Loving Small Business (LSB) has emerged from lockdown as a new initiative that helps both charities and small businesses. Founded in Croydon and operating mostly online, it uses curated subscription boxes to allow businesses to build and sell their brand whilst also raising money for charity.
Croydon resident Holly McCarthy founded LSB on Instagram. Originally, it was a way to publicise small businesses so they could advertise their brand to a wider audience. In October 2020, McCarthy decided that an even more efficient way for LSB to offer its support was to launch a subscription box service that sent the products of these businesses directly to customers. Part of the profit from these boxes was then donated to charity.
McCarthy saw this expansion as “a natural curve for me to go into” as she “always supported small businesses and small charities”. Lockdown, however, made it “very clear that…it would be more difficult than usual for small charities to raise money and small businesses to sell products.” LSB exists partly to help small businesses and charities cope with the difficulties created by the pandemic.
How It Works
Each subscription box contains a range of different products created by small businesses. This could include chocolate, jewellery or beauty products as an example. Goods tend to be artisan or handmade. LSB researches companies first to check their sustainability practices and the quality of their products, with McCarthy saying that “Any business we’ve shared we can vouch for them 100 percent which I’d like to think makes us more passionate in the way that we come across about them.”
Businesses involved in LSB’s service can also network with each other and access advice from accountants and marketing strategists. They are featured in blogs and newsletters from LSB to improve their visibility further, whilst LSB buys products wholesale to fill subscription boxes and therefore improves sales.
Every month LSB’s Instagram followers vote for their favourite charity. That charity will then receive 10% of that month’s profit. Chosen charities so far have included Little Lifts UK, which supports breast cancer sufferers, and the animal charity Happy Endings Rescue.
The Businesses
One company featured in the LSB boxes has been Inari Designs, a Kent-based business selling homemade jewellery. Its founder, Anna Lambe, described how “I really loved the idea behind the subscription boxes Holly was making and it was nice to have that platform to showcase what I do” adding “I’m starting to see returns in terms of followers and engagement but it’s still early days” and “It’s a brilliant way to get exposure and get your products in front of a wider audience.”
Another company that has taken advantage of LSB’s services is Pour’di Aromas, which sells home fragrances from its base in Taunton, Somerset. When interviewed about his partnership with LSB, owner Jordan Clark said, “It was a great opportunity to engage with people and grow our accounts. Holly has even built up a community of businesses and is bringing people together from a business perspective and helping us network. Off the back of the subscription boxes I’ve had about five or six repeat customers and loads of extra followers.”
