Category: Blog

Mimi Jones is the founder of Queer Out Loud performance hub based in Plymouth. Mimi is Plymouth’s Young City Laureate for 2023, a freelance poet, events co-ordinator and playwright living in the city. When they started attending performance poetry evenings at age nineteen, they soon realised that the audiences they were performing for struggled to relate to the topics of queer identity explored in their poetry. In an effort to create a space in which they could share their experiences with other members of the queer community, ‘Queer Out Loud’ was born. After selling out their very first gig in a tiny venue in October 2022, ‘Queer Out Loud’ events only continue to grow. BIPC Devon talks to Mimi about combining their creative passion with entrepreneurship and their journey so far…. For those that don’t know how would you describe what you do? Queer Out Loud is a Queer events group. We predominantly run performance nights, but we’re also looking into running writing workshops which will develop into staged performances. We’re aiming to create a space where they can talk about their experiences with people who understand, or just at least have knowledge of the queer experience – walking to

Space Property Staging Founder, Dani Trow, has been involved in property for over 17 years, buying and renovating properties to a high standard ready for sale. Dani has also been working a corporate role within the investment industry for a number of years, but in 2022 took the leap to transform her love for property and interior styling to launch her own venture. BIPC Devon talks to Dani about her small business journey.. To those that don’t know what Space Property Staging, what is that you do? “Home staging is a service, it’s a marketing tool that helps people sell their homes faster and for more money, that’s the crux of it. So what we do is we provide furniture and furnishings to help present homes beautifully, so when people are looking at property listings on the likes of Rightmove and Zoopla, there are beautiful photos of a really aspirational home that people will stop and look at. The Instagram and Pinterest generation expect homes to be presented at their best. It’s a bit like if you were going to a job interview where you want to look your best, it’s exactly the same concept for a home. We work

Helen Cross had always been concerned about the amount of single use plastic in her kitchen and bathroom, but like many busy Mum’s she was understandably, too preoccupied to find alternatives. It wasn’t until she sat down to watch Blue Planet on a Sunday afternoon in 2017 that she found herself  horrified by the effect oil-based plastic was having on our natural world.   Driven by her passion to help consumers find plastic free alternatives, Helen launched her very own plastic free, chemical free hand made soap brand, North Devon Soap’s in 2019. Just four years later Helen left her teaching career and is working at the business full time, with multiple new ranges added as well as launching her own soap making courses, the business is stronger than ever. BIPC Devon talks to Helen about her sustainable small business success story…   For someone who doesn’t know what you do, how would you describe North Devon Soap? “We hand-make organic, plastic free, palm oil free and vegan friendly body wash and shampoo bars. My husband and I started North Devon Soaps in 2019, we already had a business which was focused on compostable food packaging, which aimed to take plastic out of

Eric and Steph Bridge first began their water sports business in Exmouth with ‘Spinnakers’. This was an evolving dinghy sailing school which was a huge part of their growing family’s life. The site was taken over for development at the same time as kitesurfing was starting to get popular, so it became apparent that teaching kitesurfing would be a great lifestyle choice for their family. They never had to repair a dinghy again!  Twenty years and multiple world championships later, Edge Watersports is a testament to both Steph and Eric’s hard work. In addition to this, Exmouth has become a worldwide destination for water sports of all kinds. We talk to Steph about their small business journey… Building a Business Around Your Passion Steph says; “Edge Watersports was born at the ‘Edge’ of the duck pond in 2003 where we ran the shop and centre before getting evicted once more to make way for a Pub. We re-established the business at Exmouth Harbour while always looking for a site closer to Exmouth Seafront. This dream came true in 2020! The new centre is an extension of what we are passionate about. The wind, the water, the ever changing weather, the ebb and

As a small business owner, you know that having a website is essential for reaching customers and growing your brand. But just having a website isn’t enough – you also need to make sure your site is optimized for search engines so that potential customers can find you online.

A Spotlight On Summer Bradshaw: Founder of Your Zen Life This month we’re shining our Spotlight On, television producer turned positive psychology practitioner and founder of  ‘Your Zen Life’ Summer Bradshaw!  After a highly successful but demanding career in TV production, creating hit programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, and Sky; Summer knew that she needed to take control of her own schedule, in order to spend more time with the people and in the place that she loves. Today ‘Your Zen Life’ offers one-to-one coaching, workshops and courses all aimed at enabling clients to focus on the change they want to make in their lives, and providing the support, time and space needed to turn your goals into action! Summer tells her small business story… “I founded Your Zen Life 3 years ago on the back of finishing a coaching diploma.  I knew I wanted to create a business and well-being platform that could grow as I did but, in all honesty, I was not entirely sure what that would look like or what it could become!  I just knew I had a passion for people and helping them to move to another level in their life, I wanted

Introducing Our February Highstreet Hero: Tori Wiltshire, Founder of Hair Lounge Barnstaple! As a freelance hairdresser, Tori Wiltshire had always considered running her own business.  But initially, she shied away from this next step, out of fear of being too young, and not having enough knowledge. It wasn’t until Tori’s Mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, that her mindset shifted. Nine years later, the Hair Lounge Barnstaple is a multi-award-winning salon, known as the go-to North Devon destination for curly cuts. BIPC Devon talks to Tori about her small business story… Why did you start your small business? “I started the salon in 2014, so I’ve been going for nine years this year. I do all sorts of hairdressing services, but I niched down mainly into curls. The majority of my clientele tends to be curly cuts or curly colors, rather than traditional cuts.  It all started as a bit of a fluke; my friend’s dad, who also rents within my building, kept badgering me to open a salon! I initially said “No”, but he asked me again and with my mum recently being diagnosed, I thought to myself, why not now? My mom will see me start it, and