Deck the Smalls: Entrepreneurs share their Christmas wishes
Together with Virgin StartUp, we’ve been shining a light on start-ups this Christmas with the Deck the Smalls campaign. But what are start-up founders hoping Santa will bring them and other small businesses this year? Read on to find out…
Sipful
Darius and Emily Darwell, founders of premium cocktail in a can business Sipful, have a simple answer: sales.
Darius adds: “However, it must be noted that lots of sales contribute so much more to a small business than the positive contribution it adds to the bottom line. A flurry of Christmas sales brings with it confidence, it validates what they are doing is important and is appreciated by the consumer, it allows businesses to trial new products and processes and it brings the team together on a shared mission. A successful Christmas will allow small business owners and their teams a better chance to enjoy the festive period with family and friends, whilst allowing them to enter the new year positively with the space to regroup, strategise and plan for the year ahead.”
Philly & Friends
Vese Aghoghovbia, founder of Philly & Friends has a similar wish for all small businesses.
She says: “I wish small businesses multiple trips to the post office. Nothing makes a small business owner happier than a sack full of orders dropped off at the post office for our wonderful customers.”
Genevieve Sweeney
Genevieve Sweeney founded a British knitwear label in her own name. For Christmas this year, she’s wishing for prosperity for all start-ups “after the whirlwind of the last two years”.
She adds that she’d like to see companies “work together to look after our planet and to run our businesses with honesty, integrity and authenticity.”
Mix & Rise
Vegan bake at home boxes business founder Fleur Colville has a simple Christmas wish this year: “That we continue to grow and increase our positive impact on the world as a business.”
Yan Tan Hard Seltzer
The brothers behind Yorkshire-based Yan Tan are writing to Santa with a big request: “What we at Yan Tan want most in the whole world, is for a Hero. Whether it's a famous bar, a well-known influencer or even another business to collaborate with, what we want is a champion who can help us tell the world about our mission to bring people together with our seltzer,” co-founder Tom Henderson says. “We're not asking for Little Mix or the Ritz, just someone who understands our message (and likes the flavours!) who can give us a hand being seen. We'd take that over a turkey this year!”
Billy Tannery
Jack Millington is the founder of Billy Tannery, which makes leather goods out of goat hides that would have otherwise ended up in landfill. His Christmas wish is for consumers to consider the sustainable practices of the busineses that they’re purchasing from. He says: “We wish for people to ask themselves some important questions before purchasing leather goods this Christmas: Where are these products made and how far have all of the materials travelled before getting to me?”
NICE Drinks
Maddy Tomalin-Reeves, brand manager at NICE, has a similarly sustainable Christmas wish.
She says: “At NICE, we have a passion for leading and not following, we do that through our varying wine formats that are a sustainable alternative to traditional wine formats. Our Christmas wish would be to raise awareness for the benefits of both canned and boxed wine. We can do this by reaching new audiences, something that is made possible through key customers like Virgin Atlantic stocking our wines.”
Planted Yoga Rugs
Elizabeth Hawes, founder of Planted Yoga Rug, is looking forward to making the most of the holidays to rest and relax.
She says her Christmas wish is to “allow myself the day to pause and reflect how far I’ve come. The vision boards for 2022 can wait, the accounting can wait, the photoshoot creative can wait, the trips to the post office can pause, the inner critic can chill! It is so easy to forget how hard you work to keep a business alive – whenever I receive small messages of support, it makes my entire day. I hope I can read a few of these with a glass of wine and a slab of Christmas cake, and feel proud.”
[Insert your business here]
If your Christmas wish is to start a business of your own, then visit Virgin StartUp for Start Up Loans, advice and guidance.
