Castorvida

Company Overview:

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.”

Photo of Alison Leighton holding some Castorvida Products.

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.

Baron Hartley Wines Limited

Company Overview:

Baron Hartley Wines is located in sensitively renovated premises in Hornsea’s historic Market Place and opened for business in November, just in time for the festive season. 

Its owner, Lee Hartley, worked with the Business Support Services team in the months leading up to the launch of his new business after contacting them through the Invest East Yorkshire website. Although he’d initially enquired about funding opportunities and support for another of his businesses, Lee mentioned the idea of taking over the wine business during a meeting with one of the team’s knowledgeable and experienced Business Advisers. At that point, it was merely a start-up idea; he had not yet registered his new business with Companies House or identified suitable premises in which to locate it. 

Business Adviser Chris Page advised Lee on the many different things that he would need to consider to progress his idea of opening a wine shop, from securing an alcohol licence to recruiting staff. The team also helped to identify grant funding that Lee was able to access to help cover the cost of renovating the empty shop and bringing it back into use as the headquarters for his fledgling business.  

Chris said: “I also introduced Lee to the Hornsea Collective group of business owners. This helped him to forge useful contacts within the local business community and gave him a platform through which he could start promoting the forthcoming launch of Baron Hartley Wines.”

Baron Wines was previously an established online business, which Lee decided to take over when its owner, one of his close friends, opted to semi-retire. Lee, who lives in Hornsea, saw an opportunity to take the business in a completely new direction by establishing retail premises in his hometown, offering wines to the public and local businesses, as well as wine tasting events and local delivery. However, he also continues to offer online sales through the website. 

The new venture, which opened for business ahead of Hornsea’s annual Christmas lights switch-on, has already created one full-time job and there’s potential for one or two more part-time posts to become available soon. It’s a welcome addition to the local shopping experience and has helped to enhance the visual appearance of the Market Place by restoring vacant shop premises and bringing them back into use. 

Lee Hartley, Director of Baron Hartley Wines, said: “To have the support of an adviser like Chris helping me focus on an action plan, from conception to completion, gave me a lot of encouragement to pursue personal and premises license applications, as well as the grant funding contribution. On top of all this, local business-friendly contacts came forward from the Hornsea Collective to put Baron Hartley Wines on the map via competitions and sponsorship, which helps to keep the seaside town alive and kicking.” 

Invest East Yorkshire’s Business Support Services team is able to 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 cover the costs.

If you are looking for support like Lee has been able to obtain, go to www.investeastyorkshire.co.uk/business-support for more information.