SME Spotlight: Gardening venture set to blossom following funding boost

Allan Wood, UKSE, and Joseph Outram, OCM Gardening.

A garden maintenance business set up by a green-fingered entrepreneur is set for  growth thanks to a cash injection from the UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) Kickstart fund.

The £500 boost enabled Joseph Outram to buy vital equipment including a hedge trimmer, as well as advertising to help raise awareness of the brand.

Now, Rotherham-based OCM Gardening is working on behalf of customers across the region – providing services such as garden clearance and ongoing maintenance.

Outram said: “I established the business last summer and received a handful of word-of-mouth enquiries, but I was really able to take things to the next level thanks to the funding boost from the UK Steel Enterprise Kickstart fund.

“Not only has the advertising allowed me to raise awareness of the business to a wider audience – which has resulted in a lot more business – but I was able to buy new equipment that made the whole process a lot more efficient.”

Outram is now on track to build the business further and will be looking to take on an apprentice and getting a larger van, both to accommodate taking on larger jobs and increasing workload in the near future.

Launched in February 2016 by UKSE, with support from RIDO and Rotherham Youth Enterprise, the Kickstart Fund consists of a £40,000 pot dedicated to supporting people looking to establish a business in the area.

Allan Wood of UK Steel Enterprise said: “It is great to be able to help Joseph launch his own business and it is clear that he is already looking to the future and considering how to take things to the next level.”

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