eBusiness UK helps ambitious businesses invest through lockdown

eBusiness UK has begun work with two new businesses which have taken the ambitious step of investing in themselves despite the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Blackburn-based web development agency is building a new site with an added ecommerce element for Preston-based Kevin Roper Interiors, which has been forced to close its showroom to comply with the national lockdown mandate.

The team has also begun building an all-new site for the five-star Plas Dinas Country House hotel in North Wales, which has been closed due to lockdown restrictions for most of the last 12 months.

Both businesses have been severely impacted by the global pandemic, but realise that an upgrade in their online presence now will help them bounce back when the opportunities return.

Introducing Kevin Roper Interiors

Kevin Roper Interiors had already begun selling online when it listed its larders on eBay, and these proved even more successful than the team expected. Now, ecommerce has become a key way for the retailer of high-end and bespoke furniture to remain connected to its customer base.

Steven Gibson, the company’s general manager, said: “Our showroom is our display front, where people can discover us and see first-hand the quality of our products. But since the start of the pandemic we’ve had to close three times and had to find other ways to do business.

“We started with eBay, which is a relatively inexpensive place to try, and that proved popular. More and more people are buying more and more things online and the pandemic has only accelerated this change, so it was clear that we needed ecommerce as part of our own site.”

Steven added: “The team at eBusiness UK has been fantastic. They put a lot of effort into researching our business and our market and made a very impressive pitch, making it clear that they wanted to work with us.”

Introducing Plas Dinas Country house

Plas Dinas Country House is a historic building set in 15 acres of Snowdonia countryside which has been a Royal family favourite throughout the years. As well as offering five-star hotel rooms, it features a restaurant and self-catering cottages.

The new owners completed a thorough renovation and upgrade in 2020, only to then be forced to close by the lockdown restrictions.

Annie Perks said: “It’s been tough, we completed our renovation on the first day of the lockdown. At one point we opened for afternoon tea but the restrictions became even tighter and we ended up throwing away stock. So of course investing in a new website is a gamble, but it’s an important way to market our business.”

Annie joined a free workshop offered by Business Wales, which resulted in a recommendation to contact eBusiness UK about an online upgrade.

“The new website better reflects our venue after the work we have undertaken,” said Annie. “It will also have better functionality and better content management, meaning it will be easier for us to maintain behind the scenes. It will give potential visitors a more accurate picture of what we have to offer, and will be an important part in our recovery after the pandemic.”

Latif Kothia, eBusiness UK director, said: “Kevin Roper Interiors and Plas Dinas are two very different businesses which have both been affected by the pandemic, but both have recognised that the best way to prepare for a recovery is to invest now.

“Kevin Roper Interiors has been able to tap into online sales which has opened up a new revenue stream for them, whereas Plas Dinas will be ready to do business again as soon as restrictions are lifted, with their new website reflecting the great work they have done on their property.”

Latif added: “Looking back, it is always the businesses that make confident moves during recessions and other tough times that have the best chance of survival and success, and I am delighted that we are able to help these two ambitious businesses.”

If you would like to upgrade your online presence but are worried about the impact on your immediate cashflow, you can talk to our team about our ‘buy now, pay later’ deal which allows you to spread the cost of your web development project over the next 12 months.