Partner:BEF & FFE
Region:Tees Valley
Location:Darlington
Programme:Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund
A new marketing software platform was launched by Darlington-based businesswoman Margaret Bradshaw, thanks to a £50k RLS-backed loan.
Half of the investment was from NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance which is managed by BEF & FFE Microfinance and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, with the remainder invested directly by BEF.
Margaret created My Marketing Button based on her work with her company Red Button Marketing and Training Ltd, which offers CPD-accredited marketing and marketing training services to SMEs and SME business owners. The new online platform is a subscription-based offering, which allows the user to have their own bespoke marketing plan to be used with colleagues and manage tasks in line with a proven and accredited process.
Having been created and developed using Margaret’s own funds and soft-launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, Margaret gained user feedback and, with extra funding from NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance, has now been able to bring the product to market.
Margaret Bradshaw, Founder of Red Button Marketing and My Marketing Button, said: “With more businesses working from home, a shared digital workspace such as My Marketing Button is a vital tool to ensure SME marketing programmes can be managed effectively.
“Thanks to the investment from NPIF and BEF, I have been able to launch to market. We are now entering a period of focused growth plans – the funding has helped us explore new opportunities as well as employ new member staff, invest in product development, and create our launch marketing campaigns.”
“Our whole ethos is about supporting small businesses across the North and this is a classic example of that,” says Lee Vickers, Investment Manager for Tees Valley. “We are a not-for-profit lender providing much-needed support to small and micro businesses, which make up over 95% of the UK economy. Both of Margaret’s businesses also support local SMEs and of course she herself is a local entrepreneur – we wish her all the very best.”
Sean Hutchinson at British Business Bank, said: “The £500m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund continues to provide crucial funding to Northern businesses across the region, creating impactful change for companies looking to kickstart their growth journeys. Through NPIF investment, My Marketing Button is now ready to bring its product to market, offering an important marketing tool for small businesses. Microfinance is a useful alternative for small businesses in need of filling the funding gap for growth, and BEF have a crucial role supporting businesses with this funding.”
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
Business Enterprise Fund is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 726237)
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