A business that specialises in matching players to the right musical instrument has increased sales by 400% after receiving support from DigitalBoost, Scotland’s national digital upskilling programme, delivered by Business Gateway.
Founded by Tim and Helen Wright, former professional musicians, in December 2015, Tim Wright Fine Violins is an independent violin dealership based in Edinburgh, selling violins, violas, cellos and their bows.
Helen approached Business Gateway for advice during the pandemic when she and Tim decided to adapt the business. Lockdown had presented challenges for customers who were unable to trial their instruments in person, a fundamental process when it came to purchasing their products.
Working closely with Business Gateway, Helen conducted a strategic review of the business and accessed specialist digital support through DigitalBoost. This helped her to develop their website into an online shop, enabling clients to ‘get to know’ the instruments before playing them for a trial period.
The business also accessed regular 1:1 support from a dedicated business adviser, as part of Business Gateway’s Growth Service, as well as advice on marketing practises.
This has resulted in significant growth for the business, and business enquiries have increased by 700%. They have also expanded their overall market reach to new clients across Scotland, beyond the Edinburgh market, with customers coming from the USA, Japan, Africa, and across Europe.
Tim Wright, Founder, Tim Wright Fine Violins said: “We were already thinking about ways to grow the business. When the pandemic hit, this became more important, so we approached Business Gateway for advice as about how we could find ways to raise the profile of our service and share our expertise and knowledge of our products virtually.
“Thanks to the support from our DigitalBoost consultant, our website has grown into a digital shop-front, which has not only seen us through the pandemic but also allowed us to grow and reach the global marketplace for fine string instruments.
“Working with Business Gateway has helped us to develop processes for making action plans and sticking to them. Our business was based around our love of violins as opposed to any more formal business planning, we needed support to learn how to make decisions for business growth. We had reached a point where success felt intimidating, we now feel as though we have a secure, manageable plan for our growth.”
Al Bryce, adviser, Business Gateway said: “Tim and Helen have a unique business and, with the support of Business Gateway specialists, they adapted their services to work for an online platform. In doing so, they reached a much wider market, achieving significant growth and success throughout the pandemic and beyond.
“Tim Wright Violins is a fantastic example the success that can be achieved by adapting your service and getting your business online. We would encourage all businesses to make use of the free DigitalBoost service if there are areas where support is needed.”
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