First aid firm looks ahead to a healthy prognosis

First aid training and supply business FATE-Medicade Ltd has recruited an extra team member to drive digital marketing after taking part in Boost Business Lancashire’s Growth Mentoring Programme.

Owner, Laura Chadwick, has also developed the confidence to harness social media tools to raise brand awareness and increase revenue.

Founded in 2004, the Accrington-based company employs two full-time members of staff and seven associate trainers. They deliver first aid training and advice to businesses across Lancashire.

Services include first aid at work qualifications; emergency first aid at work qualifications; paediatric first aid; and basic first aid training courses, as well as a wide range of workplace first aid supplies.

Boost Business Lancashire is the £7.2m Lancashire Business Growth Hub, offering free and part-funded business support to ambitious and growing businesses. Laura found out about Boost’s Growth Mentoring initiative by attending a local networking event where the services were recommended.

She was paired with Carl Bradshaw, a business growth mentor with expertise in digital marketing at Community & Business Partners (CBP), which delivers the programme for Boost.

Laura said: “The support we received has started a process of communicating more effectively with our customers, improving business relationships and developing potential new revenue streams through email marketing.

“We are confident we can continue to improve our communication and strengthen our client base using the new skill we have.”

Carl commented: “FATE-Medicade had little experience of social media so I worked with Laura for twelve hours one-to-one mentoring, providing support and sharing knowledge around social media. This enabled FATE-Medicade to develop a LinkedIn presence, a Facebook business page and assisted with the process of using Mailchimp to stay in contact with clients.”

Community & Business Partners will keep FATE-Medicade informed of further learning opportunities in the social media arena and the business will be invited to networking and other events where they can find new opportunities.

Jane Houghton-Fenning, business development director at Community & Business Partners, added: “It is great to see a business implementing so many new ideas to ensure effective communication with its clients. This is why all our mentors have to be at the forefront of current business practice so they can share their knowledge and experience to enable this high growth.” Boost is delivered by Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, and supported by money from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Boost has supported more than 2,800 businesses and created more than 900 jobs since it launched in July 2013.