Castorvida

Company Overview:

• Name: Castorvida
• Contact: Alison Leighton (Director)
• Location: Brough Business Centre, Baffin Way, Brough HU15 1YU
• Website: www.castorvida.co.uk

When Alison Leighton first made contact with Invest East Yorkshire’s Business Support Services team in 2022, she’d just established her health and wellness brand and was looking for general business advice.

Less than two years later, Alison has launched her castor oil products across three different continents and seen her turnover and profit soar. She has taken on her first full-time employee, employs several casual members of staff and has moved into premises at Brough Business Centre.

The Business Support Services team has advised and supported Alison every step of the way over the last two years, helping her with everything from understanding arrangements with her customers and suppliers, to accessing grant funding and marketing support.

Business Advisers Richard Wright and Harry Booth have helped Alison, a nutritional therapist and colonic-hydrotherapist, to turn her passion for the health benefits of castor oil into a growing global brand.

Harry said: “Richard and I have helped Alison with a wide range of things, offering general advice on everything from business structure and VAT to legislative and regulatory requirements. We’ve also helped her to access marketing support; with business planning and financial forecasting, and several successful grant funding applications; by signposting her to other support that’s available to new start-ups; and with a risk analysis of the production and manufacturing process.”

Alison said: “I have been working with Harry for over two years. He is always there at the end of the phone for advice and support. I have made some valuable connections through Harry and it has helped move my business in the right direction.”

“Harry has helped me apply for various grants, which I wouldn’t have known about. The support has been phenomenal. It can be quite scary starting your own business but knowing that there is someone to talk to and support you has made it so much easier. I cannot recommend Harry and his team enough.”

Alison first became aware of the many benefits of castor oil through her training and studies. Her castor oil and castor oil packs are designed to support the liver, immune system, fertility, hormone balancing and overall health and wellbeing. They were inspired by Alison’s desire to share the benefits of castor oil with the world.

Invest East Yorkshire’s Business Support Services team can help eligible local businesses access grants through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). Advisers work closely with business owners to help them identify projects that will help their business grow and evolve, as well as identifying any sources of grant funding that may be available to help them.

If you are looking for support or to find out if you’re eligible for grant funding, go to www.investeastyorkshire.co.uk/business-support for more information.