Meet our PowerUp Business Boost Finalists for 2022
Out of hundreds of entries, we managed to narrow it down to five finalists for the Avery PowerUp Business Boost! Each of the finalists received a consolation prize of; a £150 cash injection, 50% one-off discount code, 20% off labels for 12 months, 1 on 1 Avery software training session.
With over 150 entries our panel assessed each entry based on the criteria which included community impact and drive. After a lot of deliberation, it was narrowed down to the final five. Learn more about our finalists and what makes them so special below.
Mel founder of Bare + Fair
Bare + Fair is a ‘zero waste’ and refill shop offering a sustainable shopping experience for their local community and beyond. From pasta to pulses, skincare to shampoo, they stock around 250 refillable products packaging-free, along with a huge selection of sustainable and plastic-free home goods to help anyone and everyone live more sustainably and reduce their household waste.
Mel started Bare + Fair in Feb 2019 off the back of her own family’s sustainable journey; she was frustrated by the lack of refill options in her local area and decided to start one herself. Starting first from a market stall and then a website during the lockdown, Bare + Fare now operates out of a 1500 square ft bricks and mortar shop unit in Woking shopping centre. Mel now employs 4 people to work in the shop who all love introducing people to refilling and to new products that can help them live more sustainably.
Outside of the everyday business Mel takes time to speak at local schools, churches, community groups and events and loves to talk about why addressing the waste crisis is so important and all things ‘zero waste’.
Keegan founder of Only Enso
Keegan spent an entire year developing scents, building the brand, perfecting her formulas, and testing her products before releasing them online. She began Only Enso with 3 scents to start and has now expanded to over 7 scents, wax melts with regular limited edition scent releases plus an entire Christmas range; with plans to expand further this year.
Only Enso is built on strong values of being vegan friendly, cruelty-free and eco friendly. All candles are made from soy wax which has no toxins as opposed to paraffin wax, eco-friendly cotton wicks, biodegradable packaging and our labels are biodegradable Avery labels.
So far, the business has seen great successes with a week-long pop-up shop in partnership with John Lewis in their Solihull store. They've created their first collaboration candle with local brand MINORFORMULA and secured their first retail stockist contract with MINORFORMULA x Col8 store in Birmingham. They've also seen great success in their scent Sakura which sold out on its launch day.
One of the main missions of the business is to introduce candle making and the power of fragrance to the local community as well as utilise their products to help local causes. For example, as part of Women’s Week run by MINORFORMULA and WAITS charity, 20% of proceeds from sales that week went to charity, Only Enso also donated candles to a raffle and organised a talk for South Asian women that raised over £100 for the charity.
Karolina founder of Theenk Tea
Karolina's journey started after suffering from anxiety and depression which lead her to start to wonder; why are we not taking care of our minds in the same way as we care for our bodies? Motivated by her personal experience and a lot of research she came across two terms: nootropics and adaptogens which were said to help the body and mind adapt to stress better, help with depression and improve cognitive functions. After testing them for herself she wanted to share the benefits with the world, beginning her entrepreneurial journey.
THEENK TEA is a multi-award-winning, set of herbal tea blends designed to naturally support your brain function and mental wellbeing. Each box is packed with 12 herbal nootropics, adaptogens and gentle stimulants divided into 3 functional blends for mornings, afternoons and evenings. Using functional herbal ingredients to support brain function throughout the challenges of everyday life. It’s designed to maintain balanced energy levels, improve focus, relieve stress and help achieve a good night’s sleep. It also works in the long term to support memory, concentration and adaptation to stress. Developed with the help of a clinical herbalist and an experienced nutritionist, THEENK TEA helps restore your connection with nature and encourages people to look for natural ways of supporting their mental wellbeing and brain function.
THEENK TEA is the first product of its kind on the market and has gained great interest from leading retailers such as Selfridges and is now excitingly available in 400 Holland & Barrett stores nationwide.
Georgia founder of Toilet Fizzies
Toilet Fizzies was set up by Georgia in 2020 after she was made redundant from the travel industry. Following her passion for natural cleaning and some familial support, she created eco-friendly alternatives to the existing products that use harsh chemicals and are harmful to aquatic life.
A true kitchen table maker Georgia created her now famous products at home on her family kitchen table and has been on a huge journey since. Toilet Fizzies have fast become one of the leading brands of natural toilet tablets and natural cleaning products in the UK and are stocked in roughly 30 refill shops around the country. Building on online retail sales, Toilet Fizzies has gone from strength to strength. Now having a sophisticated website with a wholesale area and building a wider range of eco cleaning products and accessories.
The brilliance of this entrepreneur and brand hasn't just been noticed in the Avery PowerUp Business Boost, she's also won ‘Small Business Sunday’ run by Theo Paphitis. Toilet Fizzies are handmade and the whole range of natural cleaning products use natural ingredients, are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, biodegradable and all packaging is plastic-free. Customers love the eco brand ethos where sustainability is at the heart of everything.
