Case Studies

We asked Andrew from Bay and Moor, a business in Newton Abbot, to share his story.

“My wife and I started our Laser Cutting and Engraving Business six months ago after we sold our last business and moved to Devon.

After moving to Devon, we had no contacts here so whilst networking has been key for us, we also needed to find a business adviser who has great local knowledge. I just had a year without any income due to my disability so I contacted Business Info Point to see what support there was available for local businesses.”

There’s always a right time to set up a business according retired nurse and co-founder of Newton Abbot based lingerie business, Bloomin’ Sexy.

During her career as a nurse and midwife for the NHS, Carol Westwood noticed that women were suffering from a lack of body confidence after giving birth – most women feel uncomfortable and can’t find good quality lingerie that made them feel fantastic. And that didn’t chafe!

With business partner Jill who designs the lingerie, Carol set about providing a quality solution for her niche, and together they created Bloomin’ Sexy.

Ben Bailey, a director of Flyonix realised that they must improve their business and marketing strategy if they were to remain ahead of the competition. After recommendations from colleagues it was decided that Business Information Point could provide the support and advice needed to expand their online presence and generate more sales.

The support Flyonix received from BIP led to a successful REG grant application via Devon County Council of £30000 as well as successfully applying for a Rural Growth Network Voucher valued at £400 towards their online strategy.

After trading for 3 years Barrel Top Wagons were keen to get outside assistance. Their sale were not as high as they would have liked and they were concerned about not hitting their target market because the product was too ambiguous.

One of our business advisors gave them an assessment of the business, including their strengths and weaknesses, the areas to work on and a better focus on the direction they should take. As a result they have re-worked the website, been more pro-active in seeking out sales in the right market and seen an increase in sales.

The directors were becoming increasingly frustrated about where to take the business. Business Information Point sat down with them and helped to devise a strategy to move the business forward.

We put them on a strategic management workshop for small businesses and helped them in various other areas such as recruitment, finance and insurance. They have since managed to exceed all targets that were put in place and continue to take the business forward.

Dementia day care service The Filo Project was struggling to cover costs and meet plans to expand. One of the founders, Liz Dennis came to BIP seeking advice on funding and putting together a business plan.

As a result of having a one-to-one discussion with an experienced business advisor Liz gained an insight into areas of the business she had not previously thought of.

“I learned things about business which I had not known, it gave me the confidence that some of the things we were doing as a business were on track. Gave me the opportunity to stand back and receive some expert advice.”