1813 Club and Premier Members
Local gardening firm is getting set for growth
Everything is blooming lovely for a Birmingham firm, after it received some valuable help in promoting itself as a business. Green Gardeners is a professional gardening and
grounds maintenance business based in Edgbaston and Solihull. It provides gardening services and carries out grounds maintenance at office blocks, retail parks and residential developments. Simon Elks founded Green Gardeners four years
ago on a part-time basis, and eventually went full- time, at which point he decided to seek help.
‘My website is now looking better and easier to navigate’
Simon said: “I found myself making mistakes as I was growing and learning about business. Some of these mistakes were proving to be very costly. “I personally found it very difficult to
find a mentor, or any company offering mentoring services at an affordable price for a small but growing business. Eventually I got in contact with the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the Growth Hub, who put me in touch with the Get Set for Growth programme.” Simon had two main
challenges when he approached Get Set for Growth:
Simon Elks: All set for growth He had just had a new website built, which he had
designed himself, but was unsure if the layout was correct for his target audience, or what content should be included to help with gaining more customers and achieving better search engine rankings. But help was on hand from GetSet for Growth
marketing advisor Clare McKee. Simon said: “I initially spent two hours with Clare
and found her advice invaluable. She was able to objectively look at my website and suggest several changes that would allow me to better engage with current and new customers. “I also spoke with Clare around my frustrations, and difficulties in gaining more commercial clients as I was finding it a bit of a ‘closed shop’. However Clare was again able to suggest some strategies I could follow, such as having a profile on Linkedin.” Simon also attended GetSet for
Growth’s workshops on search engines and social media workshops. He said: “My website is now looking
better and easier to navigate resulting in approximately one new enquiry a day. “I have had to take on one new gardener and an apprentice. I also have more confidence in the direction I am going and how best to get there.”
To find out about the fully funded GetSet For Growth programme contact 0800 917 9325.
Anish Chauhan
The essentials of staying safe online
Birmingham cyber-crime experts Equilibrium Security has become a certification body for the government-backed ‘Cyber Essentials’ scheme. The certification is an indicator
that an organisation has taken the necessary measures to bolster cyber security and reduce the risk of a cyber-attack. Equilibrium is one of only a
handful of organisations that can both assess and certify in the Midlands region. The firm’s managing director,
Anish Chauhan, said every business should implement the recommendations in ‘Cyber Essentials’ in order to reduce the risk of hacking and other data breaches. The firm recently held an event at the Chamber to warn businesses about the growing menace of cyber-criminals.
Drive clean away in a limited edition EV3
Selfridges is teaming up with Morgan to celebrate the launch of the car manufacturer’s first zero emission, all-electric car. With Morgan about to launch the
EV3 and Selfridges motoring ahead with its drive to put sustainability at the core of its business, the historic firms are set to collaborate. The historic firms are set to
create a limited edition of the EV3, called UK 1909 Edition. This will blend Morgan’s legendary engineering know-how with Selfridges’ famous flair for fashion. The result is a car that is a
collector’s item and as fast as a 21st Century car with carbon neutral credentials should be. The UK 1909 Edition will only
ever be made in a limited edition run of 19 – a number that is a nod to the year during which both Selfridges and Morgan were founded.
Selfridges has also enlisted nine
British brands to produce a driving kit with sustainable accessories for the contemporary recreational motorsports man and woman. The UK 1909 Edition and
All electric: The Morgan/Selfridges limited edition creation
complementary driving kit will be manufactured from November 2016.
October 2016 CHAMBERLINK 23
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