A graphic designer is urging other entrepreneurs in Coventry and Warwickshire to follow suit and join one of the leading small business networks in the UK.
Paul Horne, who launched Coolgoldfish Designs in January 2020, stands out from the crowd at networking events with his bright goldfish suit.
The avid networker was proud to be among the six businesses chosen each week by former Dragons’ Den panellist Theo Paphitis’s Small Business Sunday awards to be recognised for his business services and his relationship-building by living by his ethos of ‘you’ve got to stay visible, to stay viable’.
Paul started Coolgoldfish Designs which produces logos, brochures, banner designs, television screen displays and business cards for companies throughout the region after gaining advice from the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub.
He was put in touch with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Start-up programme that is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund which gives mentoring support – and the end result is Coolgoldfish Designs coming to the attention of Theo Paphitis.
Paul, who has been involved in the graphic design sector for around 25 years, has encouraged other small business owners to join Small Business Sunday which has over 3,500 active members.
“It is a chance to tell Theo Paphitis about the business obstacles that you have overcome and how you have grown your business via Twitter or Instagram,” he said. “Participants can enter every Sunday between 5pm and 7.30pm and the winners are announced at 8pm every Monday so it is a great opportunity to do business with other winners and re-tweet each other’s successes.
“When I was chosen, the phone didn’t stop ringing with congratulations. Small Business Sunday has been running for ten years and 0.8 per cent of businesses are selected.
“As a result, I went to a Small Business Sunday event to receive an award from Theo Paphitis and he loved my goldfish suit!
“The business name came about because I used to work in an aquatics department at a garden centre and a little boy called me the cool fish man. It sprang from there and then when I started Coolgoldfish Designs, my daughter found this great suit on the internet and I wear it all the time now when I’m attending networking events.
“When I began the business, the Growth Hub came to my aid particularly during lockdown because they were a massive help in suggesting ways of promoting my business.
“The Growth Hub identified various online courses and put me in touch with the Chamber. The pandemic taught me a valuable lesson that you need contingency plans for all different types of scenarios and I now know that my business can survive. We are growing steadily and we have several pieces of new work in the pipeline.”
Linda Savitri, Account Manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, said it was no surprise that Paul continues to stand out from the crowd – in more ways than one!
She said: “New businesses always need a USP that is different to their competitors and Paul’s goldfish suit is such a conversation starter at networking events.
“The Growth Hub is an excellent starting point for entrepreneurs considering setting up a business because we can point people in the right direction to ensure they receive the expert help they need.”
Sarah Humphreys, project manager and business adviser at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said they had provided free one-to-one mentoring advice and Paul had also attended a workshop.
“One-to-one meetings give our advisers the ideal opportunity to pass on their expert knowledge and I know Paul still has his notebooks crammed with the advice he was given that he still refers to,” she said.
“Once we have made the first connection with a start-up business and found about their plans, we can find out if there is any funding available that can help them during the important early weeks and months of setting up a new company.”
Caption: From the left, Linda Savitri (Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub), Paul Horne (Coolgoldfish Designs) and Sarah Humphreys (Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce)