Announcements

After a successful first month of trading, new small businesses have moved in to the Clicks and Mortar pop-up shop in Edinburgh for the final week.

Since launching in 2005, the Enterprise Nation team has helped thousands of people start and grow their businesses. Led by founder Emma Jones MBE, Enterprise Nation continues to be the most active UK small business community and a leading campaigning voice for small business. Joining Enterprise Nation connects you with resources, community and connections you need to reach your business goals.

Three of the brilliant sellers from the first four weeks are staying on and are joined by three new companies. You can find out more below and meet them in person at Waverley Mall until 15 September.

 is opening pop-up stores across the UK to give customers the opportunity to discover and buy directly from small businesses.

The next shop opens in Sheffield on 27 September. 

Good feeling and affordable aprés ski and casual wear for people who want to live in a constant state of Ecstaski 24/7.

What start-up challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

Funding was always the biggest challenge, getting that kick start that every business needs. Most business loan companies wanted to see pages of business plans and myself being born with severe dyslexia writing is not my strong suit. However, instead I was able to save and with the help of my amazingly generous parents I scrapped together enough for a few hoodies and t-shirts.

I worked out that was cheaper and more time efficient to get them manufactured in the uk and also ordering them in one colour and hand tie dying them myself.

My latest challenge is having to work on my fourth year university project as well and trying to find internships as I always have to choose between paying to be a intern or paying for more stock. However, I wouldn't change a thing it has made me become a better problem solver and hard worker.

What are your three top tips for business success?

You don't have to be a business major to run a business; you just need passion and drive.

Handmade Sri Lankan-style curry kits that are easy, healthy and delicious.

How did you come up with your business idea?

Living and working in Sri Lanka in 2007, I never felt or looked better. The curries were unbelievably tasty and so healthy but could be time consuming to make.

I decided on my return to the UK to make up my own recipes using Sri Lankan ingredients. My friends and family loved them but didn't want to spend the time and money buying and roasting all the spices required to recreate the dishes. This helped me come up with the idea of making a curry kit so that people could easily recreate my curries in their own home.

My children are half Sri Lankan growing up in the UK and I like the idea that my business reminds them of their Sri Lankan heritage.

Stay real. People like to know and buy from the real you not a polished perfect version.

Do it now rather than waiting until the day it is perfect.

If you work from home make sure that you timetable it in rather than fall into the trap of doing the housework etc.

Quirky, handmade pure beeswax candles, inspired by the Scottish countryside.

Why did you decide to sell in Clicks and Mortar?

I thought that it would be interesting to try selling my products directly through a shop outlet. I am hoping that it helps to provide more insight into which products work well and in which direction the business needs to go.

Build good networks with other makers and businesses, manage your time really efficiently and try to watch out for up and coming trends

Ethically sourced soft furnishings and homewares.

Contemporary geometric sterling silver jewellery and abstract fluid artwork.

Contemporary yet affordable art prints and greetings cards, which are all manufactured in the company's Leith based cowshed.

The sellers for the final week of Clicks & Mortar Edinburgh pop-up

The small business sellers for the final week of the Clicks & Mortar Edinburgh pop-up

After a successful first month of trading, new small businesses have moved in to the Clicks and Mortar pop-up shop in Edinburgh for the final week.



Enterprise Nation continues is the most active UK small business community and a leading campaigning voice for small business. Joining Enterprise Nation connects you with resources, community and connections you need to reach your business goals.

How a gluten free start-up got into Tesco only months after launching

Sara and Maria Trechman got products stocked in more than 1,000 Tesco stores.

&lt;p&gt;I'm Emily, Retail Supply Chain Consultant and owner of The Retailer Clinic. I help small retailers to optimise their supply chains, focusing on the areas of procurement, production, inventory management, forecasting, cash flow and strategy.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I have over 10 years experience in retail having worked in head offices in buying, sales and production roles and on the shop floor in sales advisor and account management positions.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Working for small retailers opened my eyes to the challenges small retailers face when it comes to supply chain. Forecasting and inventory management software is eye-wateringly expensive, production planning is more complex due to smaller order quantities, and deciding on a procurement strategy can be difficult without buying power.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I went in search of solutions to these problems and spent the next few years studying supply chain analytics, fundamentals, dynamics and design. Armed with 10 years of experience navigating retail supply chains and a stack of models and knowledge, I am ready to help you optimise your supply chain!&lt;/p&gt;

Retail Supply Chain Consultant

Small Retailers Network

This is a networking and support group for small retailers. The aim of this group is to create a space for small retailers to network, troubleshoot and collaborate. 

I am here to help all members with any retail operations and supply chain questions.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;I'm here to help. I'm volunteering free advice calls of up to an hour as part of the Recovery Advice &amp;nbsp; for &amp;nbsp; Business scheme, over the next 6 months. Please get in touch to see how I can help your business.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;With a marketing career spanning over 25 years Carey has honed her marketing skills whilst building an agency from scratch, successfully undertaking a merge with a global&amp;nbsp;agency group and going on to become a serial ‘fixer’ for other brands and businesses.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Recent roles have included Managing Director at The Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM) leading effectiveness programmes and creating new standards for industry disciplines, Carey is also a member of the Committee of Advertising&amp;nbsp;Practice&amp;nbsp;expert promotional panel, and consulted with the IPIA and BPIF delivering industry specific conferences and programmes.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Carey is a regular public speaker at conferences, keynote speaker, lectures and educational support seminars as well as a volunteer Careers and Enterprise Advisor, working with local schools to promote careers across creative industries.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Recently appointed CEO at the BPMA, charged with delivering the organisation’s remit on sustainability and industry standards, supporting member business and overall industry growth.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Promotional Merchandise

&lt;p&gt;Advice for companies looking for promotional merchandise for their business&lt;/p&gt;

I offer a mentoring service specifically aimed at women. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner, I will help you reach your business goals and will provide the necessary skills to streamline your plans and reach your audience. As a small business owner myself, I know how to make a dent in the market. However, my experience has shown me how much easier things would have been if I’d only had a mentor of my own. To begin, we’ll consider your business holistically. We’ll start with the basics: What do you want for your business and what’s your end goal? This will allow us to determine your target customer base and how we can attract them to your business. As part of this, we’ll cover product, pricing, and value. Importantly, we address these points from multiple perspectives: both the actual costs of your product/service and your mindset. Are you undervaluing your offerings due to self-perception? This is much more common than you might think. In short, the business overview will help us to find your niche and decide how you’ll present that to your audience.

Latifah Ojukutu-Macauley

I offer a mentoring service specifically aimed at women. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner, I will help you reach your business goals and will provide the necessary skills to streamline your plans and reach your audience. As a small business owner myself, I know how to make a dent in the market. However, my experience has shown me how much easier things would have been if I’d only had a mentor of my own. To begin, we’ll consider your business holistically. We’ll start with t