Creative Hutch, Carlisle
Vicky Hutchinson and Carol Wallace
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Creative Hutch is a branding, marketing and design agency based in Carlisle. Founded by Carol Wallace and Vicky Hutchinson, what began as a small freelance venture quickly grew organically into a scaling business. By 2023, the pair sought structured guidance and joined Get Ready for Business Growth. Having worked with consultants previously, they wanted more comprehensive and holistic support. 
"We’d done some business planning before but needed more guidance. The programme offered tools that helped us fill in knowledge gaps and provided validation for our strategies." 
Carol and Vicky were introduced to the programme through a connection at the Cumbria BIPC (part of the British Library’s National Network of Business and IP Centres) and were particularly drawn to the peer-to-peer contact and diversity of participants within the programme, seeing value in learning from other businesses at similar stages.
Carol and Vicky found the Finance workshop and one-to-one particularly essential, and as a result developed a framework to help them manage cashflow and scale the business more effectively. 
"The Finance workshops were crucial; we didn’t have a business plan before. Now we have a strategy in place, and it’s helped us make informed decisions, especially when exploring funding options." 
Equally important was IP, and they acted immediately after the session to trademark and protect their business. Branding and Marketing sessions also helped to provide reassurance and validate their current approach.
Since participating in Get Ready for Business Growth, Creative Hutch have grown their team from two to 10 employees and tripled their turnover. The financial understanding they gained during the programme was a key driver in this growth, allowing them to take calculated risks. 
"We wouldn’t have scaled so quickly without the confidence and advice from the programme. It’s given us the tools to grow effectively, and we’ve already hit this year’s turnover target in Q3.” 
On a personal level the programme has been transformative for both Carol and Vicky. Coming from marketing and branding backgrounds they felt less at home with the legal and financial complexities of business ownership. The programme introduced them to crucial concepts and armed them with the tools and knowledge to proceed with confidence. 
"The programme has been invaluable, not only in helping us grow but also in giving us the confidence to take risks and make bold decisions. We’re in a much stronger position now, and we couldn’t have done it without the support we received." 
Since engaging with the British Library, Creative Hutch has seen tangible growth in employment and turnover. The tailored workshops and one-to-one sessions provided the knowledge and confidence needed to scale, and their involvement in mentoring has strengthened their leadership skills. With a solid business plan and the tools to continue growing, Carol and Vicky are excited about the future of Creative Hutch. 
 
Mentoring: Carol and Vicky both participated as mentors for the Get Ready for Business Growth Mentoring Programme. They felt their experience in starting Creative Hutch late in life, combined with their knowledge of marketing and branding, positioned them well to offer practical guidance to mentees.