News: Ben looks to scale up his business with Kickstart funding
UK Steel Enterprise has launched a new scheme to support business start-ups in Rotherham with a funding pot of £25,000, of which £15,000 will be targeted at young entrepreneurs aged up to 30 years of age.
One recipient of Kickstart funding is Ben Taylor, a young Rotherham reptile enthusiast who has set up a new business manufacturing funky vivariums. He has received support from a combination of Rotherham Youth Enterprise, RIDO's Business Centres and UK Steel Enterprise.
Ben (30) launched TVT Vivariums in March when he started making bespoke and unique reptile homes from RIDO's Century Business Centre at Manvers, where he has been granted a six month rent free period.
With the help of a £500 grant from UK Steel Enterprise's Kickstart Fund he was able to buy specialist tools and stock that put his enterprise on a far more professional footing.
"The funding I got from UK Steel made all the difference to me starting the new business. Instead of using my old DIY kit to make the made to order vivariums, I now have a professional set of tools which make all the difference to the finished products. My clients come from all over the UK and each one wants an individual look and finish to show off their reptiles. No two vivariums look the same as I add all sorts of finishes – some with glitter, some painted – anything to stop them looking bog-standard," said Ben.
Keith Williams, regional manager for UK Steel Enterprise, says Ben has shown just how quickly a business can take off with good marketing: "Ben has only just started but by cleverly using social media like Facebook to promote his business he has already secured a good level of work with orders coming in from Scotland to Essex as well as from local customers in South Yorkshire. Our aim with the Kickstart Fund is to support people like Ben who have the drive to be successful."
Ben decided to start his own business after making vivariums for friends and family who kept reptiles. "I had just bought a new vivarium from someone and thought, why not make my own and it all sprang from there. Word of mouth is helping me find new customers but Facebook and Ebay are both working really well for me at the moment. The next stage is to find a courier I can work with to deliver anywhere in the country as the orders really are coming in from all over the place," said Ben.
Jackie Frost, manager of Rotherham Youth Enterprise, said: "Ben is a great example of what can be achieved with hard work and determination. We are happy to have helped Ben in the grant application process and look forward to providing further support as the business develops."
UK Steel Enterprise is working in partnership with Rotherham Investment & Development Office (RIDO) and Rotherham Youth Enterprise to promote the new Kickstart Fund, which can provide a combination of loans and grants.
UK Steel Enterprise is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel. Its main investment fund provides business finance in amounts from £25,000 up to £750,000 to a wide variety of companies with the aim of encouraging business growth and job creation in areas affected by changes in the steel industry.
The Kickstart Fund makes grants of up to £500 to pay for essential equipment or materials to people looking to launch a new business or those that are in the early stages of trading.
Keith Williams, added: "Our experience of supporting new-start businesses in Rotherham shows that relatively small sums of funding can make all the difference when it comes to starting up. Applicants can get support from our partners at RIDO and Rotherham Youth Enterprise which helps them with business planning and mentoring through the early stages. We've helped over 200 people start a business in Rotherham since 2009 and this new fund should see even more new businesses launching and becoming sustainable."
TVT Vivariums Facebook page
UK Steel Enterprise website
Images: UK Steel Enterprise
Read more...
One recipient of Kickstart funding is Ben Taylor, a young Rotherham reptile enthusiast who has set up a new business manufacturing funky vivariums. He has received support from a combination of Rotherham Youth Enterprise, RIDO's Business Centres and UK Steel Enterprise.
Ben (30) launched TVT Vivariums in March when he started making bespoke and unique reptile homes from RIDO's Century Business Centre at Manvers, where he has been granted a six month rent free period.
With the help of a £500 grant from UK Steel Enterprise's Kickstart Fund he was able to buy specialist tools and stock that put his enterprise on a far more professional footing.
"The funding I got from UK Steel made all the difference to me starting the new business. Instead of using my old DIY kit to make the made to order vivariums, I now have a professional set of tools which make all the difference to the finished products. My clients come from all over the UK and each one wants an individual look and finish to show off their reptiles. No two vivariums look the same as I add all sorts of finishes – some with glitter, some painted – anything to stop them looking bog-standard," said Ben.
Keith Williams, regional manager for UK Steel Enterprise, says Ben has shown just how quickly a business can take off with good marketing: "Ben has only just started but by cleverly using social media like Facebook to promote his business he has already secured a good level of work with orders coming in from Scotland to Essex as well as from local customers in South Yorkshire. Our aim with the Kickstart Fund is to support people like Ben who have the drive to be successful."
Ben decided to start his own business after making vivariums for friends and family who kept reptiles. "I had just bought a new vivarium from someone and thought, why not make my own and it all sprang from there. Word of mouth is helping me find new customers but Facebook and Ebay are both working really well for me at the moment. The next stage is to find a courier I can work with to deliver anywhere in the country as the orders really are coming in from all over the place," said Ben.
Jackie Frost, manager of Rotherham Youth Enterprise, said: "Ben is a great example of what can be achieved with hard work and determination. We are happy to have helped Ben in the grant application process and look forward to providing further support as the business develops."
UK Steel Enterprise is working in partnership with Rotherham Investment & Development Office (RIDO) and Rotherham Youth Enterprise to promote the new Kickstart Fund, which can provide a combination of loans and grants.
UK Steel Enterprise is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel. Its main investment fund provides business finance in amounts from £25,000 up to £750,000 to a wide variety of companies with the aim of encouraging business growth and job creation in areas affected by changes in the steel industry.
The Kickstart Fund makes grants of up to £500 to pay for essential equipment or materials to people looking to launch a new business or those that are in the early stages of trading.
Keith Williams, added: "Our experience of supporting new-start businesses in Rotherham shows that relatively small sums of funding can make all the difference when it comes to starting up. Applicants can get support from our partners at RIDO and Rotherham Youth Enterprise which helps them with business planning and mentoring through the early stages. We've helped over 200 people start a business in Rotherham since 2009 and this new fund should see even more new businesses launching and becoming sustainable."
TVT Vivariums Facebook page
UK Steel Enterprise website
Images: UK Steel Enterprise
