At Cool Ventures, we are asked this a lot: “How do I get more customers in my business?”

But what if you had enough customers in your contacts book already, you just don’t know it yet?

As 2026 starts gaining momentum, instead of getting caught on the treadmill of always looking for new customers, take a moment to consider who you already know and how else you can help them.

Growth is important, but your most valuable customers are the ones you already have.

What can your business do to keep them coming back and trusting you with more of their hard-earned money?

Retaining the customers you already have is cheaper, easier to scale, and much more sustainable than trying to acquire new ones. Loyal customers spend more, buy more often, and are more likely to recommend you to others – even without being asked (or bribed with discounts).

Here are five practical quick wins to improve your existing customers’ experience and get them coming back for more this year:

It all starts with Great Customer Service

We all think we are good at customer service, but are you consistently doing these 5 things:

1. Responding to enquiries quickly

That’s not to say you must be available 24/7 – set and communicate boundaries. You can set up automated responses to manage customers’ expectations.

People might contact you at weird times of day, but they don’t necessarily expect you to answer them then.

A message along the lines of, “Thank you for getting in touch. We will respond within 24 hours”, can be enough.

The important thing is that there is some sort of response, instead of radio silence.

Top tip: Change your voicemail from the default to a friendly message explaining your opening hours and response time. Set up an auto reply on WhatsApp and Messenger. Have an email ‘out of office’ message – whatever communications channels you have, familiarise yourself with the tools to automate replies – don’t leave people hanging!

2. Ask for Feedback (and use it!)

Your customers are your most valuable resource; their input can make or break your business. Ask for feedback to uncover any blind spots and improve your offering accordingly. Try not to take criticism personally; instead, reframe it as an opportunity to be better at business. While it’s lovely to hear the positives, knowing what is not going so well is an opportunity to improve.

Collect enough feedback, and you will identify patterns – for example, if lots of people are asking for a particular thing, is there a way you can offer it?

Easy ways to collect feedback could be:

• Short post-purchase surveys
• A quick “How did we do?” email
• Google review requests
• Casual check-ins with long-term clients

If customers see that their feedback is valued and that this results in real changes, their trust in you will increase, and this creates loyalty.

3. Reward Loyalty (It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy)

The goal here isn’t to keep offering discounts, it’s to help customers feel valued and appreciated.

Simple loyalty ideas:

• A personalised, handwritten thank you note
• A points card – i.e., buy X number of coffees and get one free
• Exclusive discounts for repeat customers
• Referral rewards – a reward when someone refers a friend
• Thank you gifts
• The occasional bonus freebie
• If your customers are other businesses, actively choose to be a customer of theirs as well, where appropriate. Trading with each other creates a healthy peer support community and local business ecosystem.

4. Personalise the experience wherever you can

Everyone likes to feel special, heard, and appreciated. It doesn’t have to mean tailoring everything you do for the individual if that isn’t appropriate. But anything you can do to make the relationship feel less transactional and more thoughtful and memorable can only be positive for everyone.

Ways to personalise an experience:

• Use the customer’s preferred name in communications
• Remember past purchases and preferences. Use digital tools to capture these customer records so you are not asking them the same questions over and over again.
• Recommend products and services tailored to their buying history.
• Acknowledge milestones and special occasions – like anniversaries, birthdays, and repeat visits.

When customers feel seen and understood, they are more likely to come back and tell their friends.

5. Don’t skip the post-purchase follow-up

The relationship shouldn’t end once the sale is made. Often, when someone has recently purchased from you, they are more likely to buy again, so stay in touch while they are still ‘warm’.

Following up shows you care about their experience, and it is more than just a transaction.

Smart follow-up ideas:

• Send a thank you email or message – you can use digital tools to automate these immediately after purchase, so you never miss one
• Share tips on how to use or get the most out of the purchase
• Check to see if they are satisfied (see point 2: ‘Ask for feedback’)
• Offer help, support, or related recommendations

Customer Loyalty for the Win

Focusing on customer experience sets your business up for steady growth throughout the year. Strong relationships lead to longer-term sustainable business and higher value from each customer. It can make revenue more predictable and keep you in tune with what customers are asking for, what else they need, and how you can grow and improve your business around them.

This year, instead of asking, “How do I get more customers?”

Ask, “How do I take better care of the customers I have?”

That mindset shift alone can transform your business.

The post Start the Year Strong: How to Keep Customers Coming Back appeared first on Cool Ventures.

And now you’re chasing growth. 

Here’s where most of us make the classic mistake: we throw the kitchen sink at it. And the bath. And the toaster. We try everything – new marketing campaigns, new products, new customers, new TikTok dances (that one rarely ends well). 

It’s the classic “spray and pray” approach: fire random stuff out into the universe and hope someone, somewhere, buys something. Your target audience? Basically, all 8 billion humans alive today. Someone will bite, right? 

Why the Spray-and-Pray Approach Doesn’t Work 

When we try to do everything at once, three things can happen: 

1. We exhaust the team  

2. We confuse the customer  

3. We burn money fast 

So instead of trying to do everything, the magic happens when we focus on one big thing: our Breakthrough Issue. 

What’s a Breakthrough Issue? 

It’s the one big thing holding us back right now. The rate-limiting step. The obstacle that, if we fix it, unlocks the next stage of growth. 

It’s not about tidying up every loose end. It’s about asking: what’s the single domino that, if we knock it over, makes all the other dominoes fall more easily? 

A good Breakthrough Issue (BTI) ticks two boxes: 

a) It will unlock growth. 
b) We can do something about it (sorry, no controlling birth rates or the UK weather). 

The Four Cs of Breakthroughs 

The more specific we are regarding our BTI, the more helpful it will be for our strategy. The four Cs can help narrow it down to one specific issue to fix:  

Care – Do customers even care about the problem we’re solving? If they don’t, we’re basically shouting into the void. Pharma companies often run “disease awareness” campaigns before launching a drug. Why? Because if nobody cares, nobody buys.  

Convince – Potential customers might care about the problem, but not be convinced that a solution exists. They may accept the status quo and not even be looking for a solution, let alone our branded solution.  

Compete – Customers may care, they’re convinced, but someone else is shinier or faster than us. Here, we need to work out what stops us from being the first choice and what we can focus on. NB be careful not to jump to the conclusion that price is the barrier – this comes down to the value customers see. 

Construct: Customers may care, be convinced and see us as the preferred choice, but can they actually buy? Is the issue something external we need to influence (legislation, policy, systems)? Or maybe it lies in our own company? Maybe our booking system belongs in the 90s, maybe we don’t deliver to their country, maybe the onboarding process feels like applying for MI5 clearance. Maybe it is our people who need support. If there is a problem impacting our ability to sell and deliver to our customers, we need to fix that first.  

The Point 

Growth doesn’t come from doing more — it comes from doing the right thing at the right time. Find your rate-limiting step, your breakthrough issue, and you can focus your time and resources on what really matters.  

How can I change?

If you want to make the first step to move forward, take a look at our Scale-Up programme if you are a South Gloucestershire business and our Growth programme if you are a Bath and North East Somerset business.

The post Growing Pains – What’s your breakthrough issue?  appeared first on Cool Ventures.

Most of us started our businesses the same way: with an idea, a bit of grit, and the ability (or sheer stubbornness) to do it all ourselves. Sales? Done. Invoicing? Done. Cleaning the toilets? Sadly, also done.

In those early days, it worked. Every decision went through us, and because there were only three of us in the room, it was fine. But as the team grows… something weird happens. Everything starts to slow down. And more often than not, the culprit isn’t the market, or the staff, or the economy. It’s us.

Yes – we become the bottleneck.

The Signs Are All Too Familiar

· We’re still proofreading invoices line by line, because apparently no one else can be trusted with a calculator.

· We’re CC’d on so many emails that even the office printer has fewer notifications.

· We’re trying to hold one-to-one meetings with 10, 15, 20 people – basically running our own side hustle in speed-dating.

· And let’s be honest: if we took two weeks off, the business would probably need a National Day of Mourning.

Why We Do It

Because that’s how we got here. We’ve spent years being the hero, the fixer, the one with all the answers. We are the Google of our own businesses. It’s a hard habit to break. But what got us here won’t get us there. 

So How Do We Break the Habit? 

1. Share the Big Picture 

Often we keep the “master plan” locked in our heads – strategy, intent, purpose. The stuff that makes decisions make sense. If we share more of it, suddenly other people can make good calls without us hovering. 

2. Recruit Like It Matters 

If we don’t trust the team, we have to ask ourselves why: 

• Do they need more skills? Time to invest in training or better hiring. 

• Do they not share our values? That’s a culture issue we need to fix. 

• Or are we just addicted to being the smartest person in the room? That’s an us problem. 

3. Accept Imperfection 

Here’s the truth: not every decision needs to be exactly what we would do. Close enough is often more than good enough. If it moves things forward, let it go. 

4. Put in Systems 

A few processes can save us from being the human bottleneck. Clear roles, decision rights, ways of working – these let things keep moving without waiting for our signature in blood. 

5. Redefine Our Role 

Our job isn’t Chief Doer anymore. It’s Chief Enabler. Architect, not bricklayer. The person who makes sure the business can run without us – even if that means stepping back from the day-to-day heroics. 

The Upside 

When we stop being the bottleneck, the business speeds up. The team grows in confidence. And we get to focus on what only we can do: steering the ship, not rowing every oar. 

So the question isn’t just “are we the bottleneck?” It’s “are we willing to let go, even if it means the business grows imperfectly without us?” 

How can I change?

If you want to make the first step to move forwards take a look at our Scale-Up programme if you are a South Gloucestershire business and our Growth programme if you are a Bath and North East Somerset business.

The post Growing Pains – Are we the bottleneck? appeared first on Cool Ventures.

When many of us first started out, someone told us we needed a Mission, Vision, and Purpose statement. So, like good little business leaders, we locked ourselves in a room with the team, a whiteboard, and a thesaurus.

Hours later, we emerged triumphantly with something like:

“Our vision is to synergistically revolutionise holistic paradigms while empowering sustainable excellence in a dynamic ecosystem.”

Sounds impressive, right? Trouble is, nobody — not even the person who wrote it — has a clue what it actually means.

And after proudly laminating it, we stuck it on the wall, nodded at it occasionally, and then got on with the real work of growing the business.

Sound familiar?

Why We Get Purpose Wrong

The truth is, many of us treat purpose as a box to tick. Something fluffy. Some “wishy-washy marketing” that sounds good in a pitch deck but has about as much practical use as shoes for a snake.

But here’s the thing: when it’s done right, your purpose isn’t wallpaper. It’s a strategic tool. It should shape growth, drive decisions, and stop those painful boardroom debates where everyone’s pulling in different directions.

First, Let’s Clear Up the Confusion

We’ve all sat in those meetings where half the agenda is spent arguing about whether this line is the mission or the vision. So, let’s strip it back:

• Vision → The future you want to see. It’s what success looks like. If your team can’t picture it, it’s not a vision.
• Mission → What you actually do. Think Mission: Impossible: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” Practical, clear, focused on what you deliver.
• Purpose → Your why. And no, it’s not about deep existential soul-searching. It’s about why the world needs your business, and how that shapes the choices you make as you grow.

Why Purpose Matters

A clear purpose stops us from making daft decisions. It points us in the right direction when we’re faced with opportunities we didn’t predict. It tells us what work to say yes to – and just as importantly, what to say no to.

Without it, people will fill in the blanks themselves – and that’s when teams clash.

Example: say we’re a food company.

• Half of us think the purpose is improving health and wellbeing.
• The other half think it’s all about pleasure and indulgence.

Both fine ideas. But left unspoken, you’ll get chaos: one half pitching kale smoothies, the other pushing triple-chocolate fudge cake. That’s not strategy – that’s a bake-off.

Or take a company making socks.

• If your purpose is protecting feet, you might grow into protective footwear, foot creams, even orthopaedics.
• If your purpose is fashion and self-expression, today it’s socks, tomorrow t-shirts, then full-blown catwalk collections.

Same product today. Completely different future tomorrow.

The Point

Purpose isn’t a vanity exercise. It isn’t something you laminate and forget about. It’s a compass. A growth tool. A decision filter.

Get it right, and it shapes your innovation, your strategy, and your culture. Get it wrong (or let it gather dust), and you end up with a bunch of fancy words that nobody remembers – except maybe the placement student who typed it up.

So, what’s the purpose of a purpose? It’s not to sound impressive. It’s to help us grow – in the right direction.

If you would like support for your businesses check out our South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset business support services.

The post Growing Pains – What’s the purpose of a purpose? appeared first on Cool Ventures.

Small Business Tips from Amy Morse

Our Outreach Business Advisor, Amy Morse, celebrates 10 years of self-employment this year. As well as working 3 days a week for us, Amy is also self-employed. She publishes journals and books. 

In this blog, she shares 10 things she has learned from being in business for 10 years. 

10 Small Business Lessons from 10 Years of Self-Employment

A decade in business teaches you more than you expect—and humbles you more than you think. When I started my business back in 2015, I did so with the help of a Business Mentor on the (now non-existent) New Enterprise Allowance Business Startup Scheme.  

I’d been employed as a Business Advisor, but I had also published my fiction novels. When the funding for the community business project I was working on ended, and I was made redundant, that was the moment I decided to bring my experience supporting other businesses and my world as a writer together to support and coach others to write and build their businesses. 

Now, 10 years later, I’m reflecting on the lessons that have shaped not just the business but me as a person. 

1. Consistency Wins Over Intensity 
It’s not about the occasional grand gesture—it’s about showing up every day. Systems, routines, and good habits are what keep a business running long-term. Anyone who has had a 1-to-1 with me, or been to any workshops I have hosted, will be familiar with my mantra:  

Little and often is the key to success. 

2. Cash Flow is King
Revenue looks good on paper, but cash in the bank keeps the lights on. Managing cash flow wisely has saved me more times than I’d like to admit. There have been months when I barely made £100, and months when I made thousands.  

Have different ways to bring in consistent income, or get really good at budgeting! 

3. Be Adaptable
What worked in year two probably won’t work in year ten. Trends shift. I have been through multiple iterations of my business, have had about 5 different websites, and have rebranded many times. I have been employed and self-employed. The community business support contractor market has shifted significantly and shrunk over the years, so I have always had to develop different ideas and try new things to create enough work for myself.

4. Know Your Why 
I am rethinking my business once again, but the things that remain constant are my reasons for choosing this path. I enjoy change, variety, freedom, creativity, and making a difference for other people. My ‘why’ isn’t about the ‘thing’ I do; it’s about the life I want.  

It’s easy to lose sight of your original ‘why’. Revisit it often. It’ll guide your decisions when things get noisy. 

Everyone’s motivation for choosing this path will be different; there is no right or wrong – that’s the beauty of creating something uniquely yours. 

5. Learn to say ‘no’ 
Not every opportunity is a good fit. Saying “no” strategically has opened more doors than saying “yes” to everything. I’ve found myself stuck in some miserable spirals, doing things I don’t like because ‘I can do them’. My driver was the fear that if I said ‘no’, there would be nothing to replace it, and because I felt guilty.  Compromising my integrity like that in the past has played havoc with my mental health. It takes confidence and resilience to stay true to your values as a person and a business, but it is fundamental. 

6. Rest Is a Business Strategy 
Burnout helps no one. Stepping back, taking breaks, establishing boundaries, and investing in your own well-being and personal development isn’t indulgent—it’s essential.   

You are the greatest asset and the biggest risk to your business.  

During COVID, I worked on a lucrative but challenging business support contract. I was burnt out when it came to an end, but I was also quids in!  
 
I took the temporary pain so I could fund an extended break afterwards, and volunteered at Hartcliffe City Farm and Windmill Hill City Farm, and that experience shifted my whole perspective. Since, I have taken on an allotment. I now know that my next business adventure will allow me to spend more time being outdoors, getting muddy, and growing sustainable food and flowers. 

7. It’s Who You Know  
Just because you are self-employed doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself. Businesses do not operate in isolation; you need people around them. Whether that’s the connections you create, the people you meet, the business friends you make, your peers, your support network, customers, suppliers, advocates, enthusiasts and champions.  

The first thing I did when I became self-employed was build my network.  

Every opportunity I have had has been because of a real-life connection I have made. In our increasingly automated and digitalised world, I believe now more than ever that it’s all about the real human connections you create. That’s what makes us better than the machines! 

8. Listen More Than You Talk  
Whether it’s your customers, employees, or partners—listening leads to better decisions. Silence can be a strategy.

9. All In is Overrated   
Before you go all in and put your life savings on the line, start small. Test proof of concept, pivot, adapt, and tweak it before you lose too much time and money. You can do all the research in the world and be passionate about your idea, but it’s only when you start trading that you find out whether or not it will work. 

A good example is startups spending thousands on an all-singing, all-dancing website, only to find out when they start the business that it’s not fit for purpose. 

There is a concept called the ‘Sunk Cost Fallacy’ – it’s the idea that once you have already started something and invested time and money on it, you double down when it’s not working. Being too stubborn to walk away or say ‘no ’ can be catastrophic. 

It’s great to dream big, but better to start small.  

10. Use It or Lose It 
Get all the free support you can. You don’t know what you don’t know, especially in the early days. It’s better to hear something more than once than not at all. Getting help from people who have been there or are experts in their field is invaluable. Use it.  

These things will not always be there. The NEA (New Enterprise Allowance) Business Startup Scheme is a good example of a national scheme that used to provide mentoring and a grant, but ended a few years ago.  

Never be afraid (or too proud) to ask for help. It will save you time and money, plus you will learn new skills, gain confidence, and meet some inspiring people along the way. 

Final Thoughts

Ten years in, I’m proud—but not finished. These lessons weren’t learned in a classroom; they were earned through late nights, early mornings, tough calls, and lucky breaks. If you’re just starting out—or if you’re in your own year ten—I hope these insights help you along your journey. 

Here’s to the next ten. 

If you’re a small business in South Gloucestershire or Bath & North East Somerset, discover our fully funded support programmes here

If you’re looking for support and are based elsewhere, see what can be available to you on the gov.uk website.

The post 10 Lessons from 10 Years in Business appeared first on Cool Ventures.

This piece explores why stepping back is often the smartest way to move forward, and how small shifts can help you protect your energy, your creativity, and your business.

We’re not designed to be ‘on’ all the time

In a world of constant information and overstimulation, being plugged in and always “on” is exhausting.

We are humans, not lightbulbs — we’re not meant to shine brightly all the time.

Somehow, modern business culture forgot that. It glorifies packed calendars, late nights, and 24/7 hustle as markers of success. But the truth is: burnout doesn’t build businesses — balance does.

Rest isn’t a reward for getting through your to-do list. It’s a basic human need.

Why slowing down matters

When you’re working hard to create something meaningful and sustainable, rest can start to feel like a luxury — or worse, a sign of weakness. But what if the key to growing your business isn’t doing more… but doing less?

As a small business owner, your biggest asset — and your biggest risk — is you. Your energy, focus, and mental well-being are the driving force behind your business. When you’re running on empty, it doesn’t just affect you — it impacts your decisions, your relationships, your creativity, and ultimately your success.

Making time to switch off — even briefly — gives you space to:

• Get creative (because creativity thrives in stillness, not stress) 
• Recharge mentally and emotionally
• Gain clarity and a fresh perspective
• Reconnect with the world beyond your work
• Return to your business with new ideas and energy

Let’s talk about the guilt  

If just reading this makes you feel a bit guilty, you’re not alone.

It’s common to feel like you should be doing more — one more email, one more task, one more client. The pressure to keep going is constant.

But here’s a mindset shift:
Rest isn’t a luxury — it’s part of your job.

You can’t show up for your business if you’re running on fumes. Looking after yourself isn’t indulgent — it’s responsible.

15 small ways to switch off 

You don’t need to take a month-long sabbatical (though if you can, go for it!). Even small habits can help create boundaries between work and me time: 

1. Set digital boundaries
   Turn off notifications. Delay email replies. Use auto-responders to set expectations.
   —-
2. Create a wind-down ritual
   Close the laptop. Tidy your space. Light a candle. Whatever helps mark the end of your workday.
   —-
3. Take proper time off
   Not “sort of working” — actual time off. Turn off your phone. Let people wait.
   —-
4. Schedule rest like it matters (because it does)
   Block time in your calendar for breaks, hobbies, walks — and protect it.
   —-
5. Reclaim your hobbies
   Do something that reminds you of who you are outside your business. Try something new just for the fun of it.
   —-
6. Get outside daily
   Even 10 minutes of fresh air can reset your brain and shift your perspective.
   —-
7. Swap scrolling for something soothing
   Stretch, read, listen to music — anything that fills you up instead of draining you.
   —-
8. Protect your sleep
   Rest doesn’t start when your head hits the pillow. Give yourself time to wind down.
   —-
9. Work in short sprints
   Use the Pomodoro method: 25 minutes work, 5 minutes break. Small rests, big impact.
   —-
10. Batch similar tasks
    Answer emails all at once. Do admin in a block. Reduce the mental load of switching between tasks.
    —-
11. Automate or delegate
    Free up space by letting tech or other people handle what you don’t have to.
    —-
12. Redefine productivity
    It’s not just about getting more done. It’s about doing what matters — and doing it sustainably.
    —-
13. Remember your ‘why’
    You likely started your business for flexibility and freedom — don’t let hustle culture steal that.
    —-
14. Take digital detoxes
    Step away from your phone and email, even just for a day.
    —-
15. Start small
    A five-minute breather, a quiet cup of tea, a short walk — it all counts.

Final thoughts 

In a culture obsessed with speed and instant gratification, slowing down is a radical act.  

When you rest, you restore your vision. When you pause, you gain perspective.  

Because the most sustainable business strategy isn’t hustle — it’s balance. 

If you want to stay productive in your business but have a balance we have the workshop for you, How to be Productive and Get Stuff Done.

If you’re based in Bath and North East Somerset or South Gloucestershire you are eligible to access our workshops and other support.

The post Permission to Pause: The Smartest Move for Your Business  appeared first on Cool Ventures.

How free business advice, workshops and 1-to-1s, available to all Bath & North East Somerset small businesses and residents, can help you move forward with confidence.

Running or starting a business is exciting — but it can also feel overwhelming. Whether you’re juggling a side hustle, trying to attract more customers, or unsure how to price your services…

👉 You don’t have to do it alone. 

If you’re based in Bath, Keynsham, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, or anywhere in Bath & North East Somerset, you could be eligible for fully funded business support — delivered by local experts who understand the challenges of running a business in your area. 

Thanks to government funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, this support is completely free. 

Who’s it for? 

This support is designed for anyone who wants to move their business forward — no matter the stage. 

Whether you’re: 

• Exploring a business idea 
• Planning to launch soon 
• Already running a small business 
• Looking to grow, upskill or build confidence 

It’s open to sole traders, freelancers, limited companies — anyone with ambition and a postcode in Bath & North East Somerset. 

What’s available in Bath & North East Somerset? 

The Universal Business Support (UBS) Programme, delivered by Cool Ventures, offers up to 12 hours of free support, including: 

• Online and in-person workshops 
• 1-to-1 advice with experienced business experts 
• Help with planning, marketing, digital skills, finance, pricing and more 
• Tailored guidance based on your goals 

“I can’t believe this is free! The support is fantastic – clear, practical and genuinely helpful.” 

📧 info@coolventures.co.uk 
🔗 Explore our workshops 

Other useful support across Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire & Bristol: 

If you’re based nearby, you may also be eligible for these fully funded programmes: 

✅ South Gloucestershire UBS Programme – by Cool Ventures 

Exactly the same high-quality support: 1-to-1 sessions, group workshops and business mentoring. 
📍 For residents and businesses in South Gloucestershire 
🔗 Upcoming workshops 

✅ HR Essentials Programme  – by West of England Combined Authority

Empowering small businesses to strengthen their HR foundations. Get expert-led training, practical templates, and 1:1 support to help you recruit, retain and develop your team with confidence. 
🔗 coolventures.co.uk/hressentials 

✅ Tech for Growth – by Business West 

Ideal for small businesses looking to adopt digital tools. Includes a tech audit, digital strategy advice, and training on CRM, AI, SEO, digital marketing and more. 
🔗 https://www.businesswest.co.uk/tech-growth-west-england-0 

✅ Made Smarter West of England 

Helps manufacturing SMEs adopt industrial digital technologies. Get leadership training, a tailored roadmap and grants up to £20,000. 
🔗 madesmarter.uk 

✅ Creative Tech Programme – by SETsquared 

For businesses in creative sectors like animation, digital media, AR/VR, and AI. Offers mentoring, investment-readiness support and workshops. 
🔗 setsquared.co.uk 

✅ Social Economy West Accelerator – by SSE 

Supports mission-led businesses and social enterprises. Includes peer learning, coaching and community connections. 
🔗 the-sse.org 

✅ FoodWorks South West 

If you’re developing a food or drink product, this programme offers tailored support with product development, scaling up, and marketing — all fully funded. 
🔗 foodworks-sw.co.uk 

Why make the most of free Business Support? 

These programmes are: 

• Delivered by experienced, local experts who understand the pressures you’re under 
• Tailored to your goals and schedule, with flexible sessions online and in person 
• Practical and relevant — focusing on real-world business challenges, not just theory 

Most of all, they’re here to help you succeed — and they’re already paid for. 

Not sure what’s right for you? 

Let’s talk. At Cool Ventures, we know the funded business support landscape inside out — and we can help you navigate it. 

Whether you’re starting something new or scaling what you’ve built, we’ll guide you to the support that fits your needs best. 

📧 Get in touch: info@coolventures.co.uk 
🔗 Or browse our upcoming sessions: www.coolventures.co.uk/workshops 

Know someone who could benefit? 

Share this blog in your newsletter, post it on social media or tag a friend who’s working on a business idea. 
This support is here for our Bath & North East Somerset and South Glos business community — let’s help each other make the most of it. 

The post Free Business Support for Small Businesses in Bath & North East Somerset appeared first on Cool Ventures.

If you’ve ever felt the urge to tackle a real-world issue and build a sustainable venture around it, starting a social enterprise might be your calling. 

Here are 7 things to consider as you start your small journey towards big impact: 

1. Identify the Problem You Want to Solve 

Every successful social enterprise begins with a clearly defined problem. Ask yourself: 

• What injustice or gap bothers you most? There are so many things to consider, but start with one. 

• Who is affected and how? 

• What systems or barriers are causing it? 

Start by talking to people directly impacted. Learn their needs, stories, and aspirations. Empathy is the foundation of innovation.

2. Craft a Mission with Measurable Impact 

Unlike a traditional business, your mission isn’t just to grow—it’s to change something for the better. Make it: 

• Specific (who, and how, does it help?) 

• Measurable (so you can track impact) 

• Time-bound (to focus your strategy) 

Your mission should act as a compass, guiding every decision. It’s at the heart of you your business model.  

3. Design a Business Model That Sustains 

A social enterprise needs revenue, just like any other business. But instead of distributing profits to shareholders, it reinvests them to further the mission. Consider: 

• What product or service will you offer? 

• Who pays—and who benefits? 

• How will you remain financially viable? 

4. Choose the Right Legal Structure 

Any business can choose to reinvest its profit into a good cause. However, if you intend to seek funding or donations to help finance your idea, there are different options. Legal structure affects funding, taxation, and your operational flexibility. Choose one that aligns with your mission and growth plan.  

GOV.UK has more guidance on setting up a social enterprise.

5. Pilot, Learn, Iterate 

Start small. Test your idea with a pilot program or minimum viable product (MVP). Collect feedback, measure impact, and adjust. Piloting lets you: 

• Validate your assumptions  

• Build credibility with partners and funders 

• Reduce risk before scaling 

6. Build Partnerships and Community 

Social impact doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Partner with: 

• Local organisations and community leaders 

• Government agencies or support providers 

• Corporate sponsors or impact investors 

A strong network amplifies your reach and resilience. 

7. Measure What Matters 

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Set clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for both financial and social performance.  

Join our Starting Your Social Enterprise Journey two-part webinar to start building your Social Enterprise business model. In the sessions, we cover legal structures, measuring your impact, and planning your mission. 

Conclusion: 

Starting a social enterprise demands the head of a businessperson and the heart of an activist. But with a clear mission, a sustainable model, and a community behind you, your idea can become a catalyst for real, lasting change. 

Thinking of starting a social enterprise in Bath & North East Somerset or South Gloucestershire?
Get support through our fully funded Business Start-up Programme.

We run dedicated “Starting Your Social Enterprise Journey” workshops throughout the year, along with other start-up sessions to help you plan, fund, and launch your social enterprise with confidence.

The post From Idea to Impact: 7 Considerations for Starting a Social Enterprise   appeared first on Cool Ventures.

There you are, sipping vegan milk from a soggy straw while the richest 1% are flying around the world in their private jets and oil companies are extracting an average of 100 million barrels of oil from the planet every day.

It’s hard to connect our everyday lives with the destruction of Rainforests – at an estimated rate of 80,000 acres a day.

The enormity of it is overwhelming.

What difference can one person possibly make?

There is only so much we can do and that we can control as individuals. But if we all did something, no matter how small and imperfectly, it’s surprising how quickly small changes add up to big shifts.

“It’s only one disposable coffee cup”, said 7 million* people.

* (In the UK It is estimated that about 7 million disposable coffee cups are used daily).

Carbon Footprint

According to Mike Berners-Lee, a professor at Lancaster University, the Carbon Footprint of something is, “the sum total of all the greenhouse gas emissions that had to take place in order for a product to be produced or for an activity to take place.”

Our personal Carbon Footprint is the combined total of resources we consume as products or from our activities in a given time period, usually expressed as tonnes of carbon per year.

For consumers in the UK, these products and activities tend to be household energy use, transport, food, and the products and services we buy.

To start to understand and measure our personal impact we can use Carbon Calculators to estimate our personal Carbon Footprint. When you are your business, this can also mean the impact your business has.

Read our Carbon Calculator comparison blog <here> (link)

However, we all have a different impact, depending on our lifestyle and choices.

For example, a meat eater may not necessarily have a larger footprint than their vegan neighbour. If the meat eater works at home, shops locally and rarely travels but the vegan takes several international flights a year and eats a lot of ultra-processed foods, the vegan will have a larger carbon footprint.

Reducing our personal carbon footprints is also not always easy. For example, someone may not have access to public transport, or can’t afford to their car with an electric vehicle, or as a tenant, they have no control over the energy efficiency of their home.

The very richest in the world will have a far greater impact if they reduce their carbon footprint, as having more money usually leads to the consumption of more resources.

Acting by ourselves is inherently limiting and is just one small part of what is required to affect change in a system that, despite the best individual efforts, remains dominated by the production and use of fossil fuels.

We have greater power to affect change as a community. Our Climate Shadow can have a greater impact than individual actions alone.

Climate Shadow

What is your Climate Shadow? It’s not just your footprint, it’s the whole shadow behind those footsteps. Your Climate Shadow aims to paint a fuller picture of the sum of personal choices. It goes further than the products you buy and the food you eat. It also encompasses things like how you vote, how many children or pets you have, where you work, how you invest your money, and how ethical the businesses you work with are – but also how much you talk about climate change, and the resonance of your message.

Are you influencing others to make changes, too?

Are you sharing your progress as a business and influencing others to make small changes, too?

Conclusion

While reducing your Carbon Footprint is important – and measuring it so that you can change it – are all positive actions you can take as an individual and business. What more can you do?

Do something, anything, but then talk about it.

As a business are you talking the talk or walking the walk?

Further Reading

For more on the impact of your Climate Shadow, this is a great article in National Geographic. Forget your carbon footprint—your climate shadow is what really matters (nationalgeographic.com)

The post Carbon Footprint vs Carbon Shadow appeared first on Cool Ventures.

The post Just One Thing: The Power of Small Changes appeared first on Cool Ventures.