Business support goes pop!


Posted: Thu 1st Oct 2015
You may have spotted that throughout August and September, Enterprise Nation has been popping up on the high street to deliver free business support and advice to small businesses. Following a test trial two months, we're delighted to report pop-up support is here to stay!
The first pop-up was with Sussex based author and entrepreneur, Daisy White, who opened Pop Up Horsham in the Swan Walk shopping centre to offer an opportunity for home based and online retailers to sell their wares to high street shoppers.
On Daisy's invitation, Enterprise Nation plugged business support into the shop to offer advice to trading tenants and any small businesses who booked in for lunchtime 'power hours' and advice sessions.
The results have been nothing but positive with Gob Smack Comics moving from pop-up to permanent as they decided high street retail was for them and have taken on a full time shop.
Bee Cosmetics appeared on BBC South to talk about their pop-up experience and benefited from the coverage: "Within minutes of the first screening, traffic to our website shot up. Over the next two days we had 1,200 viewings, 64 online orders, five telephone orders and 40 new likes on Facebook." Added to this was the advice they received whilst in the shop: "Overall the experience of Pop Up Horsham has given us confidence in our products and our ability make the business sustainable long-term."
On the back of this success, Daisy secured space in a unit next to Tesco and today marks the open day of Pop Up Horsham @ Tesco with Enterprise Nation still on hand to deliver support.
The selected retailers are:
Lizard Orchid ( local business)
Popagami (local business)
Brake Bikes (London based)
UV Buddy (Cornwall based)
Teddy and Lu (London based)
Zuma the Dog (West Country based)
You'll be introduced to them over the next month as we profile their businesses on the blog.
For just £400 per month, they have the opportunity to make sales, meet customers and raise profile. Thanks to visual merchandiser, Milly Dunn, the shop looks professional and appealing and there's talk of Tesco buyers perusing what's on offer in the pop-up with a view to placing orders too.
As Enterprise Nation is firmly focused on ensuring advice gets to small businesses at the right time and in the right location, advisers from the Enterprise Nation marketplace will be in the shop each Tuesday and Wednesday to offer advice on topics ranging from access to finance, digital marketing and leadership and management.
Please pop in to Pop Up Horsham, now also located at Tesco, Wickhurst Lane, Horsham, RH12 3YU.
