Boost business mentor - they can share their experience, help you weigh up different options, and give you tips for implementing systems and software that could save you time, hassle and money.
What are your favourite productivity tips? We'd love to know.
We know you're passionate about your business, pouring your heart and soul into making it succeed. We're a small business ourselves, so we understand the drive to hustle, to work tirelessly towards your goals. But hustling is good until it isn’t and can lead to Toxic Hustle Culture. And, trust us, it could be costing your business.
What is toxic hustle culture?
Toxic Hustle Culture is that relentless push to work harder, longer, and faster without giving yourself a chance to rest. In fact, research by Barclaycard Payments has revealed that 80% of SMEs have continued to work when sick. It's the belief that success is only achieved through constant hustle, regardless of the stress it creates and the toll it takes on your wellbeing and physical health. But we do understand that many of you like to 'hustle' (73%) and that's not a bad thing. However, hustling too hard can have very real side effects:
You may be less creative
If you're always on the grind you'll have little room for creative thinking and innovation. According to a study by McKinsey, burnout can lead to a 68% decrease in creativity and problem-solving abilities. Of course, as small business owners, we know that creativity and innovation are essential for staying ahead.
You may be less productive
Contrary to popular belief, working longer hours doesn't necessarily equate to increased productivity. In fact, research from Stanford University found that productivity declines sharply after working more than 50 hours a week. In reality, burnout leads to fatigue, lack of focus, and decreased efficiency.
You may make poor decisions
When you're exhausted and burnt out, your decision-making abilities suffer. Studies have shown that sleep-deprived individuals are more likely to make risky and irrational decisions. As a small business owner, every decision matters, and you can't afford to let burnout cloud your judgement.
Your relationships may suffer
Toxic Hustle Culture doesn't just affect you; it impacts those around you too. You may neglect time with family and friends or be short-tempered with employees and clients. Healthy relationships are the foundation of a successful business.
Toxic Hustle Culture can cost your business
The consequences of Toxic Hustle Culture are very real - almost three quarters (71%) of investors confirm that they wouldn't invest in a company that had problematic workplace culture. Research by WPI Economics also found that unhappy staff cost the economy £11 billion a year in lost productivity, while AXA research highlighted that sick days due to burnout cost the economy £28 billion.
So how can you protect yourself from Toxic Hustle Culture? We’ve partnered with Barclaycard Payments to create content, tools, and events to help you stay on the right side of hustle. So why not make a Healthy Hustle Plan today?
Sources: 1. “What is burnout?” 2023, McKinsey. 2. “The Productivity of Working Hours”, John Pencavel, 2019. 3) “Paying the price for problematic behaviour”, Culture Shift, 2023. 4) “Health, Happiness, Productivity”, WPI Economics study commissioned by Unum UK, 2023. 5) “The true cost of running on empty”, AXA UK and Centre of Economic and Business Research, 2023.
Barclaycard Payments research conducted with BVA-BDRC including a survey with a sample of 500 UK SMEs, between 22/04/24-05/04/24. Questions focused on the ‘hustle’/ normal working habits of small business owners/ key decision makers.
As a small business owner, you're no stranger to the hustle. But toxic hustle culture can cost your business. We believe that it’s possible to hustle the healthy way - and work smarter, not harder. The best way to do this is to stop and think. Take time to think about what success means for you and how to hustle in a healthy way. Why not develop a Healthy Hustle Plan?
What is a Healthy Hustle Plan?
The Healthy Hustle Plan is your personalised roadmap to achieving your business goals while prioritising your well-being over the long term.
We work with thousands of small business every year. Based on their experiences, we've identified three key steps in a Healthy Hustle Plan: recalibrating your vision, prioritising effectively, and establishing healthy habits.
Your Healthy Hustle Plan is more than just a plan—it’s a commitment to building a business that not only achieves success but also supports your (and your team’s) overall well-being and fulfilment. By recalibrating your vision, prioritising effectively, establishing healthy habits, you can navigate the hustle with intention.
Recalibrate your vision
The foundation of your Healthy Hustle Plan begins with aligning your business priorities with your personal ambitions. Take the time to reflect on what success looks like to you—both professionally and personally. What are your core values, goals, and aspirations? How does your business fit into the bigger picture of your life?
What drives you? What kind of life do you want? Be honest with yourself. Then take a look at your business vision and think about what it’ll take to achieve it. Are there any disconnects between the two? Will your business vision take you closer to your personal objectives or further way? If not, you may need to re-calibrate one of them.
Set priorities
Once you've recalibrated your vision, it's time to prioritise effectively to ensure you're spending your time on the right things. With a never-ending to-do list, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose sight of what truly matters. Make a habit of regularly reviewing your list of actions and re-prioritising them.
Identify all the things you could do - and evaluate each of them based on how much effort they’ll take to do and how much impact they could have (in terms of revenue generation, growth, or long-term sustainability). This might sound overwhelming at first, but the more you do it, the easier it’ll be!
Establish healthy habits
Finally, to make your plan a reality, you need to put the right habits in place. As a business owner, self-care isn't just a luxury—it's a necessity.
Make self-care a priority by scheduling regular breaks, exercise, and relaxation activities into your daily routine. Treat these moments as non-negotiable appointments with yourself. Try productivity tools and techniques, such as time blocking and find the ones that work for you. And perhaps most importantly don’t forget to ask for help.
Bringing your Healthy Hustle Plan to life
On the Digital Boost platform, you can create and manage your Healthy Hustle Plan. You can break down your goals into actionable steps, capture them into your plan, receive nudges to complete tasks, and track your progress over time. As you complete tasks, move them along in the plan and celebrate your progress. Share your plan with a mentor to drive accountability and gain valuable feedback and support.
Remember, your plan is unique to you and may evolve over time as your business grows and your priorities shift.
Let us know how it’s going - we'd love to hear how you're creating a sustainable path to success in your entrepreneurial journey!
The entrepreneurial journey often begins with a simple spark of inspiration, a desire to create something unique and personal. For Natalie, that spark ignited when she found herself in search of a phone case that truly reflected her personality. Dissatisfied with the generic options on the market, Natalie decided to take matters into her own hands - so Creative Banter was born! Having seen her family build many amazing businesses, she was inspired to create something of her own. Knowing she needed support, she turned to the small business mentoring offered by Digital Boost and Boost Lancashire and saw a huge shift in her business thanks to the mentorship she received!
From Personal Passion to Thriving Business
"It all started back in 2019," Natalie recalls. "I remember getting a new phone and wanting a case that was more than just a generic pattern. I wanted something that spoke to who I am." As an illustrator, Natalie was inspired to create a design that reflected her and her life and so she illustrated her very first phone case.
But what began as a personal project quickly evolved into something exciting! Natalie's friends and family loved the cases and soon she'd had many requests to create unique phone cases for her network. Natalie began this project whilst she was studying animation and was encouraged by her teachers to turn her passion for illustration into a business venture. She began slowly designing cases for her friends and families alongside her studies, and her small business was born!
The Evolution of Natalie's Business
Initially, it was a side hustle—a creative outlet that allowed Natalie to express herself and share her art with others. But as time went on, she realised that her illustrations held the potential for something greater. "I started to realise that this is actually what I love to do," Natalie reflects. "So, I expanded my offerings to include more than just phone cases—gifts like canvases and cushions."
Every step of Natalie's journey has been organic and fuelled by her own experiences as a customer. Having added these new offerings, Natalie again was inspired by her own experience when she was planning her wedding! "We were creating our own stationery for the wedding," Natalie shares. "And it hit me: Why am I not doing this for other people?". Once again inspired by her own experiences, she began to offer custom stationery services as part of her business and immediately had more friends and family queuing up for her services.
📸 Creative Banter
Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Support
Natalie acknowledges that entrepreneurship isn't without its challenges, especially when it comes to financial constraints. "It's a struggle sometimes when you're like, but I'm broke," she admits candidly. In those early days of building a side-hustle, it can be hard to strike the balance between working a 9-5 and trying to break into a fully-fledged small business.
As so much of Natalie's early business came from friends and family, it didn't initially feel like a small business! But some key 'aha' moments marked a turning point for Natalie. One of those was the moment her phone notifications were blowing up with website visitors! Being discovered by customers who weren't her friends and family was a moment where Natalie realised she'd gone from passion project to true small business!
The Transformative Power of Mentorship
The support Natalie received from Boost Lancashire and Digital Boost proved instrumental in her entrepreneurial journey, providing guidance, mentorship, and invaluable resources to help her navigate the complexities of running a business.
Natalie's initial introduction to business support came through her sister's involvement with Boost Lancashire. Witnessing the growth and success of her sister's business under the guidance of a mentor, Natalie recognized the value of having a mentor of her own. Inspired by her sister's experiences, Natalie decided to seek out her own mentor through Boost Lancashire—a decision that proved immensely beneficial. "That was really good," Natalie reflects. "Because, again, there were things that I had no idea about, and they really helped me to figure out." From essential tasks like maintaining financial records to more complex aspects of business management, Natalie's Boost Lancashire mentor provided guidance and support every step of the way.
As Natalie's circumstances changed and she prepared to relocate to Surrey, Boost Lancashire introduced her to Digital Boost. "At the beginning, I thought it'd be a very similar [service]," Natalie recalls, "but then I was pleasantly surprised." As well as 1:1 mentoring, Digital Boost offered Masterclasses, accelerator programmes and networking sessions to support small businesses and charities! Having experienced personal support from Boost Lancashire, Natalie was impressed that a similar level of support could be accessed virtually through the Digital Boost platform - and all free of charge!
The Impact of Digital Boost on Natalie's Business
"Before, I didn't have access to all the knowledge that I need," Natalie reflects. "But coming to Digital Boost, it feels like I have access to the world's knowledge."
Through Digital Boost, Natalie was able to access a huge variety of mentors, who all brought unique perspectives and support that she could apply to her business. With over 70+ mentoring topics offered, Natalie had access to support in areas she didn't even know she needed!
Natalie has been lucky enough to be mentored by Ian from the BT team. Ian volunteers his time through Digital Boost to support small businesses and charities around the world. Ian is a Digital Marketing expert and has supported Natalie in developing her website, SEO, and brand positioning so that she can stand out in her market and get more customers! Natalie admits that before 'Digital Boost, no one was visiting my website'
Natalie describes how Ian will tell you how it is and isn't afraid to tell you when something isn't working in your business! She's found this to be immensely helpful as having constructive feedback has allowed her to develop a website that's working for her and her business. Thanks to Ian's support, Natalie's website is now getting discovered by new customers and generating more sales!
This was most impactful after Natalie attended her first wedding fayre with her business. She recalls how excited she was as it was on her 'bucket-list' and how many potential customers were blown away by the innovation of her designs. She even got noticed by the local press when they were blown away by her reversible seating plan, which includes an illustration of the happy couple on the back, so you don't have to throw the seating chart away after the day! With so much interest generated on the day, Natalie then had an amazing website to direct them to buy from her, all thanks to the mentorship of Ian 😊
📸 Creative Banter
Building Confidence
But what's changed most for Natalie as a result of mentoring is her confidence. For Natalie, having Ian's mentorship has been 'validating' and she doesn't underestimate the power that validation has had on her business journey. She acknowledges that confidence has been her 'weakness' on her journey. Every entrepreneur knows how hard it can be to put yourself out there and feel confident in what you're selling - it's normal! But for Natalie, having an expert like Ian look at her business and say that it's 'great' and better than other options on the market has been a huge confidence boost for her.
What struck Natalie was when Ian said to her: 'I believe in your business and I believe in your stuff'. Having a small business mentor believe in you, even when you're struggling to yourself, was game-changing for Natalie. With the support of Ian, she's gone from strength to strength and her business is flourishing.
Looking Ahead
As Natalie's confidence grows, so does her business! She's gone from strength to strength as a result of Digital Boost's small business mentoring and the future is very bright for Natalie.
Natalie's story is a testament to the power of mentoring and having someone in your corner cheering you on. Whether that's friends, family, other small business owners, or a mentor, never underestimate the power of your support system when building a business.
If you've been inspired by Natalie's story and would love to find out more about how our small business mentoring can support you, you can find out more here! 👇
Press Release
Begin: A free course for aspiring female entrepreneurs 2024
The UK’s top female entrepreneurs come together with Digital Boost and Buy Women Built to inspire and equip the next generation!
Buy Women Built, a consumer movement shining light on female entrepreneurs and Digital Boost, a free online platform that offers personalised support to all start-ups and small businesses, together announce the launch of ‘Begin: A free course for aspiring female entrepreneurs’.
The fully funded programme, open to any women in the UK, will address the challenges holding women back from starting businesses.
An independent analysis of female entrepreneurship commissioned by the Treasury shows there are 30% fewer female entrepreneurs in the UK compared to the US. The research showed that if women started businesses at the same rate as in other developed countries we would add an extra £200 billion to the UK economy and create a stronger and fairer society.
Karen Licurse, Managing Director of Digital Boost, says “We know that women are less likely than men to know other entrepreneurs, or have access to mentors or support networks. So while they may dream of starting a business, for many, it just doesn’t feel like a realistic or accessible path. We’re thrilled to join forces with Buy Women Built to change that, giving women the inspiration, confidence and practical support and tools they need to forge the path for themselves.”
This is a new chapter for Digital Boost who, through their community of 4,000+ volunteer mentors and flexible learning programmes, have helped more than 9,000 business owners to date, 60% of whom identify as female.
‘Begin’ is a highly interactive six-week programme that goes beyond theory and guides women step-by-step to turn their ideas into an actionable plan to start their business. They’ll work with a community of like-minded peers and get personalised support from Digital Boost’s mentors along the way.
To inspire the participants, each step of the course will be supported by case studies and practical tips from founders of the UK’s top women built brands. These founders include names such as Thea Green, Nails Inc. Rene MacDonald, Lisou, Joanna Jensen, Childs Farm and Vivien Wong, Little Moons.
Commenting on the value of Buy Women Built, Vivien from Little Moons says: “BWB is a wonderful community of cheerleaders who share much needed practical advice. I wish I had this when I was starting out.”
Sahar Hashemi OBE, founder of Buy Women Built and formerly Coffee Republic and Skinny Candy said: “We believe women make great entrepreneurs, a lot of the natural feminine qualities lend themselves to the qualities you need to start a business…but what holds back women is the fear of leaping into the unknown.”
“What better way to encourage the next generation, by not only giving them the process but the proof from those that have actually done it. We can’t close this gap until we change perceptions about what it means to be an entrepreneur - and inspire & enable more women to follow that path”.
The course will be delivered entirely online so women can join from anywhere and work flexibly around other commitments. Replays and self-study will be available via the platform. 1:1 mentoring, events and support continue after the six weeks to help women turn their plans into reality.
This programme is completely free for everyone thanks to the support of NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, and the Scottish Government’s Pathways Pre-Start Fund.
James Holian, Managing Director, Business Banking & International Retail said:
“As long standing supporters of Women in Business we understand the various challenges that women might face when setting up or running their business. Our goal is to make a positive difference to women in business across the UK. We are delighted to be part of a new collaboration with Digital Boost and Buy Women Built to launch a dedicated programme to support women to set up in business”.
It intends to reach at least 600 women this calendar year. Registration for the course opens on 19th February digital-boost.lndo.site/begin .
Editor's Notes:
About the programme: The course follows a unique, highly interactive structure:
- 6 weeks, delivered online to work around participants’ commitments
- 90-minute sessions each week, each focused on the steps to start a business
- Participants work on their real business ideas and begin to build a plan
- Pre-work and assignments in between sessions
- Participants work in small peer groups to give and get feedback & network
- Access to unlimited 1:1 mentoring and resources
- Ongoing mentoring, support and events after the 6 weeks to make their plan a reality
About Digital Boost: Digital Boost’s mission is to make personalised, actionable support available to anyone who wants to start or grow a business, regardless of location, background or existing networks. Through the kindness of our community of 4,000+ friendly volunteer mentors and smart tech platform, we support any founder with unlimited 1:1 and group mentoring, access to specialised expertise, networking and actionable peer learning programmes. All our services are always free thanks to the support of partners like Mastercard’s Strive UK, Natwest Group, Bloomberg and BT.
Digital Boost is 100% owned by the educational charity Founders4Schools, whose mission is to connect young people to relatable role models, inspiring them and opening their eyes to possible career paths, including entrepreneurship.
digital-boost.lndo.site | LinkedIn | Instagram
About Buy Women Built: BWB is a consumer movement to shine a light on female founded brands, showing who they are and why buying from them creates a stronger, fairer economy to inspire future generations of women. The BUY WOMEN BUILT logo is a symbol of recognition for female founded brands. Through the symbol we aim to shape purchasing decisions and encourage conscious shopping decisions. The logo allows brands to commercially align with consumers who care about empowering women. Behind the movement, BWB has a community with over 1000 female founders of consumer brands with a combined turnover of £1.5 billion.
https://buywomenbuilt.com/ | Instagram | LinkedIn
About NatWest Group: NatWest Group is a relationship bank for a digital world. We champion potential; breaking down barriers and building financial confidence so the 19 million people, families and businesses we serve in communities throughout the UK and Ireland can rebuild and thrive. If our customers succeed, so will we. NatWest Entrepreneur hub | NatWest Business | LinkedIn
BWB Brands delivering course content:
| Thea Green | Nails Inc. |
| Chika Russell | Chika's |
| Vanita Parti | Blink Brow Bar |
| Pauline Paterson | Dr. Paw Paw |
| Maxine Laceby | Absolute Collagen |
| Gem Misa | FullGreen |
| Joanna Jensen | Child's Farm |
| Margaret Dabbs | Margaret Dabbs London |
| Sarah Chapman | Sarah Chapman Skinesis London |
| Joyce and Raissa de Haas | Double Dutch |
| Kate Prince | Ancient & Brave |
| Katie Lopes | Stripe & Stare |
| Pippa Murray | Pip & Nut |
| Lemon Fuller | Lemonade Dolls |
| Vivien Wong | Little Moons |
| Amanda Thompson | Noughty |
| Rene Macdonald | Lisou |
| Kim Innes | Humble Crumble |
28% of small businesses in the UK say social media is their main driver of sales, according to BT
As 2024 gears up, the digital marketing landscape for small UK businesses and startups evolves at pace. For small businesses, navigating social media is a full-time role that’s both exciting and challenging. So how can you manage social media for your business without a full-time member of staff? Do it using people already in the business that have a genuine interest in social media, or outsource to experts, that way you get specialist skills without the full-time salary.
Platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok offer great opportunities. It's super important small businesses see social media as one part of the bigger marketing picture when being strategic in achieving their goals.
Let’s take a look at the more popular social media channels for small UK businesses, microbusinesses and startups…
LinkedIn: Connecting professionally
For small UK businesses aiming to build business-to-business (B2B) relationships, or establish themselves as industry leaders, LinkedIn is THE platform and one of my personal favourites (must be my corporate background). This year video content will gain momentum on this channel.
For those starting out on LinkedIn stick to the basics, keep it simple and make what you do engaging. More importantly, be YOUR genuine self for people to connect with you and your business brand. For more advanced LinkedIn users, get into LinkedIn Lives for real-time interactions. Whether you're starting out or upping your game, show you know your stuff by sharing industry insights specific to your business or clients.
Tip! Mix LinkedIn activity with other on and offline marketing activities to gain maximum mileage from everything you do. Remember! You need to repeatedly reach the right people 6,7,8,9 times for them to remember you.
YouTube: Visual storytelling
Don’t knock it! YouTube's influence continues to grow through visual storytelling for UK small businesses.
For beginners, create simple, informative videos about your products or services. More advanced users can start to experiment with long-form content, and for those of you that get overwhelmed when it comes to social media, start with YouTube Shorts (does what it says on the tin…) for snappy and engaging clips.
Tip! Add YouTube content to your website and share it across other social media channels to show a consistent and professional brand message that keeps your business in the minds of customers and clients.
Instagram: Visual first
Instagram started out as an image-led platform and still is to this day. Authenticity (a word we can’t avoid!) is essential here, and in 2024, the platform thrives on it.
Beginners can start by testing out quick Stories and grid posts to build and connect with their audience. More advanced users can dive into longer-form video content through Reels or experiment with Instagram Lives!
If you're feeling lost with Instagram, go back to basics and ensure any piece of content you create has a strong image and text that is simple and clear. Over time you can expand the types of content you're creating and increase the frequency of your posts.
Tip! Localise your content -make use of location tags and collaborate with topic-specific or local influencers to strengthen both local and regional presence.
Facebook: Building communities and targeted ads
Love it or hate it Facebook remains a versatile platform for UK small businesses. Facebook beginners should focus on creating a Facebook Business Page and building a community through engaging posts. For the more advanced users, delve into Facebook Ads, the targeting is excellent and works well for certain types of businesses, so it’s always worth testing this out with two or three ads to see which performs best in generating leads.
Tip! Don’t start advertising on Facebook by boosting posts – a complete waste of time unless you want to achieve a broad, untargeted reach with anyone and everyone. It’s scattergun!
TikTok: Video-led creativity
TikTok's explosive growth is set to continue in the UK throughout this year. For those starting out go with short-form videos. More advanced users can start to collaborate and get more creative with influencers. Micro-influencers hold lots of untapped potential here as they tend to have a target audience focused on certain types of products and services. Those who are feeling a bit blah or lost with TikTok, explore the ‘For You’ page for inspiration.
Tip! Inject personality and show off your sense of humour to create real and raw videos (no one wants polished and perfect!) to make it relatable and appealing to your target audiences.
Try showing more 'behind the scenes' content on your TikTok channels to bring your business to life!
Marketing Best Practices
See the bigger marketing picture for a sustainable business
Make sure you're seeing the bigger picture for your business both on and offline. Social media is just one piece of the marketing puzzle! 🧩 Having a mix of consistent marketing activities each month ensures you reach target audiences in a number of different ways. And remember, it’s not just about marketing to get new business, it’s also about marketing to look after the customers you already have! The trust is already there which makes it much easier to do more great business with them.
Tip! Don't just focus on socials! Work out the best mix of marketing activities for your business, and then make them work as hard as possible for you! The perfect combination for your unique business will mean you're reaching your customers and repeating the same message in a number of different ways 🤓
Have confidence in your approach
Whether you're a beginner, advanced, overwhelmed or not a fan of marketing that’s ok! Keep things simple when it comes to your marketing. Know your business goals and then take action each month that's aligned with those goals. By keeping things simple, you'll start to become more confident in your marketing skills! Having a level of confidence in marketing doesn’t require you to be an expert, it’s about being clear and consistent, so no rocket science required 🚀🤓
When all your marketing activities are aligned to a strategy and plan that’s aimed at reaching the goals of the business, you will succeed. All your marketing content will sync up with your brand values and make your marketing more genuine!
Taking charge of your social media
Make social media work for you! Being in control of your social media allows you to shape your business brand confidently and appeal to your ideal clients.
Recognise that social media platforms are just tools, and whilst you don’t own them, you can use them to your advantage in creating and maintaining brand awareness.
Social media channels are just one of many free or low-cost marketing tools that your business can make use of in the right way. It’s the strategy and the actions that sit behind all your marketing activities that matters most when it comes to putting yourself and your business out there in a way that’s right for you.
Strategic Independence: Reduce the reliance on external platforms
Relying solely on external platforms such as social media can be high risk, especially for small businesses.
Remember! You don't own your social media. One easy way to reduce your independence on social media platforms is to strategically drive traffic to your website. Think about other cost-effective marketing activities that put you in control i.e. collecting customer emails, telephone numbers and addresses. By having a well-rounded marketing strategy that doesn't rely solely on social media marketing, you're strengthening your business!
Conclusion
Social media is here to stay, and by following the tips and tricks shared in this blog, you can find an approach that works for you and your business! The main thing to remember is, although social media is a powerful ally, it doesn't have to be the sole driver of success for your business. With the right marketing foundations in place using a strategy and plan, you'll be fully equipped to manage the marketing of your business both on and offline with confidence, meet your business goals, and keep on top of trends that will always come and go.
Want support to build your dream marketing plan?
Need more personalised support? Book a free mentoring session with a marketing mentor here 👇
Meet the Mentor
Anna Short, small business owner and founder of Boo! Marketing is all about making marketing simple by creating focus, direction and consistency for small businesses and early-stage marketers, that way they get to play to their strengths, enjoy what they do best and grow confidently.
