Buttercrumble, Leeds
Abigail and Chloe Baldwin
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Buttercrumble, a creative agency founded by twin sisters Abi and Chloe, is known for its playful yet sophisticated branding, illustration, and graphic design work. The duo has maintained a strong relationship with the BIPC National Network, which played a pivotal role in their foundation and growth - their business journey began with attending Start Up events at the Leeds BIPC.
"We’d always dreamed about setting up our own business, but now we were asking ourselves, ‘What’s next?'”
By 2019 Buttercrumble had already achieved notable success. Partnering with household names including John Lewis, Mamas & Papas, and Chester Zoo, and travelling internationally for exhibitions and speaking opportunities in Hong Kong, Paris, and Spain. Financially the business was growing year-on-year but despite their early success, Abi and Chloe had hit what they described as the ‘awkward teenage’ phase of their business, and so turned to the British Library for guidance.
Having benefitted from the British Library's Innovating for Growth Programme (2012 - 2022) Abi and Chloe already knew the value of British Library support. As part of this experience they maintained an ongoing connection with their Relationship Manager, who reached out to them with an invitation to join the new Get Ready for Business Growth programme. It was an extremely timely invite and engagement with the programme allowed them time to plan, both operationally and strategically. The business had just taken on two new team members, which presented its own set of challenges.
A key feature of the programme was the one-to-one sessions. Abi and Chloe found these incredibly valuable, particularly because of the personalised, bespoke advice they received. The sessions covered a range of business areas, from innovation to finance and marketing. The finance sessions helped them see the bigger picture and make some tough decisions. Similarly, their sessions on marketing provided a refreshing opportunity to engage with other marketers and get candid feedback, something that can be hard to come by in their industry. Having worked with consultants in the past, they appreciated the more tailored, holistic and detail orientated approach of Get Ready for Business Growth.
Get Ready for Business Growth was instrumental in helping Buttercrumble during a period of transition, and since graduating the business has experienced a 50% increase in their average order value. This came after a strategic decision to focus on larger, higher-value projects and let go of the smaller, time-consuming work. This shift not only improved their finances but also gave Abi and Chloe more breathing space to focus on the creative aspects of the business, which is what they truly enjoy.
“One of the biggest takeaways (from Get Ready for Business Growth) was the willingness to take risks - like cutting off lower-value work. It was scary, but the finance coach helped us see that if we didn’t make those changes, we’d just keep spinning our wheels.”
Another benefit was the increased credibility and opportunities that came with being associated with the British Library. Buttercrumble’s prior relationship with the British Library and its BIPC National Network added a layer of prestige that they believe helped them win Local Authority contracts. It also assisted them with their exports into international markets.
On a personal level, the support gave Abi and Chloe the confidence to take risks and make bold decisions that would ultimately benefit the business. It also helped them strike a better balance between their professional and personal lives through more effective time management.
Mentoring: Another important development in Abi and Chloe’s journey was their transition from mentees to mentors. Through their mentoring work, they’ve been able to support other small businesses while also learning from the challenges that their mentees face.