The Sewing Factory Ltd is a growing UK manufacturing business built on craftsmanship, quality, and a commitment to local production. As demand for their textile products increased, they faced significant recruitment challenges due to a shortage of skilled workers in the industry. Seeking support, they were referred to Backing Essex Business.

As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect opportunity to pause, reflect, and prepare your business for the year ahead. From refreshing your business plan and staying on top of key deadlines to planning your finances, cutting costs, and investing in the right tools, this guide walks you through practical steps to help your business feel organised, confident, and ready for growth.

Quality Bottles is a rapidly growing supplier of high-quality amber glass bottles and glass jars. Learn how Backing Essex Business helped connect them to finance that would help support it’s rapid growth.

After years of operational leadership in the waste management sector, Peter Brannon launched Holly Blue to offer independent, sustainable waste consultancy for businesses across Essex and beyond. With support from Backing Essex Business – including expert advice, workshops, and funding guidance – Holly Blue has grown steadily, securing major contracts and building a reputation as a trusted partner in strategic waste management.

Discover how Backing Essex Business has provided dedicated Start Up Support for Businesses in Southend, helping new entrepreneurs access funding, expert advice, and the guidance they need to launch and grow successful ventures across Southend-on-Sea.

When David Robinson set out to grow his business, RunActive, he had three key goals in mind: expand the brand’s online presence, increase footfall in his retail stores, and secure financial stability to grow his team.

Pro-Tuition offers one-to-one, personalised tuition for children from reception age through to GCSEs. Read how Backing Essex Business support it’s growth journey.

How Backing Essex Business Helped Aimee O’Connell Bring Love Back to Social Media through her social media agency, ‘The Cupid Collective’.

Solitaire Plumbing and Heating, led by Paul and Caroline Corrigan, has grown from a one-man operation into a thriving Essex business. With support from Backing Essex Business and the Group2Grow Programme, they’ve strengthened their strategy, expanded their services, and are looking ahead to their 10th anniversary with big plans for the future.

Based in Southend-On-Sea, Lyfe VR is a trailblazing business. Set up by Simeon Brookstone and his Business partner back in January 2023, Lyfe VR focuses on providing virtual reality experiences.

What happens when passion meets precision – but growth stalls? Business Owner Alan Coles pivoted his business and found his niche through support from the Group2Grow Programme, allowing him to take a step back, refocus and reshape Optimal Automotive into a specialist brand with a clear direction and renewed purpose.

Nicola Coulson, founder of ‘Virtual Assist by Nicola’ transformed the setback of redundancy into the realisation of a dream and the launchpad for her own business. Through help from peer network programme Group2Grow she has found reassurance and renewed confidence to achieve her business growth ambitions.

Transforming Creativity into a Thriving Business with support from The North Essex Economic Board.

Luke Morton, widely known as "The Juice Guy," founded Juicing with Luke in April 2021. Recognising the need to take his business to the next level, Luke joined Blueprint for Business for structured guidance.

To grow the business and expand her connections, Helen found support from a range of business support organisations in her home county of Essex including the Federation of Small Businesses, Launchpad Southend and Backing Essex Business.

Finding her footing back into employment after raising two children, Annie Jones, Founder of Rayleigh Marketing, launched her own business in 2015 to help other businesses get the most out of social media. With the support from the Group2Grow Peer Networking Programme, she has been able to build on her confidence, as well as make connections with other business leaders within her cohort.

Caryl Lynzy, from Colchester, created her business Butterfly Home & Pet Sitters in early 2023 after falling in love with the flexible lifestyle that home and pet sitting offered. Quickly building up her own customer base, she established her own company – and found support from the Group 2 Grow Peer Network Programme from Backing Essex Business to create a business that thrived.

Jo Hall, from Chelmsford, gained expert support and guidance for her new resilience coaching business Let’s Get On With It through the free Group2Grow Peer Network programme from Backing Essex Business, which enabled her to develop her own confidence and business mindset

Supporting St Helena Hospice Through Ethical Enterprise Total Clean, in support of St Helena a commercial cleaning business based in Colchester, talks about how it ‘provides a service, whilst giving back’ and how it was able put in motion its plan for the future thanks to support from a business support programme funded by the North Essex Economic Board.

After leaving her previous job at the NHS to raise her children, mum of two, Amy, founded her own business to allow flexibility around her personal life. With the support through the Group2Grow Programme, she has been able to gain a clear understanding of the intricacies of running her own business.