How we've helped Packshare
Business overview
Packshare is a website and app that lets you search for local businesses who can reuse your packaging. Roo Pescod and his partner, Louisa Street saw a gap in the market for reusing packaging after Louisa saw a flaw in the system of business buying packaging, only for it to be thrown away as soon as items arrived with the customer. After several months of talking about the idea, they decided to take the plunge and start their business.
Packshare gives people a better option than throwing away, or recycling packaging leftover from parcels posted to them – Packshare can give it to people who can reuse it! “It’s a way of taking responsibility for our community’s waste”, says Roo who enjoys meeting his neighbours, interacting with businesses and finding out what they’re up to.
With the huge bank of business support and advice in Cornwall but no clue where to start, Roo and Louisa turned to the Growth Hub for assistance after seeing local company, The Fish Factory, share a post on Facebook.
It’s been a really amazing experience to feel so supported when we were starting up a business – which I thought would just be us against the world!
How we helped
Roo met up with Growth Hub Connector Jacqui for a business review to discuss where to go next.
“It was great, really helpful with Jacqui. I feel like she really got what we were about,” says Roo about the business review. “The best piece of advice she gave was to find the people who are going to be into it and understand what Packshare is and not to worry too much about the rest of them!”
Jacqui referred Roo and Louisa to a whole host of business support and shared her knowledge of waste law and working in their sector, by highlighting potential risks as problems to overcome, rather than barriers to progress.
Speaking highly of the review, Roo explained, “I would and have recommended the Growth Hub to other people. It’s been a really amazing experience to feel so supported when we were starting up a business – which I thought would just be us against the world!”
Alongside the business review, Roo and Louisa also entered the Growth Hub ‘Spread The Word’ campaign and won! The prize was a package of business support worth £3250, which included a Cornwall Council Rover pass for one year’s free parking.
“It has been really brilliant for Packshare. It’s given us a variety of assistance and free parking in Cornwall – that’s like gold dust!” explains Roo about winning the Summer prize draw.
“It felt very supportive getting the promo video shot by Growth Hub cause it’s something else I don’t have to do and as a small business owner, it’s really good to have someone helping out like that.”
This is only the beginning for Packshare, who want to take their passion for the environment further. They currently have around 50 businesses signed up to the service and are trialing the various functions available. The Packshare app will be launching early next year.
The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub from May 2016 - June 2023 was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. The project received £2,848,591.49 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
| Business name | Packshare |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.packshare.org/ |
