Business name: Pictures to Share C.I.C.
Based: Chester
Website: www.picturestoshare.co.uk
Person nominated: Helen Bate, managing director
I lead Pictures to Share C.I.C. – a social enterprise publisher whose books help those with dementia stay connected with their families and the world around them.
My approach to managing my small female part-time workforce is non-conventional. In 2014 I had to overcome the biggest challenge we faced since the company was founded in 2005.
In 2013, we won a national competition giving access to significant financial investment and a year of intensive business support. When this threatened to destroy our team, I decided to withdraw from the programme to save our company and ensure my staff could continue to work in the unique way that we have developed without outside interference.
I took the risk that we could make a go of it without outside help and prepared to batten down the hatches. However, in the last six months we have doubled our sales and been able to produce more new titles to help those with dementia, their families and carers.
In 2013 our turnover was £97K (with an associated loss of just under £1K). In the last six months alone we have had a turnover of £135K, and expect to make a healthy profit in 2015.
This is maybe not the scale of growth that serious business advisers and ambitious investors would feel a success, but my team is still together and they are motivated and proud of what we achieve to help those with dementia, and I call that real success.
