Samurai Machine Tools 10

Young mechanic scales up business first started in family garage

by Business spotlightNews

A 21-year-old Warwick mechanic has launched his first commercial product after scaling up a business he first started in his family garage. 

Ben Izen from Stratford upon Avon began his machinery business Samurai Machine Tools whilst still at school, and is now expanding his operations after moving to his first premises at Space Business Centre Warwick.

The 35,000 sq ft development, created and developed by Warwick-based property company AC Lloyd Commercial, contains flexible multi-use units which are available on 30-day monthly rolling agreements.

Space Warwick’s flexibility and unit variety allowed Ben to take the leap and move his budding machinery business out of his parent’s garage.

Ben’s business focuses on the design and manufacture of futuristic CNC machines for the hobby and light industrial market.

CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, meaning the machines run automatically to carve precision components from solid billets of aluminium, stainless steel, or titanium, with these components then used to make cars, planes, rockets.

The young entrepreneur had been building things since the age of five and was introduced to CNC machines when he began building an electric skateboard for a GCSE project, which he completed in his parents’ garage after the school’s machine broke. 

His work on the CNC machine was recognised with an Arkwright Scholarship, which offers mentoring and financial support for emerging talents in engineering and enabled Ben to continue building his CNC machine.

After leaving Warwick School in 2020, Ben continued to work on improving his machine, during the pandemic, using funds his other machinery business Izen Engineering b to launch his own business, Samurai Machine Tools, at just 18 years old.  

After gaining industry interest and building more complex machines, Ben began looking for a larger, more flexible base than his parents’ garage and found Space Warwick in 2023.

He was impressed by the location and facilities on offer for tenants, moving into his own unit this spring.  

The unit has proved to be an excellent fit for Ben and his expansion plans, with the move helping him to secure further investment and launch his first product on the commercial market.

He said: “It is a great new chapter in my business, we were having such a hard time finding a suitable commercial premises to expand my business, until we found Space Business Centre. The sign-up process was simple and we moved into the brand-new unit the day it was opened.”

“Everything about the facility is perfect, from the monthly rolling contract and location to the modern design of the units. The ability to expand into more units as the business grows is something that hopefully I and many others will find exceptionally useful.”

Katherine Skerry, Site Manager at AC Lloyd Space Business Centre Warwick, said: “It is great to hear how a move to Space Warwick has helped Ben’s business expand from his family home into a professional base.

“We are continuing to see high demand for units from small business owners in south Warwickshire and are looking forward to growing our thriving business community and enabling tenants like Ben to grow and explore new ventures.”

DM Space

Mobile bar service created by Gloucestershire woman heads to new permanent base

by Business spotlightNews

A Gloucestershire woman who set up a mobile bar as a part-time project is hoping her new permanent HQ will help serve up even more success.

Leanne Matthews, 31, has lived in Cheltenham for the last 10 years and launched event bar hire business The Drunken Mare in 2018, providing cocktails and bar service across events, weddings and celebrations alongside her full-time job.

After two years packed with events every weekend, Leanne took the business on full time in 2020, launching an online cocktail subscription service to help the business survive during the pandemic.

The former insurance professional has now opened her first permanent premises at Space Business Centre Gloucester, where she is able to meet clients, manage stock, and experiment with new cocktail creations as she bids to take her business to more events across the country.

The Drunken Mare offers a fully customisable event bar service, with the mobile horse box able to switch between a gin bar, cocktail station, or beer shack – all specified by the hosts.

In addition to a range of festivals and weddings in Gloucestershire and beyond, Leanne provided bar services at Love Island winners Alex and Olivia Bowen’s luxury safari-themed baby shower last year.

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Leanne said: “I used to work in insurance and ran the bar hire business on the side every weekend. And then when the pandemic arrived, fortunately we were able to keep going by offering a home cocktail delivery kit.

“It feels like the business has come a long way since then, and it’s really exciting to now be moving out of the home as it continues to grow. We have a packed events schedule with lots of weddings and festivals, so it’s brilliant to have this new facility to help service this.

“To have moved out of my living room feels like a huge step, and I’m looking forward to taking the business to another level in the coming months and years with the flexibility of having a rolling 30-day lease.”

Lucy Iles, Site Manager at Space Business Centre Cheltenham, said: “Leanne is a fantastic addition to our business community in Gloucester, and adds to a really strong line-up of catering and hospitality specialists who cover events across the country from their base at Space Cheltenham.

“She is already well established in the region, and we are thrilled she has chosen Space to help take her business to the next level.”

To find out more about The Drunken Mare visit www.thedrunkenmare.co.uk

For more information about Space Business Centres Cheltenham and Gloucester visit www.aclloydspacebc.com

RJSSMP 6

Entrepreneur aiming for growth by offering subtle alternative to hair transplants

by Business spotlightNews

A Warwickshire start-up business is looking to make the cut with an alternative to hair transplants after launching a Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) studio.

SMP artist Rudyard Stallard, 19, from Langley in south Warwickshire, has launched RJSSMP at the new Space Business Centre Warwick to provide men and women with a less invasive and more affordable alternative to hair transplants, to improve the appearance of bald patches and thinning hair.

Rudyard describes the treatment as a long-lasting, subtle alternative to hair transplants. He treats people at all stages of hair loss, using specialist equipment to inject pigment into the top layer of the dermis.

Rudyard said that he discovered his creative side during school and that Space Warwick, which is operated by property company AC Lloyd, is providing an outlet for him to give self-employment a go.

Units at the 35,000 sq ft site can support a wide variety of uses, from light industrial spaces and workshops to offices and storage, and are available on a 30-day rolling agreement with no service charge or legal fees.

Rudyard said: “After I completed the SMP training course, I began looking for places to set up my own studio. Warwickshire is a great location but I found that long leases were not really compatible with such a new venture, so Space Warwick is a brilliant solution and provides everything I need without the massive commitment.”

Discussing the treatment, he said: “The treatment uses a mixture of distilled water and specialised ink without the metals you find in tattoo ink and is designed to give the appearance almost like a five o’clock shadow.

“SMP is virtually pain free as the needle goes just below the top layer of the skin. We find the right colour blend for the client’s hair and skin, so each procedure is tailor-made for the client.

“It’s common for people who have had hair transplants to go on to have SMP for density or scar treatment, but our goal is to reach people before they have the transplant procedure.

“SMP is a permanent procedure, that may require top-ups after 2-3 years to obtain the desired look again and we charge a reduced fee for clients that had the initial treatment from us.”

Space Business Centre Warwick opened in March and is comprised of 61 units ranging from 285 sq ft to 840 sq ft, with two facility blocks containing a kitchen, toilets and shower room, as well as allocated parking, 12 electric car charging points, solar panels on some of the roofs and a cycle shelter.

Kat Skerry, Site Manager at Space Business Centre Warwick, said: “We are already seeing a wide variety of businesses setting up at Space Warwick in its first month, and Rudyard’s SMP studio is a fantastic addition.”

Black Belt Space

Martial arts belt makers move into new Gloucester base to keep up with global demand

by Business spotlightNews

A Gloucestershire couple who supply martial arts belts across the world have moved their business out of the home to keep up with global demand.

Anja Hill, a martial art tutor originally from Germany and now living in Gloucestershire, has run Black Belt Embroidery, a specialist martial arts embroidery business since 2010, with her husband Tim Hill, who she met through the martial arts community, joining the team in 2019. 

And now, the couple are celebrating sewing up new orders as they move into a bigger business premises at Space Business Centre Gloucester to meet demand.  

Anja spotted a lack of options in the UK market to customise the belts used to represent a student’s ability level and decided to start her own business in the two-room top floor of the couple’s home.

Over a decade in business, the company continues to go from strength to strength and now supplies belt to students, instructors and martial art clubs across the world, expanding its services to include options to customise existing belts, buy pre-designed belts or create their own.  

Following an increase in domestic and international orders from countries including Sweden, Australia and the United States, and the couple wanted to expand their premises and purchase new machinery to meet demand.

The couple knew they wanted a unit near to their Gloucestershire home, and were attracted to Space Business Centre in Gloucester due to the flexible contract lengths and variety of unit sizes on offer.

Anja said: “We both work as instructors in the martial arts and started the business over a decade ago, because we are really passionate about working in the sport we love and proud to have expanded our client base and improved product range.

“Following a house downsize, we struggled with storage for the business and decided to look at renting alternate premises and really liked the look of Space Gloucester, with its easily commutable location and flexible contracts.

“The Space team were great as we worked through our application and we couldn’t be happier with the move, with the mezzanine level of our unit being the perfect layout for creating separation between the office space upstairs and the embroidery machines downstairs.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at AC Lloyd Space Business in Gloucester, said: “It is great see how easily Anja and Tim at Black Belt Embroidery have settled into their unit since arriving at Space Business Centre.

“It is wonderful to welcome Black Belt Embroidery, a unique growing business as part of the community at Space Gloucester and I look forward to hearing about their future success.”

IMG_7492

Model business is scaling up

by Business spotlightNews

An independent Gloucester business has scaled up to a larger premises to help meet customer demand after a successful first year in the models and collectables trade.

Model enthusiast and entrepreneur John Hutchinson launched Gloster Models in March 2022, and has now taken on a larger premises at Space Business Centre in Gloucester after running out of room to house his expanding product range.

John praised Space Business Centres, which is owned by property developers AC Lloyd and has sites in Gloucester and Cheltenham, for its flexibility entrepreneurial environment, saying the location had been essential to the growth of the business.

John’s outlet at the Quedgeley-based Space Business Centre is a licensed Warhammer retailer and originally specialised in historical gaming and models.

The product range now includes three different Star Wars ranges, Flames of War – a World War II tabletop miniatures wargame, and traditional models from manufactures such as Airfix, as well as a variety of paints and finishing products.

A Gloster Models website is also in the works, with John hoping to attract customers from across the country, as well as visitors from Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas with a range of discounts and offers in store.

John said: “Like all businesses who are upscaling, we have faced challenges with increased overheads and tighter margins, but introducing discounts and then also having the piece of mind that we are on a 30-day rolling agreement at our premises at Space Business Centre have made it achievable.

“We are extremely excited about the next chapter with a new website under construction to connect us with the wider models and collectables market, while our new larger unit means we can offer a wider range of models – with even more Warhammer products, and Airfix now added to our range.”

Lucy Iles, Site Manager at Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “It’s extremely pleasing to see the progress John has made over the past few months, and showcases the potential that our flexible units have to support start-up businesses of all kinds.

“The new premises represent the next step for him and his businesses, and we are excited to see where he goes from there.”

Manton Executives

Cheltenham man diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome opens first premises for six-figure start-up

by Business spotlightNews

A Cheltenham man who struggled to find work after being diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome has seen his bedroom start-up achieve a six-figure turnover – and has now opened his first premises.

Luke Manton, founder of virtual PA providers Manton Executives, has opened the business’s first permanent premises on the back of recent growth, and welcomed two permanent team members as part of ongoing expansion.   

Luke, who is 30 and grew up in Cheltenham, suffered brain damage and was diagnosed with Adult-Onset Tourette’s Syndrome in 2018. After a year-long job search proved unsuccessful, Luke decided to put his marketing and events experience to use and launched Manton Executives in 2020.

The business provides ad-hoc support with a range of online business tasks, from email and calendar management to video conferencing support and social media brand building, operating as a virtual PA from an hour per day.

Now, two years on from its launch, the business has a three-month waiting list for its services, which Luke and his team provide to businesses of all sizes as well as social media influencers and entrepreneurs.

Luke said: “It’s been a rollercoaster couple of years for the business from the uncertainty of setting up, dealing with lockdown, and then building a client base to now expanding, and having our first premises. It’s another huge milestone for us after achieving six-figure turnover this summer.

“It was a tough time for me before I set up the business. I had faced a lot of rejection and had put that down to my Tourette’s, so setting up on my own and then being successful has been a really positive experience, if challenging at times.

“I used to work on this site, and when I heard there was a unit available here, we reached out on a Wednesday and had signed for it on the Friday. It was a very quick decision, and now it really feels like the beating heart of the business as we continue to grow.”

“We want our office space to feel as much like a home as possible – a place that you look forward to working in and has a relaxed feel to it, as well as being inviting and comfortable for our clients.

“It’s all part of a collaborative, flexible working culture that we are building here and that really feeds into our interactions with our clients whether online or in person.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “Luke and his team are a fantastic addition to the Space business community, and a prime example of how our units are a great fit for business owners looking to open their first premises.

“The growth that Luke has overseen over the last couple of years is incredible, and we are thrilled to be playing a part in the next phase of his growth.”

For more information about Manton Executives visit www.mantonexecutives.com

To find out more about AC Lloyd Space Business Centres, visit www.aclloydspacebc.com

Pictured: Katie Dutton, Luke Manton and Jane Gillings of Manton Executives

WP 2

SPACE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Street food favourites hitting the road from Cheltenham base

by Business spotlightNews

A street food business in Gloucestershire has set its sights on conquering the rest of the UK after expanding to a Cheltenham business park.

Cheltenham-based The Woozy Pig is hoping to take its high-quality burgers and hot dogs to festivals, corporate events and weddings nationwide after getting a taste for the national festival circuit.

The event catering business, which is run by professionally trained chef Matt Jefferies, only uses local suppliers and has become a favourite on the Cheltenham street-food scene with regular appearances at the Cheltenham Food Festival and other local events.

After moving to new premises at AC Lloyd Space Business Centre Cheltenham, the Woozy Pig has taken its street food truck to Wing Fest UK at the London Stadium and will head to Herefordshire for Lakefest, the UK’s fastest-growing family festival, in August.

Matt wants to take The Woozy Pig to more large-scale national events as it continues to grow.

He said: “We pride ourselves in using the best local suppliers to create real quality dishes for all sorts of events from weddings and celebrations to corporate functions and music festivals.

“We want to keep the momentum up now because we are gaining traction on the national circuit and are taking on more events in new places to showcase our food.

“Our new unit is a perfect size for us to achieve this as it is in a great location close to town with good national transport links for when we do head across the country for big events.

“We pivoted during lockdown to provide a ‘re-heat at home’ delivery service, which proved extremely popular and helped us to survive. Now that most of the major festivals are back up and running, we want to take our product to as many people as possible both in the region and across the UK.

“We are a fairly small team with just four of us working full time, so we gain huge satisfaction from seeing the business continue to grow, and having our fantastic base in Cheltenham at Space Business Centre and our amazing local suppliers has definitely played a part in that.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “It is inspiring to see the hard work that Matt and the team are putting into growing the Woozy Pig brand by consistently impressing wherever they go, and it is no surprise that they are making inroads on the national festival circuit.

“The Woozy Pig is a prime example of how our units can be a catalyst for entrepreneurs to turn a business idea into a success, and we hope that they will keep their strong local roots for years to come.”

Stay up-to-date with The Woozy Pig on Instagram by following @thewoozypig.

Gloucester

Gloucestershire business sites have all the ingredients for success JUNE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

by Business spotlight

A group of independent catering businesses are leading a culinary uprising at two Gloucestershire business parks, with flexible licences and a prime location helping owners rise above the competition.

A pair of new arrivals in recent weeks has seen Space Business Centres in Cheltenham and Gloucester turned into independent catering havens, with eight local business owners now using the units to prepare, serve and deliver a range of culinary delights for local foodies and town-centre shoppers.

The Woozy Pig, a street food and event catering business, and Three Little Pigs, a family-run burger and breakfast takeaway and delivery outlet, both launched at Space Cheltenham and Gloucester respectively in the spring, joining the likes of Japanese-inspired Sushi Day, and artisan bakers and suppliers Boys Bakery, as well as Humble Crumb and Nicky’s Cakes & Bakes across the two sites.  

The Gloucester site, which is located just off Bristol Road, is home to a number of takeaway businesses including Sushi Day, the Cotswold Caterer, Humble Crumb, Nicky’s Cakes and Bakes and Three Little Pigs, creating a culinary community for business owners and visitors.

Fill Your Boots, a zero-waste loose food and household essentials shop, can also be found on site, while Boys Bakery uses the site as a place to conduct business and grow the across the region, supplying other businesses and restaurants while creating delicious artisan food and drink for the public on select days throughout the month.

The Woozy Pig, which serves legendary brunch burgers on Saturdays and Sundays, uses its Cheltenham location as a base for its festival activity, and is joined by Dirty Boys, a takeaway and sandwich shop. A number of the resident businesses will be attending the Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival which runs at Montpellier Gardens from Friday, June 24 to Sunday, June 26.

Luca Bagattin, owner of Three Little Pigs, said: “I have really enjoyed the first couple of months at Space Business Centre. The unit we have is just perfect for what we doing and we are extremely glad to have such nice people on site.

“Regarding our business, I am very happy that customers are recommending us and are happy with the quality of the food, which really pushes us to do better and better.”

Lucy Iles, Site Manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “Our resident businesses have helped to create thriving business communities across both sites, which has been conducive to lots of success and growth especially with our food and catering businesses.  

“There is now a huge variety for people to enjoy whether they are popping in after doing some shopping or are looking for their new favourite takeaway treat, which perfectly complements the range of other businesses we have across our Space sites.

“Our tenants are very active on the regional festival circuit, and having a fixed location is a great way to boost their reputations, with happy customers able to seek them out whenever they are in town.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offers flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Amelie Rose Crafts

SPACE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Former accountant expands craft business to professional premises after outgrowing home studio

by Business spotlightNews

Lisa’s business, Amelie Rose Crafts, has gone from strength to strength since she launched it at her home in 2017. Find out more about her story as part of our May business spotlight.

A Gloucestershire craft maker who quit her corporate job to spend six months working with lions in Africa before becoming self-employed is now hoping to take the craft world by storm after setting up her first studio.

Lisa Halls, who left her 25-year career as a chartered accountant to see the world and start a family, has expanded her handmade art business out of her home and into its first studio after enjoying an eight-fold increase in sales in the last twelve months.

Amelie Rose Crafts, which was set up by Lisa in 2017 to support her and her daughter Amelie, is now a resident business at Space Business Centre in Cheltenham, adding to her Etsy page and newly launched website.

Lisa makes high-quality, handcrafted artistic pieces through a unique combination of paper quilling and pebble art, including items to suit a range of occasions and personalised gifts.

Before setting up her business, Lisa spent six months helping to rehabilitate lions in Zimbabwe, which involved breeding them in captivity and raising them to be strong enough to be released into the wild, after deciding there was more to life than her high-flying accounting job.

Lisa, operating out of Unit 20 at the Cheltenham site, is continually looking to innovate her art and launch new ranges incorporating a number of crafting techniques, as well as holding arts and crafts workshops.

She said: “I was inspired by the pebble art I saw while on holiday in Devon and thought that would be a world away from the rat race and office politics of the corporate world.

“After so many years being career driven, I realised I also had a previously hidden creative side, so I started making and selling pieces at the Cotswold Galleria which unfortunately closed last year. I then had to start generating most of my sales through Etsy and Facebook.

“The business has been a great way to make a living while allowing me to be there for my daughter as much as possible. She is a massive support to me.

“It is a really exciting time for us with a brand-new website now up and running too. 

“We are one of the few businesses which were more active during lockdown, and we are hoping to capitalise on that by combining our online presence with a place where we can speak face-to-face with our customers and show off the things we create.”

Space Business Centre Cheltenham is owned by property investment company AC Lloyd, and is one of their two centres in Gloucestershire which offer flexible, easy in and easy out, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, Site Manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, added: “It’s been inspiring to see Lisa setting up her store as she is a determined individual who works extremely hard, and is incredibly talented at what she does.

“She creates some beautiful items with her materials, turning them into bespoke works of art and we are delighted to have her join us at Space Cheltenham.”

For more information and to view Lisa’s online shop, visit www.amelierosecrafts.co.uk, www.Etsy.com/shop/amelierosecraftgifts, or www.Facebook.com/amelierosecrafts.