Olivia Thompson is the founder of Akila Dolls, that provide a range of diverse and disability baby dolls, launched nine months ago. After Olivia left her full-time job in a law firm to become a carer for her then seven year old daughter. It was on a shopping trip with her daughter, Amira, that they both noticed the lack of diversity and disability dolls in the high street shops. With only a few savings Olivia began work on the doll illustration, packaging and concept book. During a global pandemic and homeschooling her daughter in June 2020 she successfully raised £6,000 through a crowdfunding platform to begin the manufacturing of the doll prototype. In the early stages of the business, Olivia used Business & IP Centre Leeds and one of their IP sessions.

Monday

I love waking up on a Monday knowing that I’m working for myself and doing something I am really passionate about. No more rushing out of the house before 7am trying to get my daughter to her childminders house before I start work. My daughter is now at an age where she can generally sort herself out in the morning. We’re currently coming out of a three-month lockdown due to COVID-19, so my daughter has been at home since March. I try to get started on work by 9am each morning, using my dining table as my work desk. I always start my day by checking my work emails and seeing what appointments or commitments I may have that day. After responding to some emails I post on my social media accounts my morning motivation quote and check my notifications. I receive an email from Leeds City Region Enterprise arranging a meeting for next week to discuss innovation support so I can develop my product further. My work day ends at 3pm as my daughter has her piano lesson at 3.30pm

Tuesday

Work again starts at 9am after getting my daughter ready for the day. I post on my social media every morning with a motivational quote and any new updates I may have for my followers to keep them updated on my business development. I usually plan my posts ahead, so that I can keep organised. I reply to any comments or messages I may have received. This helps gives my businesses page maximum exposure and to also stay connected with my followers. My daughter has an appointment at 10.30am with our family support worker Mel, after not seeing her in over four months it’s lovely to get back into our routine and have a good catch up. It’s also important for Amira to start getting out of the house and socialising with other people. She had a lovely morning painting and telling Mel all about her upcoming birthday. I spend the afternoon researching fabric manufacturers in the U.K. Myself and my friend Sophie designed an exclusive range of fabric swatches a few months ago for the dolls clothing and accessories.

 

Wednesday

The day starts like every other day, unfortunately, Amira is not having a good day. After calming her down we go on a trip to the park and anything work-related is put on pause until she’s in bed. It’s times like these when she really needs me and I’ve got a busy work schedule I have to prioritise what’s more important, obviously, that’s Amira.

Thursday

Today I have a meeting booked in with student from Leeds University who is doing her masters dissertation on nascent entrepreneur facilitation in the black Caribbean community in the U.K. We had a lovely talk discussing social capital access for black entrepreneurs and whether its use has seen elevations in ones entrepreneurial success. I finish my day having a meeting with my website designer Shaun.

Friday

On Fridays, I plan the Instagram (@akila_dolls) and Facebook (@HelpSupportAkilaDolls) schedule for the week ahead. Instagram is becoming a big part of my business, within the last three months I have almost 600 followers. I check my calendar for the week ahead and make sure all my meetings are scheduled in. By planning ahead it makes my life a lot easier, especially with Amira’s autism, you never know whether a day will be good or bad. Tonight is an extra special night for me as I am finally able to go out and celebrate all my achievements these last few months with my best friend Chloe.

Weekend

Once the weekend arrives it’s time to spend time with my daughter and family. We enjoy going on a drive to the countryside, and just switching off. Anything work-related will wait until Monday.

Health and safety for your business has never been more important, than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each business sector has guidance of some kind to try and keep their staff and customers safe from infection. Innovating for Growth: Scale-up alumna, Emma Hammett, founder of First Aid for Life talks through what you should be aware of...

Usual HSE requirements concerning first aid remain applicable to everyone and all businesses. Whether a sole trader, or major corporate, we all have a legal requirement to make appropriate first aid provision for our employees.

It remains the law for all businesses to undertake a suitable risk assessment and ensure staff:

1. undertake suitable first aid (and mental health first aid) training
2. have an appropriate and in-date first-aid qualification
3. attend regular refreshers to update skills and remain competent to perform their first aid role
4. remain abreast of the latest advice from the Resuscitation Council UK, concerning any changes to resuscitation guidance.

Risk assessments

Businesses need to undertake physical risk assessments to assess hazards for the workplace and address any specific risks relevant to their workforce. These risk assessments should encompass measures to protect the physical and mental health well-being of their employees. Following COVID-19, these risk assessments need to consider additional infection risk and safety requirements concerning coronavirus.

First-aid provision for non-employees

Health and safety law does not require businesses to provide first aid cover for anyone other than their own employees. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, additional requirements require essential proven measures to be put in place to protect everyone from possible infection. There are new powers to enforce this and businesses can be closed if not compliant.
It is critical for businesses to demonstrate a clear duty of care to staff and customers alike.

Additional training

Good first aid training businesses will help you establish your first aid provision and assist you in arranging the most appropriate training for your organisation, tailoring and adding in extra elements if required.

The HSE strongly recommends all first aid training to be annually refreshed with practical or online training.

The HSE also recommend training in mental health first aid.

First Aid for Life provides practical and online first aid and mental health first aid courses.

Giving CPR during the COVID-19 pandemic

Whenever CPR is carried out, there is some risk of cross infection, particularly when giving rescue breaths. Normally, this risk is very small and is set against the inevitability that a person in cardiac arrest will die if not helped.

The Resuscitation Council UK has issued the following updated guidance concerning the giving of CPR to an adult whilst there remains a risk of infection from coronavirus:

• Recognise cardiac arrest by looking for the absence of signs of life and the absence of normal breathing.
• No longer listen or feel for breathing by placing your ear and cheek close to the patient’s mouth. If in any doubt about confirming cardiac arrest, start chest compressions until help arrives.
• Make sure an ambulance is on its way. If COVID-19 is suspected, tell them when you call 999.
• If there is a perceived risk of infection, place a cloth/towel over the victim’s mouth and nose. Start compression only CPR and early defibrillation until the ambulance arrives.

Early use of a defibrillator significantly increases the person’s chances of survival and does not increase risk of infection.

Paediatric CPR

Breaths are still recommended when giving CPR to a baby or child, as the breaths are more critical to the likelihood of them surviving. It is far more likely that they have had a respiratory arrest and they do not retain oxygenated blood in their system for as long as an adult. Therefore, it is important that staff receive appropriate additional training if paediatric CPR is a possibility. Rescuer protection such as pocket masks, airway adjuncts and bag and valve masks should be available to appropriately trained first aiders.

Protection for first aiders

If the rescuer has access to personal protective equipment (PPE) (e.g. FFP3 face mask, disposable gloves, eye protection), they should wear them.

After performing compression-only CPR, all rescuers should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water; or cleanse them with alcohol-based hand gel. They should also seek additional advice from the NHS 111 coronavirus advice service or medical adviser.

First Aid for Life and Onlinefirstaid.com were founded by Innovating for Growth: Scale-up alumna, Emma Hammett. First Aid for Life is a fully regulated provider of multi award-winning first aid and mental health first aid.

For the first time in the programme’s history, Innovating for Growth has taken place entirely online. Participants can now have virtual one-to-ones with our external consultants, ‘meet’ each other in online workshops. It’s not only the way the programme is currently being run which has pivoted due to the current crisis, the goals of the businesses taking part have also changed, some struggling to keep going, many changing the way they operate, others trying to keep up with the demand their product or service has seen increase.

We caught up with our delivery partners to find out first-hand how they can support Innovating for Growth businesses and why now might be the best time to apply for the programme…

Red Ochre – Growth strategy

“For the majority of businesses we’ve seen during the pandemic, there had been a stop or slow down in trading. However, there is a lot of positivity. For many there is an improvement in the situation, others are exploring new opportunities and others can see a positive change when various sanctions are lifted. In every case the initial panic has been allayed by the input from the consultants.

“We can help businesses identify what can they do in the short term, how to prepare for more changes in the midterm, provide someone to talk to, someone looking outside in, someone giving a wider perspective to help build resilience and sustainability.”

Meta Value – Financial planning

“We can help businesses be resilient and adapt and help figure out a model to make it all easier and less dependent on them (a common problem). We can also help stabilize the business and identifying the right model so they can then grow or consolidate.

“We can also help with grants, which might not be relevant for all businesses, but the option is available.”

Newable – Innovation

“It’s sometimes daunting or difficult to take the time in a business owners’ busy schedule to spend time to work on the business, rather than the day to day fire-fighting. This programme is a great way to discuss and confide in experienced professionals obstacles or opportunities they might be facing.

“We can also highlight the wealth of other resources available with the BIPC which might be relevant to your business, such as the free market research reports and programme of webinars.”

ABA – Marketing and branding

“We’ve seen a real mixture of those fighting to survive and those who are paddling frantically to keep up with demand or change in circumstances. Regardless of where they find themselves, the reality is (i) they were all having to deal with changing circumstances, not a static landscape; and (ii) they all needed – and I’m sure benefited – from having an expert, outside perspective on the state of their business, the state of the market, and the possible ways forward.”

BRIFFA – Intellectual property

“The businesses we’ve supported since the start of the crisis were looking at how to protect their IP whilst they ride this storm and adapt to new working conditions with the lockdown conditions rather than consideration of future prospects. We also found that some of the candidates had been considering or attempting to try and adapt their business to be digital and needed to understand on how to protect their IP online along with following compliance with GDPR and other commercial aspects like terms and conditions and registering of domains/trade marks. We can help with all of this, so whatever intellectual property query you may have, the programme will be able to support you.”

Whatever concern you and your business may be facing, Innovating for Growth: Scale-ups can support London-based businesses to pivot, diversity, plan their finance and adapt in these challenging times with £10,000 worth of free, tailored advice. Visit our website for more information about the programme or to complete our qualifying questionnaire.

Hello, I’m excited to share the progress we’ve made since we last checked in. Ups, downs, turn it all arounds… It’s been a wonderful journey. Pizza in the post is nearly a go! Please take a look at our website and subscribe to our mailing list to find out when we go live.

Calum and I haven't seen each other in person since March. We were meant to be working side by side from May through to October, hopping from festival to festival. Alas… we firmly believe that our challenges are our best teachers. We’re coming out of this stronger, with a better business in tow - thanks in no small part to the Innovating for Growth programme.

Often when problems arise our outlook can become narrow. We may focus on worrying about our own issues and have a sense that we’re the only ones going through difficulties. The Innovating for Growth programme has helped us see things from a wider perspective. Connecting with dozens of other entrepreneurs has been a joy, while the hours of dedicated service and expertise - beamed through Zoom from home to home - have equipped us with the skills needed to identify and execute on an exciting opportunity.

Very soon you'll be able to order a Good Slice through our website and have it arrive on your doorstep the next day. From San Marzano tomato, smoked burrata and basil to sumac yogurt, burnt aubergine, herb and sesame salad - we’ve worked to create a menu that sources local, but is truly global. And of course, as well as being healthy, fresh and sustainably sourced, every pizza will provide a meal to someone in need.

Members can choose to have pizza delivered weekly, bi-weekly, or once a month, from our ever evolving menu. They’ll benefit from free delivery and a discount. They’ll also be surprised with goodies from partner suppliers and other social enterprises. They’ll become a part of a community united by pizza and purpose. A community into which we’ll share recipes and inspiring stories, highlighting the amazing things they’re helping to achieve.

The Innovating for Growth programme has propelled us forward in what are incredibly tough times. The advisors and consultants have inspired us, and the wonderful British Library staff have been so lovely, and so organised! Our long-term goal is to ensure all people on this planet have the nutrition they need to lead healthy and productive lives. Thank you all for helping us get there. And to anyone considering joining the programme, go for it!

Peace, Love and Pizza,
Ed & Calum

Ahmad is the founder of Baracat Bros, an app company that builds games with hidden educational value. He took part in our Start-ups in London Libraries programme and is part of our SiLL community in Greenwich. We spoke to him about his business and his Start-ups in London Libraries journey.

Tell us about your business. Why did you start it up?

We believe games offer a unique channel to deliver educational messages and foster learning because of their interactive and engaging nature. Yet, many of the popular mobile games are designed for entertainment purposes and the educational games on the market lack engagement and the fun factor. We wanted to address that. We try to create edu-games, which are fun, engaging and educational.

We rely on academic research in the Science of Learning field, which uses cognitive-science research on how students learn, and uses that knowledge to offer practical actions to improve teaching, to guide the design of our games.

From a personal perspective, we believe that working in a corporate environment is not for everyone and, for us, starting up a business was a viable option to gain more freedom over which problems we wanted to solve and how to approach them.

How did the SiLL project help you in setting up your business?

I attended 3 sessions as part of the programme and it helped me gain the needed confidence to set up my business. The workshops also really helped to equip the attendees - I came out of the ‘Get ready for business’ workshop with actionable advice like how to access funding, how to create a business model canvas and where to find resources to continue learning.

What was the most helpful part of the SiLL project for you?

Meeting like-minded people who were trying to build their own businesses. It was eye-opening to see the diversity of their backgrounds as well as their business ideas.

Loretta [our Start-ups in London Libraries Greenwich Business Champion] is building a business community for people who want to pursue their own businesses and need the practical knowledge and the support network to do so successfully. I really believe that such communities are invaluable for anyone building their own business.

What advice would you give anyone looking to start up a business?

Make sure to invest time in building a circle of like-minded people, it really helps when things get tough and you need people to share your experiences with.

I really can’t stress enough having a support network that understand what it takes to start a business and how to navigate the space. I would highly recommend going to the Start-ups in London Libraries’ workshops as they will equip them with a support network and practical advice on how to start a business in the UK.

I would also highly recommend preparing oneself psychologically and mentally that building a business takes time and that there are usually no shortcuts to getting it to be profitable other than putting in the hard work.

What are the key things you have learnt while starting up your business?

When you are starting a business, the main way to think about it is how you are solving valuable problems for customers - the main way to figure out such problems is to actively talk to customers and potential customers. Once a valuable problem is identified, it becomes relatively easy to iterate on a potential solution.

What’s next for you and your business?

A few days ago, Foodology, a game Baracat Bros' created in 2 weeks to help people learn about food, was featured on ProductHunt (the go-to platform for launching new products)

Visit Baracat Bro's website to find out more about their games. 

Visit the Start-ups in London Libraries website to find out more about and workshops, which are now all taking place online. 

 

 

 

Centa is a long-standing social enterprise and a partner of the Business & IP Centre for over 12 years. Trading for over 36 years in central London, we support people wishing to start a business and offer existing small businesses advice and training on how to develop and grow their businesses. We are currently delivering the Get Started workshop for the Innovating for Growth: Start-ups programme, which is always well attended and well received by delegates from the feedback.

The workshop is delivered by Lucan Richards, who has 15 years’ experience as a business adviser. Since joining Centa initially as a business support officer, his business knowledge and expertise has grown tremendously whilst working on various government funded business support and mentoring programmes. Acting as the first point of call for all enquiries has enabled him to provide effective business solutions to budding entrepreneurs who required urgent help and support. This progressed to running his own business and the opportunity to better understand a client needs having gone through similar experiences. Besides delivering workshops for the last four years he still continues to provide direct business advice and business planning support, whilst to date has helped over 500 clients start in business and access over £750,000 of start-up finance. Delegates who attend the full day Get Started workshop will be able to:

• Identify effective market research techniques.
• Identify and quantify the market opportunity.
• Develop competitive service/product offers.
• Develop a successful marketing strategy.
• Generate sales, break-even and profit and loss forecasting techniques.
• Produce a clear business plan.
• Understand how to raise finance from banks, investors, or other sources of funding.
• Know where else to go to gain additional support and advice.

I attended your Get started workshop this week and just wanted to say one more time: great job! It was a really good day with a lot of valuable information. Thank you!

I have to say your session was one of the best and informative session I have attended so far.

Thank you for the time, energy and wealth of information and knowledge. We will have you to thank for a successful company launch.

Excellent presentation. Clear, concise, and informative. Very very useful for advice. Great tips to move forward.

From our experience there are many common pitfalls for start-ups that the workshop tries to raise awareness of:

• A reluctance to seek advice
• Poor or inadequate market research
• Lack of capital
• Weak financial planning/cashflow
• Over-optimistic forecasts
• Pricing mistakes

But also highlights characteristics of a good business with growth potential:

• Owners have previous success or experience and failure
• Risk takers/entrepreneurs
• Understanding the market – their customers
• Prepared for growth – staff, capital, physical space, scalable client base
• They keep evolving - moving forward.

We have a passionate determination for business and entrepreneurship and how it can be a means for economic improvement, wealth and job creation. And our partnership with the Business & IP Centre compliments this mission.