MEMBERNEWS MEMBER FOCUS: TOUCHPOINTS MARKETING
Armed with more than 15 years’ experience in marketing, including stints with chocolate brand Thorntons and former airline BMI, Victoria Prince now balances running her consultancy Touchpoints Marketing with other side businesses. She explains to Business Network how she juggles these entrepreneurial activities, turning it around during the pandemic and the support she’s received from the Chamber.
Tell us what your company does and a brief overview of its history? Touchpoints Marketing helps entrepreneurs realise ambitious goals through bespoke one-to- one support and online courses, with the aim of creating an effective marketing strategy and supporting the accountability of their ongoing plans. I have also run a double award-winning coffee shop in Surrey and taken my idea for the UK’s first vegan healthy snack brand from Kickstarter launch to selling online in Selfridges in under a year.
Who are your main customers and what is your USP to them? I work with entrepreneurs and innovators in the start-up space but mainly those in a scale-up mode who want to grow as fast as possible. I suppose my biggest USP is that I have been there myself and know the pitfalls to avoid, and know that when there is someone helping to support you it makes the journey easier, more fun and more cost-effective in the long run
How have you fared during the Covid-19 pandemic? In March 2020, due to Covid I lost 98% of my clients. This was mainly due to production ceasing and brands being nervous about promoting themselves during the pandemic. As this all happened, I was very upset but I had a good stern word with myself, and planned a strategy where I created content and gave it all away to help other businesses during the pandemic.
I also gave away free calls to help people
understand how to navigate the choppy waters. This helped to raise my profile and support other businesses in my position to realise the benefits of reassessing their marketing strategy. As a result of helping others, my business
started thriving and the monthly income by December was up six-times compared to January, pre-pandemic.
What are the company's plans for the future? In 2021, alongside monthly masterplan clients and my accountability sessions, I’m developing my Marketing Mavericks course for business graduates. I currently have six Nottingham Trent University students working with me on a 37- hour work placement, who are enabling the research and development phase to be really in depth.
How long have you been a member of East Midlands Chamber, and what encouraged you to join and continue your membership? I joined East Midlands Chamber a year ago for the networking initially. During lockdown, I found the Chamber to be so supportive. In fact, so much so that after lockdown I made a YouTube video that talks about 10 reasons why it is a good idea to join a chamber of commerce. It was something I was really passionate about sharing as I just wanted to shout about the help it has given to my business.
What do you believe is the most important role of a chamber of commerce? For me, the biggest word that sums up the role of the Chamber is connecting – connecting with people within my industry; connecting me with the Government when I have concerns about Covid; connecting me with peers within the local area; and connecting me with online events. It’s also helping me to connect with my own
business more – through learning – because there is always more we can do to build our businesses.
NEW MEMBERS In April, the Chamber welcomed 33 new members:
• A Mistry Group Ltd • A Mistry Ltd • Abacus Flooring Solutions Limited
Ilkeston’s popular heritage event won’t take place this year
Vehicle show cancelled
Organisers of the Ilkeston Heritage and Classic Vehicle Show have cancelled this year’s event due to Government restrictions regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the second successive year that Erewash Partnership Events, a sister
company of enterprise agency Erewash Partnership, has called off what had become Ilkeston's biggest event. The partnership’s chief executive Ian Viles said: “We had to consider the
impact of any social distancing restrictions, but our resources when the partnership's focus is on providing advice and support to local businesses. “It is largely funded by local businesses and in light of financial pressures that the virus has caused, we felt it unfair to ask for donations.”
18 business network June 2021
• Bradgate Estates Ltd • BRS Accounting Services Limited
• DBC Training Ltd • Eventurous Ltd • Featherbed Tales • Fibre Tec Solutions Ltd • Fireserv UK (Midlands) Limited • Furnley House Limited • Great Business Matters Ltd • Halo Solutions • Hazid Technologies Limited • HDK Events • Hear 4 U and Healthscreen Limited
• Hewitt Sportsturf & Petersfield • Growing Mediums • Kitking Ltd
• Logical Property Investments Ltd
• MaryJanes Catering • Plastic Shims & Gaskets Co Ltd (International)
• Prime Casual Ltd • Professional Heating Solutions Ltd
• Pukaar Group • Quarry Manufacturing & Supplies Ltd (International)
• St. Modwen Properties PLC • Sunter Studio • The Dimblebee Catering Company Ltd
• The House of Lifestyle Management
• The Peoples Muse • The Portland Training Company Limited
• The QTS Group • Xpedient Advisory Services
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