As a result of 1-2-1 business support from Visit Buckinghamshire and Buckinghamshire Business First, Hill Farm and Orchard has seen an upsurge in bookings.
Hill Farm and Orchard first started diversifying into tourism back in 2013. Learning from other farms that had invested in wigwam cabins, they launched their glamping site. During lockdown they further invested in the business, using the government Bounce Back Loan to purchase additional hot tubs for the wigwam cabins, enjoying a busy summer post-lockdown.
Aware that 2022 could be more challenging, with reduced demand due to more flexibility to holiday abroad, they started to investigate what support might be available via contacts at Visit Buckinghamshire. One of the first things they did was to make the most of the busy Buckinghamshire Business First community, such as sourcing a marquee company to offer bell tents during busy periods.
Co-Owner Susan Nash worked with a Business Adviser who was pleased that the business fully embraced the Buckinghamshire Business First ethos, saying: “Hill Farm and Orchard are a great example of how to make the most of connections made via our community, working with other hospitality businesses to augment their offering.”
As participants on the Visit Buckinghamshire: Boost programme, a key strand the business made the most of was in the area of accessibility, receiving support to be more accessible to people with additional needs, such as by changing the text colour on their website and investing in different types of sensors for smoke alarms. Following a consultancy with Business Advisers, they also generated an action plan and wrote a clear accessibility statement for the website.
“We had already put some accessibility measures in place, such as a 3D tour on our website," said Susan. "With the advice and support we received via this programme, we are looking at what further improvements we can make, such as the Recite Me software for our website and on location.
“Having this independent audit has been really beneficial; we have started to receive testimonials from customers with additional needs who have stayed with us.”
Participating in the Boost programme, in particular the strategic planning element, really helped Susan establish a clear plan for the business.
"Having the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day has meant that I am now clear about our goals and how to measure them," said Susan. "We have a path for growth and that focus and accountability makes us feel more upbeat and excited for the future".
The value of having external support is about benefiting from the adviser's expertise and having increased accountability and check points so that everyone is confident in what actions need to be taken and when.
Delivered in partnership by Visit Buckinghamshire, Buckinghamshire Business First and Buckinghamshire Council, the Visit Buckinghamshire: Boost project was funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.
Get this kind of support for your business
Though the Visit Buckinghamshire: Boost programme itself has now come to an end, businesses have plenty of other support programmes and opportunities available to them.
Discover a world of support via our Business Support pages, including the Growth Advice Service, Growth Grants, and our Workforce Skills Team.
To speak to a member of our Business Support Team, email BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com or call 01494 927130.