Page 9 - Survey 2020: The Star Business

Wednesday,January22,2020 www.thestar.co.uk THESTAR 9
START-UP SPECIAL
In association with
John Pickering.
John drives ahead with auto parts
Theresa Goldsmith’s dream for her ultimate health retreat included a big reception desk, for which she paid handsomely -andhadtosawinhalfto get it through the door.
Another set back was finding the right premises, which took a year. But now she, and business partner Lucy Shakespeare, are up and running and every- thing’s peachy.
The Goldsmith Clinic is a non-surgical beauty clinic and Lucy Shakespeare Personal Training offers 1-2-1 training and group fitness sessions in a private gym.
They are based over two floors in Markham House on Lordsmill Street in Ches- terfield town centre.
Theresa said: “The clinic is my dream and there were no compromises when it came to design.
I knew exactly how I wanted it to look and that included and big, curved reception desk. “I found a company that could make it to my specifications and paid handsomely.
The desk was delivered a couple of days ahead of opening and, you guessed it, we couldn’t get it up the stairs or even through the door.
“There was no option. We hadtotakeasawtoit.The join is expertly disguised with filler and paint. It looks fabulous and exactly how I envisage it but it was definitely a lesson learned!”
Since opening, two other businesses have moved in: The Sanctuary Beauty Therapy and LaserMed, opening next month. A full-time clinic co-ordinator is starting this month. The clinic is also used to host events.
Theresa and Lucy’s ultimate health retreat
For John Pickering, redun- dancy opened the door to a new life running his own busi- ness. He took his 30 years of experience in the automotive sector and used it to set up JPP Autos. It supplies motor parts specialising in auto electri- cal for car, commercial, plant and buses. And business is
“extremely good.”
John has also been boosted
by the friendliness and cama- raderie on Carbook Business Park in Attercliffe. He said: “After redundancy I decided to use my experience to start my own business. I developed a business plan with sales targets which I am pleased
to say that I am meeting. Relationships are key and I was able to build on this with contacts from my previous role. But as a new business, you have to get out there, and I am constantly visiting potential new customers. The community feel and helpful- ness of all of the surrounding
businesses within Carbrook Business Park has been extraordinary. From taking in post and deliveries when I am out, to offering supplies when I was decorating my new premises just makes you feel that you are part of something larger particularly when you are working on your own.”
Theresa Goldsmith, left, and Lucy Shakespeare.
Simoda helps simplify IT
Mudfish does marketing
Simoda specialises in helping business leaders and IT teams adopt and consume digital technology including cloud computing and data services.
The name stands for ‘sim- plify. modernise, accelerate’. Managing director Dan- iel Bumby said: “The burn- ing urge to start my own business has been with me for many years, but now the market place is right for a
business with our skills. “Always remember that if you enjoy what you do you will never work another day
in your life.”
Daniel Bumby and Jason Garner.
Based at Unit 206 The Cooper Buildings at Shef- field Technology Parks, Si- moda also lincludes Jason Garner, John Delamore and
Craig Bumby.
It was set up eight months
ago and Daniel says they’re happy with progress. Suc- cess include several success- ful digital transformation projects including a modern workplace initiative for a di- vision of the NHS.
Daniel added: “I'm from Sheffield and business partner Jason is from Man- chester and not a day goes by without him asking me what I've just said actually means, even though he has lived here for many years he is still new to the Sheffield language.”
Mudfish offers marketing services to tradespeople - but persuading them they need it is a different matter.
Dave Johnson set up the business after an early career in mechanical and electrical engineering. And every client they work with has moved up the Google rankings, he says. The firm, on Scot Lane, Doncaster, does website de- velopment, social media management and search en- gine optimisation as well as ‘Google My Business’, a way to optimise local searches and get pinned on Google Maps.
Dave said: “I have a lot of
Dave Johnson.
empathy with tradespeo- ple and feel they are often overlooked when it comes to marketing services. But we’ve had difficulties per- suading some tradespeople they need a marketing pro-
file.” He added: “We went to see a cake-making business just before Christmas – not the sort of work we usually do – but we’re happy to help any- one. “We were talking to the owner whilst she was waiting for some cupcakes to come out of the oven. The timer rang and – quick as a flash – I identified the brand and model of the oven by sound alone. “Everyone was gob- smacked. You can take the man out of the electrical in- dustry, but you can't take the electrical industry out of the man. https://www.mudfish. co.uk/