16 HR & Recruitment


17TH SEPTEMBER 2026


THE LONDON BUSINESS GUIDE AN ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE DISTRIBUTED WITH


Every community has ambition, but not every community has opportunity


On its 10th anniversary, social enterprise Trampoline continues to promote and support local entrepreneurship in traditionally underserved communities


Claudine Bongo — executive director and founder of Trampoline NH CIC — believes this passionately. T at’s why she started Trampoline in 2016 and why, 10 years on, her company still helps and supports marginalised and underserved communities to start and grow sustainable businesses — ‘because talent and ambition exist in every community’. In those 10 years, Trampoline,


based in London’s Elephant & Castle, has helped more than 1,400 founders — with businesses ranging from private chefs to plus-size bespoke tailoring to a ‘sustainable Christmas tree disposal’ initiative. T e projects are as varied as the


people Trampoline helps, including: women; young people; older citizens; carers; disabled people; people from ethnic minority backgrounds; and those navigating precarious income,


housing or employment


situations. Claudine says, “Our support programmes are designed with service users’ lived experiences in mind — not on assumptions about what entrepreneurs look like or how they operate.”


So how does Trampoline help?


By promoting and supporting entrepreneurship as a pathway to upward social mobility and fi nancial inclusion. T rough Trampoline’s wide range of business training; genuinely aff ordable co-working space, design studio and fabrication lab in T e Enterprise Hub; and networking and peer-learning opportunities, the organisation improves business skills and acumen, builds confi dence and increases capability for developing sustainable businesses in uncertain times. “We’re a social enterprise,” Claudine


says, “and our aim is to create positive social change — changing perception, access to opportunities and lives; not just the lives of our new founders but of their communities, too. More employment is created and people are inspired — it’s so important.” And lives are changed, as garden


designer Ruth knows. “If you’re new to running a business, Trampoline is invaluable. Having those regular meetings, where someone was holding me to account, really made me do things I’d been putting off . Trampoline gave me a strong foundation


and really built my


confi dence — in my fi rst year, I managed to pay myself a good salary that exceeded my own targets,” she says.


Jumping forward, what are


Trampoline’s future aims? Its development goals include providing 360-degree support services — access to banking products and fi nancing, scalable and fl exible workspaces, and a better understanding of tax issues — as well as off ering wellbeing advice and signposting to ensure members’ wellness is protected as they navigate the pressure of becoming entrepreneurs. Claudine adds, “At 10 years, we’re no


longer simply a programme provider — we’re building an ecosystem to fully support community entrepreneurs in the early stage of their business. It’s an incredibly exciting time.”


If you have a business idea, need access to genuinely aff ordable workspace in The Enterprise Hub, or want to help support people fulfi l their business dreams, fi nd more information here.


The hidden cost of print: Blue Buff alo brings data discipline to procurement


Print may be an established purchasing category, but fragmented information and weak controls often leave organisations exposed


In a business climate dominated by digital transformation, print procurement can seem peripheral. But for organisations buying marketing materials, packaging, direct mail and point-of-sale displays, it remains a sizeable and complex cost. T e challenge isn’t simply how much is spent; it’s knowing what’s being bought, whether contracted prices are applied consistently and how suppliers compare. Blue Buff alo draws on decades of industry knowledge to


give


clients a clearer view of print spend, enabling decisions based on evidence rather than convention or longstanding supplier relationships. Using analytics, measurement and insight, the team fi nd the detail


conventional reporting


often misses. Fragmented purchasing records, inconsistent product descriptions and poorly structured supplier information can conceal


ineffi ciencies and missed


opportunities. By bringing this data together, Blue Buff alo uncovers the patterns behind print and supplier spend, helping organisations make informed decisions and


Print: an overlooked source of savings


Print is a typically overlooked category: routine costs become invisible. Blue Buff alo projects deliver cost reduction opportunities, strengthen control and deliver a high return on investment. The world over, print is being overlooked: regardless of spend, routine costs escape scrutiny.


keep commercial arrangements fi t for purpose. For director Alice Elder, the value


lies in what that visibility enables. “I never tire of seeing the look on clients’ faces when we show them the level of detail that analysed data can provide,” she says.


“And once


they have that insight, they have options, the ability to make informed decisions, stronger control and a clearer way forward.” Vendor neutrality is key to the


proposition. Blue Buff alo says it neither promotes preferred suppliers nor directs clients towards predetermined production partners; instead, it presents the evidence impartially, leaving customers to determine the outcome. Blue Buff alo’s broader argument is


persuasive: familiar spend can breed complacency. In print, inherited specifi cations, fragmented systems and opaque pricing can persist


unchecked for years. Blue Buff alo raises a broader question: why do familiar costs so often escape scrutiny? When data is fragmented and accountability unclear, ineffi ciency can become an accepted cost of doing business. For leaders seeking to release for growth without


capital


compromising capability, bringing that hidden expenditure into view isn’t simply a procurement exercise; it’s a strategic imperative.


T: 020 8068 6707 bluebuff alo.co.uk


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