Invest4 Grant Funding - Jon Ollerenshaw (Owner Of Juice Up) -

CASE STUDY: JON OLLERENSHAW (OWNER OF JUICE UP)

Prior to setting up my company, I had no experience of working for myself, so reaching out to The Business Hothouse for start-up support was a no-brainer for me. The free workshop programmes they run are really engaging and helpful. My main objective for attending the programme was to get the support that I needed to make my application to the Invest4 Grant Fund.

My company, Juice Up, manufactures and distributes eco-friendly healthy drinks. We sell fresh, raw, cold-pressed juices in glass bottles that we deliver in cooler bags complete with an ice-pack. We subsequently collect and re-use these items because our mission is to create a great product whilst leaving minimal waste. Our customers range from local residents to coffee shops, local companies to schools and we also sell our products at local events and markets and via our website, where you can place and pay for your order.

Before and during the lockdowns, business had been growing so fast that I realized that the only way for me to fulfill all of the orders coming in was to find a way to buy a Commercial Cold Press Juicer. The investment was a heavy one and this is what led me to apply for a cash award from the Invest4 Grant Fund.

With the help of The Business Hothouse’s Invest4 Grant Application workshops and 1-2-1 sessions, I completed the application form and the other required documentation and submitted these to the Invest4 Grant Fund Manager. I was delighted when he responded to say that I had been successful in gaining the funding, which would cover 40% of the cost of my new commercial-grade machine, making it a far more affordable prospect.

The new machine has enabled me to produce better quality juice in higher volumes and because it extracts more juice from the fruit and vegetables than my previous machine did, it has reduced my costs. So I now have a better quality product at a lower cost-per-bottle and less waste; and because I can fulfil so many more orders now, I will soon be at the point where I need to employ someone to help me on a day-to-day basis as well as at the events and festivals that Juice Up will take stalls at this year.

You can find out more about Juice Up via our website and you can connect with us on our Instagram account @juiceup1974