Two Zero client invests in new corporate gifting business and aims to double turnover

A Lancashire business owner who has both taken part in and delivered Two Zero scaleup support programmes has become co-owner of a corporate gifting company and set her sights on doubling its size over the next two years.

Suzi Wynne owns Leyland-based retail sales consultancy business Wynne Business, which specialises in helping food and drink businesses and other producers gain retail listings with major UK supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s.

Suzi delivered Two Zero’s Route Into Retail programme in 2021, designed to help a cohort of Lancashire scaleup businesses sell to major UK retailers. The programme was 75 per cent funded by Lancashire County Council.

Suzi also herself took part in the Women Scaling Up programme between October 2022 and April 2023, a scaleup programme two thirds funded by Lancashire County Council through Two Zero for female business owners.

Two Zero is Lancashire County Council’s scaleup support service and is designed to help and inspire businesses to grow their business 20% per year, creating jobs and growing the Lancashire economy.

Suzi says the Women Scaling Up programme, which is tailored specifically to address the challenges faced by Lancashire women looking to scale their business, helped her to understand her own long-term business ambitions. This year, she invested in Lancashire corporate gifting business, The Lancashire Gift Company, in partnership with the business’s owner Karen Walker.

She said: “After taking part in Women Scaling Up, it fired me up. I’ve grown Wynne Business to a really good sustainable level and happy with the client portfolio and pipeline we have.

“I always said if I went into business again, I wanted to do it in partnership. I knew Karen through Wynne Business and the opportunity presented itself.”  We were both working separately in two businesses trying to do the same thing and I just thought it would be a good idea to collaborate.

The Lancashire Gift Company was originally established in 2019 and was purchased by Karen in 2023, when she began working with Suzi through Wynne Business. The relationship led to the two discussing the partnership in March this year, which was formalised through the creation of a new limited company in July.

The Lancashire Gift Company sends gift sets and single items on behalf of business clients across the UK which include well-known Lancashire food and drink brands such as Cuckoo Gin, Choc Amor, Bowland Brewery, Mr Fitzpatrick’s and Lancashire Crisps.

Clients include accountancy and other professional firms who send gifts to clients, as well as housebuilders, which sends gift packs to homebuyers when they move in. Turnover has already increased since the partnership became official and Suzi and Karen are now aiming to double this again in the next three years to £250,000.

“Marketing will play a key part in growing our client base,” says Suzi. “We have now refreshed the branding to elevate it to a more premium level and launched a new website, which will make it much easier for customers and clients to see and purchase packs.”

Suzi says the business is targeting Christmas this year as a significant contributor to its revenue growth. The Lancashire Gift Company currently employs two part-time members of staff as well as Suzi and Karen but Suzi hopes to be able to employ another staff member to support growth in the coming years.

“We have a brilliant team and it’s working very well together,” she adds. “I took part in the Women Scaling Up programme to scale Wynne Business but it’s actually led me to scaling a completely new business to me.

“Wynne Business gives me the opportunity to work with retail clients, but The Lancashire Gift Company means I can work with those brilliant, growing food and drink producers across the county – many of whom I already know.”