Bluebell on target for £1.6m revenue

BLUEBELL Fitted Furniture is on track to hit £1.6m turnover this year, following support from Business Growth Hub, part of Manchester Growth Company.
 
Sale, Greater Manchester-based Bluebell designs, manufactures and fits bespoke furniture for kitchens, bedrooms, media areas and home studies.

At the close of its financial year in September, the firm had achieved turnover of £1.6m, an increase of 33% from £1.2m at the same time last year.

The Hub’s digital growth team helped Bluebell to launch its new responsive website, suitable for  desktop as well as mobile and tablet users. The site has contributed significantly to business growth, doubling the number of online enquiries received by the firm, resulting in a number of new client wins.

The team at Bluebell attended a fully funded digital marketing masterclass, enhancing skills such  as online data analysis, digital advertising and social media allowing the firm to develop its marketing strategy.

Since working with the Hub, the firm has taken on three new full-time staff, as a direct response to the increased demand it has witnessed. Bluebell is now set to branch out into the luxury furniture market, and is developing a virtual apartment in its showroom to promote its new range.

The company also received an on-site resource efficiency review from the Hub’s Green Growth team to identify ways to improve efficiency and save money.

Following its review, Bluebell worked with the Green Growth team to invite local low carbon technology suppliers to its premises for a bespoke event to help it make an informed decision on the best solutions available.  

As a result of the event, Bluebell has installed energy efficient LED light fittings and a biomass burner to heat its premises with waste wood from production, saving it £13,000 a year in energy and waste costs. The company is also investigating an opportunity to install 120 solar panels on its roof.

Mike and Alison Reuben are directors of Bluebell. Alison said: “Working with the Hub has allowed us to explore opportunities we did not know were available to us.

Mike added: “The market is in a particularly buoyant period. The recent growth in the property sector means that people are more willing to invest in their homes, making this an ideal time to target growth. We’re looking to capitalise on this with our new luxury product range, taking advantage of the heightened exposure our website has brought us.”

Chris Murphy, digital growth adviser at the Business Growth Hub, said: “For SMEs, developing brand awareness is key, and having an unresponsive website means firms are unable to reach a large proportion of consumers.”

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