Glass half full for glazing firm following Business Gateway support
A Perth-based secondary glazing provider with excellent energy saving properties has experienced a 200% increase in enquiries and is on target to make its first annual turnover of £1m following support from Business Gateway. This helped the team access £60,000 of funding and digitally upskill to improve their online and web presence.
Launched in 2013, Glaze and Save offers an award-winning solution that turns single glazing into double glazing, eliminating the need to replace windows. The all-in-one slim solution, InvisiTherm®, is ideal for heritage glass and listed buildings due to its adaptability to a variety of window shapes, improving thermal insulation, eradicating condensation and draughts, and reducing noise.
Following a surge in interest earlier this year as consumers looked for ways to reduce energy bills and improve their carbon footprint, founder Tanya Ewing turned to Business Gateway for support. Through the service, Tanya accessed one-to-one business advice, digital expertise, funding, and HR support.
Tanya and the team accessed a series of webinars through DigitalBoost, Business Gateway’s digital upskilling programme, that supported the growth of Glaze and Save’s online and brand presence. Increased digital marketing activity coupled with a Zero Waste Scotland SME loan, which is awarded to companies to help pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades, helped boost enquiries from commercial property owners looking to improve their energy efficiency ratings over the last six months, up over 50%.
Additionally, Business Gateway also helped unlock £60,000 of essential funding through Perth and Kinross Council which financed the firm’s expansion and provided HR support to a team that grew from nine to 16, including three under 25’s as part of the government’s Kickstart Scheme during lockdown.
Following this rapid growth, Glaze and Save and its team have recently worked on several iconic buildings in Scotland, including the Glasgow Women’s Library and Scottish National Galleries.
Tanya Ewing, CEO, Glaze and Save said: “At Glaze and Save, we’re passionate about making people fall in love with their properties again, saving energy and reducing waste in the process. It’s because of the support we received through Business Gateway and Perth and Kinross Council that we have been able to capitalise on the opportunities presented to us during what has been an extremely challenging, yet unbelievably rewarding period.
“The mentoring and support have been second to none and has allowed us to continue trading, create local employment and secure business that will keep us going in 2021 and beyond. The communication with our adviser, Ann also helped us handle HR issues including furlough throughout lockdown and ensured we felt connected and sane during a really testing time.”
Ann Kerr, adviser, Business Gateway, said: “Many sectors have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, so it’s excellent to see how Glaze and Save has been able to capitalise on new opportunities and thrive as more businesses seek new ways to improve energy efficiencies.
“The commitment and drive shown by Tanya and all the team at Glaze and Save, combined with a bespoke package of Business Gateway support services have successfully leveraged the business into position for sustained growth and expansion. I am confident that the business is well placed to move forward as we edge back into normality.”
