Bristol in 2020: The businesses that have thrived through challenging times

It was while shopping for her Nan in the early days of the pandemic that Kathryn Lewis was inspired to launch her own business.

The entrepreneur was carefully selecting Caribbean produce so her Jamaican-born grandmother could still enjoy the foods she has eaten all her life but became aware that not everyone has family close by to do this for them.

Kathryn realised there was a gap in the market and Irie Box was launched, offering a Caribbean fruit and veg, and recipe box delivery service to people across Bristol.

“The Jamaican influence and culture during my upbringing led me to adore Caribbean food,” explains Kathryn.

“I thought about the people that don’t necessarily have family close by to be able to shop for them and the people who are working additional hours who then have to queue up at shops. Also, there are people who enjoy a Caribbean takeaway who may want to try cooking the dishes themselves or have never tried Caribbean foods. Irie box hopes to solve all this by providing a delivery service of these items.”

Kathryn Lewis was inspired by the need created by Covid-19 for her business Irie Box – photo provided by Black South West Network

Since launching her company, Kathryn was been receiving support from Black South West Network’s (BSWN) Women in Business programme, which is designed to address key obstacles currently facing Black and Asian women business owners.

She says working with like-minded entrepreneurs who understand the challenges faced has helped her succeed.

Kathryn is just one of a number of brave Bristol entrepreneurs to have launched a new business during a time of economic uncertainty. From Good Sixty’s online marketplace, which is designed to help independent markets and food producers thrive, to Max Melia, the 15-year-old inventor of VybPro, a product designed to help limit the spread of coronavirus, new ventures have responded directly to challenges posed by the pandemic.

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For Yuup’s founder, the driving force was to help companies impacted by the restrictions unlock new means for sustainable income.

“My vision for the marketplace came from a passionate belief in local communities and the role that local people and enterprises have in helping them thrive,” says Dominic Mills.

“I talked with many people and businesses across the city – families and sole traders, independent businesses and larger firms – all passionate about what they do and keen to share it with others.

“I was so amazed by the way that, at a time when these people and enterprises were being most challenged, they were also at their most creative – exploring new ways to diversify their income and in the process celebrating what I think makes Bristol great.”

Yuup was launched out of a desire to help Bristol businesses and create new opportunities – photo courtesy of Yuup

Saharla Ismail (main photo), who launched her business, Darkeur Earrings, in the summer, says the support from individuals and independents in Bristol has been overwhelming.

“I’ve never set out to start a business and if the pandemic didn’t exist, Darkeur Earrings wouldn’t be here today,” says Saharla, who developed a love of creating earrings using polymer clay during the first lockdown and then started researching different types of clays in earnest before launching her company officially on Etsy in July.

Working from her kitchen in Horfield, the entrepreneur sends out orders across the globe but says her biggest customer base is in the city.

Saharla says the support she has received since launching Darkeur Earrings has been incredible – photo courtesy of Saharla Ismail

“People are very supportive of small business, it’s been overwhelming,” says Saharla. “There are so many individuals that I have connected with through many different social media streams who have been incredibly supportive.

“Bristol has an amazing array of many independent business and it’s very much at the core of our being.”

Alongside the newcomers to Bristol’s business community are the well-established companies that have had to pivot quickly in response to fast-changing market conditions.

Beard, a family-run construction firm that has been based in Clifton for 128 years, posted a strong financial performance for 2020, something bosses put down to the company’s strategic approach to operations and additional safety measures. These meant that even at the height of the lockdown, work continued on more than 90 per cent of the firm’s sites.

Mark Beard says he is confident going into 2021 after the company posted a strong performance this year – photo courtesy of Beard

Chairman Mark Beard says: “It has never been more difficult to predict the year ahead. However, we are confident that these results demonstrate our financial resilience and the long-term sustainability of the business.”

For Paintworks-based Studio Giggle, survival meant adapting the business model fast because when the first lockdown came into play in March all of the work the team had lined up for the year vanished.

“Thankfully we had a couple of small projects to work on, some very lenient and supportive clients and an incredible team of employees,” says marketing assistant Amy Hunter.

“But we needed to adapt if we wanted to survive in the long term, so the whole team worked incredibly hard learning new skills, new software and new ways to create events.”

Studio Giggle was able to double its income after launching a new XR studio this year – photo courtesy of Studio Giggle

After a hard three months, Studio Giggle was able to launch its XR Studio, which allowed the team to create engaging and interactive virtual events for clients, meaning things slowly picked up. The company ended up doubling its turnover, something Amy admits seemed impossible in March, but she is hopeful for a return to normality, especially for the many sectors unable to adapt so effectively.

The pandemic has exacerbated many existing inequalities and proved devastating for many sectors – hospitality, events and tourism to name but a few – but organisations and independents across Bristol have rallied to support each other.

From #WeAreBS3, a one-stop online shop launched to support Bedminster independent to the collaborative efforts of the team behind Breaking Bread, a tipi village that operated through to October on The Downs, the city’s businesses have proved their ability to adapt and rally together in the face of adversity.

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YTKO, Business West and BSWN are among a number of organisations in the city that have been at the forefront of offering support and vital information for companies when it has been most needed.

“We have seen tremendous resilience and collective action from small businesses across the board,” confirms Martina Drobná, project manager for BSWN.

The organisation rallied from the start of the pandemic to share Covid-19 resources and funding opportunities and hosted eight webinars all to help businesses impacted by the restrictions.

While emergency funding was needed to help businesses sustain their work, there was also an interest in the training opportunities to help firms and individuals adapt.

Black South West Network has worked to support businesses through the pandemic (photo from a pre-Covid event) – photo by Manoel Akure, BlouhausPhotography

Martina continues: “Over the last two months, BSWN has also focused on providing direct support to African and Asian heritage entrepreneurs in Bristol through our Covid-19 Business Support.

“As we explore the long-term impact of the pandemic on Black and Asian business, we will develop a support program based on the needs and aspirations raised. This programme will aim to address the challenges and opportunities people are facing.

“If there is any corporate business or funders that would like to collaborate with us to deliver a co-designed programme, we would like to hear from you.”

Looking back over the last year, Toby Howkins, project director for YTKO recalls the way in which companies, councils and organisations to look out for each other through difficult times.

In March, YTKO, with support from Bristol City Council, set up a dedicated crisis support service; with a helpline and a variety of workshops and training sessions, and had to adapt fast in order to keep up with changing demands and funding streams available.

Toby says: “Looking to the next six months, YTKO are aware of the continued challenges and recognise that we are still expecting a number of redundancies and business closures in the area.

“However, they are encouraged by the togetherness of Bristol and the commitment to look out for one another through these difficult times.”

Steele Financial adapted quickly and is now growing – photo by Arobase Creative

As a chartered accountant, Ben Steele of Steele Financial had to quickly adapt his own business model while being there to provide vital support for the many SMEs and independents that rely on his firm.

“Covid really did put us to the test,” he admits, reflecting on a whirlwind few months.

“From day one of lockdown, our phones and emails were going crazy from our SME clients just wanting some help and clarity.”

Steele launched a mailing list to keep clients regularly updated with what was going on and before long, the company opened this up to non-clients and was hosting webinars and live Q&A sessions in a bid to ensure business owners had the support they needed.

Ben says this proactive response has meant his business has continued to grow this year, adding: “Our focus now is to make sure these business owners make it through to the other side, and are being positive, looking ahead at plans with them for 2021.”

Main photo of Saharla Ismail by Sashni Chelvam

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