A significant investment in machinery and support from the Business Gateway Growth Hub is helping kitchen and bedroom manufacturer, Interiors by Design fight back in difficult trading conditions. The independent, Wigston-based company is taking advantage of support available to build resilience and grow, despite rising rents, rates and all other costs. Interiors by Design is led by directors Mohammed Essajee and Simon Colebourne. They first met when Simon and his dad Neil, who were kitchen fitters for MFI, would come in for supplies from Mohammed’s family DIY shop. When MFI closed, they approached Mohammed to set up a kitchen design and installation business at his prime high-street location. Though it started small, with a tiny showroom above the DIY shop, Interiors by Design has since expanded into the premises next door. They’ve also gone from a small workshop in Carlisle Street in Leicester to a bigger space in South Wigston with new machinery. Today they design, manufacture and install kitchens and bedrooms as well as supply to other showrooms, fitters and house builders, giving them both retail and trade business. Mohammed said: “Things were ticking along but we got to the stage in 2020 when we said we needed to go for it. But everything at the workshop was being done by hand. It was restricting our growth and limiting capacity.” Mohammed got back in touch with the Business Gateway who had supported him in the past. “I spoke to Business Adviser Joanna Moore about grants and at the time there was a growth grant* available. With Jo’s help, we were successfully awarded £25,000 towards the purchase of a vertical CNC machine and an edge bander. Our total investment was over £90,000. “The new machinery is more accurate; we’re saving time and it has improved efficiency. “Whereas in the past we’d complete one or two kitchens a week, now we can do four or five, probably more. It’s a matter of generating more business now. Jo’s also helping with a three-year plan and has put us in touch with high growth specialist, Stuart Ross to take us to the next level.” Staff numbers have gone from three to seven, including Mohammed’s wife Tasneem who oversees social media marketing. The business is looking to take on another person for the workshop and a site manager. Like many small businesses right now, Mohammed and the team have been focusing on where they are, what they are selling and buying and checking their margins are right. They also face competition from larger firms that can offer interest-free finance. However, Mohammed is optimistic about the future. “From the design stage to manufacturing to installation we have control along the whole process. Not many independent businesses manufacture as we do. “I’ve been given all the additional tools I need by the Business Gateway. It’s not just the grant, it’s the courses, the advice, the peer2peer sessions. Having these guys on board saying you’ve done this, but you could have done this, or you should be doing this… it’s been a like breath of fresh air.” Joanna Moore added: “Despite current economic challenges Interiors by Design has ambitions to keep growing. They are a great example of a business that has taken advantage of the Business Gateway by using our services as and when needed. We’ve worked together on the financial side including cash flow forecasting, particularly important right now.” For a free and impartial business review from the Business Gateway call 0116 366 8487, complete an enquiry form at www.bizgateway.org.uk or email growthhub@bizgateway.org.uk The Business Gateway Growth Hub service is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by a partnership that includes Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Limited (LLEP). *This grant has now been fully allocated and is closed for applications.

Diagnostic tests manufacturer SureScreen Digital has won two King’s Awards for Enterprise. The Derby-based company, which makes and exports millions of lateral flow tests, was recognised in the Innovation and International Trade categories. Its expertise came to the fore at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, after it developed antigen lateral flow tests, which were the first European tests to pass the strict validation process in the laboratory by Public Health England. As a result, they became a vital part of the UK Government’s rapid testing programme and were also exported to help other countries tackle the pandemic overseas. Director David Campbell said: “We are incredibly proud to have been announced as double King’s Awards winners in recognition of what continues to be a huge company-wide effort to develop and manufacture lateral flow tests that help save lives both in the UK and in countries around the world. “It is a wonderful testament to the hard work across the whole team, and what makes this fitting is that our company has been built on scientific innovation and has always exported a significant volume of our products, so these awards reflect the ethos of SureScreen Diagnostics from the very beginning.” Founded in Derby in 1996, SureScreen has been making lateral flow tests for more than 25 years and recent developments include rapid tests for flu, Covid, Strep A and M-Pox. It also makes tests for other applications, including drug and alcohol detection and fertility screening. Mr Campbell said: “Our work during the pandemic has built a strong platform for our company which promises to help millions of people by giving them the ability to take control of their health and diagnose issues early through fast and reliable testing at home or in clinical settings. Reducing waiting times for diagnoses is at the heart of improving healthcare. “Whether it be workplace testing for drugs and alcohol, home wellness screening or infectious disease testing at the GP, we will be ready to help catch issues early and help prevent them before they arise.”