Great British Wood wool Ltd prides itself in supplying quality wood wool to any company that is after it; whether it be hamper companies, packaging for heavier items such as pottery and engineering parts, shellfish packing, malt vinegar production, stuffing teddy bears or taxidermy. You name it, we can supply it.

Great British Wood wool has been taking orders and queries since it all started in 2018, however, there has been a notable increase in online questions, emails, DM’s, phone calls and general comments about the use of our wood wool since the Covid pandemic hit, early in 2020.

Now, there could be a very obvious explanation for this. The world of online ordering and shipping sky-rocketed, and companies were adapting to the ‘new normal’.

But this constant thread of messages and queries were not coming from businesses we knew, but instead from new budding entrepreneurs who decided to delve into the world of start-up companies.

Figures in the UK have shown that there has been a significant rise in start-up businesses. From increases in loan applications to ‘start a company’ google searches; the numbers don’t lie. The statistics are admirable. People have used what was (and still is) a bleak time for all, to see opportunity and rise above the negative downpour of Covid-19, to explore new business ventures, become entrepreneurs and perhaps, finally, take that leap which might have seemed too risky 18 months ago.

Unfortunately, not all start-ups have a fairy-tale story to tell. Some had their hands forced by Covid-19 through job losses, cut backs and furlough. That is the harsh reality that we must not forget, and we applaud all those who took their own setbacks and turned them into a positive.

One such aspiring entrepreneur is Daniella, from Bell and Rose; a letterbox gift company based in Cardiff. She took the lockdown as a chance to spread the joy of gifting to loved ones, and has flourished since taking that first step.

‘I started by sending gifts to my loved ones and I just wanted to put my spin on the gifts, so I decided to create my own gift boxes which led to starting up my small business by selling self-care gift boxes. I have always been so passionate about self-care and wellbeing and being in lockdown definitely gave me the push I needed.’

‘It brings me so much joy that people choose my business to send gifts to their friends and family.’

Another example of the lockdown entrepreneurship success is Claire from Dorset Scents, a homemade, hand poured wax melt company. Claire saw the lockdown as an opportunity to relook at her busy life schedule and pursue her dream:

‘Dorset Scents began during lockdown. After years of working in the corporate world which I loved and then having my son (which I love even more) and my life becoming so incredibly busy I realised I needed to revaluate things and lockdown certainly gave me that time. So, after lots of practice runs, late nights and research – as well as being busy being a mummy – Dorset Scents went from a dream to reality.’

These are the sort of uplifting stories that we love to hear. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of these start-up businesses that are now flourishing, some of which might never have been possible if it were not for the lockdown.

In Leamington Spa, Nate and Anna were furloughed when the pubs shut and got bored of twiddling their thumbs at home. They decided that although customers could not enjoy their delicious cocktails at the pub, they could simply send the cocktails to them at home!

This idea led to the creation of The Little Cocktail Bar: a make-it-at-home cocktail box delivery company. They are now delivering their tasty creations nationwide, and are loving this new venture.

‘We’d seriously looked at opening a cocktail bar through 2019, but luckily the plans for that fell through at the beginning of 2020!’- talk about a positive mental attitude!

Whether it be self-care and wellbeing gifting, beautifully hand poured wax melts or a delicious DIY cocktail box (with instructions of course), these aspiring entrepreneurs all have one thing in common: they had a passion, and saw an opportunity.

There is a lot to be said for how people react to adversity. The Covid-19 pandemic has, without a doubt, been incredibly damaging to the economy. We cannot forget about the thousands of people who have lost their jobs, or businesses that has been forced to close down. Luckily, the worst seems to be behind us, and with the successful rollout of the vaccine, we can start to rebuild.

What we can do, keeping that positive mental attitude, is celebrate and support those small businesses that have risen up through the Covid ashes.

Great British Wood wool certainly does its best to do this. We supply all types of small businesses (including some mentioned above!) and love to hear their stories. We will continue to support and praise these amazing people, as should everyone.

So, if you are thinking about starting your own business; if you have been putting it off because you are a bit scared, or don’t want to take the risk, remember that you will always have the full support of Great British Wood wool, as well as the support of your local and wider community!

If you can successfully start a business amidst a global pandemic, then you can certainly do so in the post-Covid world. Go for it!