“I feel I will be able to market this new piece of equipment far more effectively than if I had been going through the process on my own”
About
Rachael Brown is a specialist equine chiropractor who also offers treatments for dogs across Shropshire and Worcestershire.
Rachael uses the McTimony method of treatment to correct misalignments in the animals’ skeleton, which helps reduce stiffness and soreness, prevent injury and improve performance.
Rachael wanted to launch a new canine chiropractic clinic to expand her business services. She also bought a new piece of laser equipment which helps with the rehabilitation of horses and dogs after injury.
How the Growth Hub helped
Rachael approached Shropshire Growth Hub for help to buy the new laser equipment and to launch her two new services beyond her existing client base.
She received funding through the Small Capital Grant Scheme towards the cost of the equipment as well as six hours of specialist business support through the Business Boost 360 programme.
The support took the form of advice from marketing and communications consultants Zebra PR.
The firm helped Rachael to use social media and email marketing to effectively communicate her business’s new ‘zone days’ to clients, which allowed her to concentrate appointments in a specific area and cut down on travelling time.
They also helped Rachael to plan the launch of the new canine chiropractic clinic and rehabilitation services.
Impact
As a result of the support received, Rachael has increased her profit margin and overall income, as well as having more time to market and build her business through improved efficiency.
She said: “Having the knowledge and expertise of Zebra PR to guide me through this process has been fantastic. I now understand how the launch process will work and feel I will be able to market this new piece of equipment far more effectively than if I had been going through the process on my own.
“Signing up for Business Boost 360 and working with the team at the Shropshire Growth Hub has had a real positive impact on my business.”
Emma Chapman, manager of the Shropshire Growth Hub said: “Business Boost is one of our most popular and successful programmes. More than 150 businesses have engaged with us so far.
“It offers up to six hours of fully-funded advice from a range of highly skilled advisors waiting to help Shropshire businesses make that next step towards growth and development.
“We are also in the fortunate position of having capital funding available through the Small Capital Grant Scheme for Businesses. As in this case, a business can access both at the same time to make positive change happen.”
Mark Jones, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “This is yet another example of the excellent support the Shropshire Growth Hub can offer. All programmes have been carefully designed to meet the needs of Shropshire businesses and it is great to see examples of businesses making full use of these amazing opportunities.”
Future help
Business Boost 360 is a programme offered by the Shropshire Growth Hub and funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). It provides six hours of fully-funded support, tailored to a business’s specific needs.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a pot of £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025, of which Shropshire’s allocation was just under £15m. The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
The Small Capital Grant Scheme for Businesses offers capital grants from £2,000 to £10,000 to small and medium-sized businesses (1-49 employees) to buy new equipment or make improvements to premises that will create new jobs or develop new products, processes or services.
The next window for grant applications is now open. Download the leaflet with full details or visit https://www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/support/ukspf-small-business-grant-scheme/
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