Billy Darroch, co-founder of UK Funding Futures CIC tells us about his business journey, why he reached out to Proper Good Bolton, what support he has accessed and why he is recommending Proper Good to other potential social entrepreneurs.

 Tell us all about Funding Futures…

“Funding Futures is an innovative solution to a problem we saw within our local communities. We support disadvantaged and unemployed women through wellbeing, life skills, accredited training and then help them with employment or self-employment within the beauty industry.

“My wife Hayley and I already have a Ltd company called HD Beauty and we have three salons, a training centre and a shop. However, we wanted to be able to give a little something back. The beauty industry is a space where you can really succeed and thrive if you are driven, but often it is just seen as a ‘fallback’ option.

“So we built a programme where we help the ladies work on themselves through beauty and wellness and then upskill them and equip them ready to work. We recruited women through local charities such as homeless shelters and refuges.

“Our waiting list was in excess of 50 ladies and we couldn’t fund anymore.”

How did you get in touch with Proper Good Bolton?

“We approached Proper Good Bolton for some advice after finding them through a Google search.

“It started with just a drop-in session. We had so many questions and we felt really welcomed and we got lots of information. They gave us encouragement to start researching what might be a good fit for us in terms of setting ourselves up. There were a lot of options open for us.

“We left with more questions in a good way!

“They held our hand into the third sector and got us to a point where we were really confident that we would be supported not only by grant funders, but also by businesses and government departments.

“We reached back out to Proper Good after doing a lot of work in-house for some more advice and training. I have attended every session that they offer because I believe that if you’re learning, your business is getting stronger. I’ve learnt a lot about engaging with stakeholders, reporting our impact to help attract more funders and also how to manage our finances. It was a great foundation for us.”

“We also applied for their seed fund, which is £300 to help social enterprises to get off the ground and take their first step in establishing themselves. We used the fund to create a brand for Funding Futures; a logo, business cards and leaflets. That £300 was a pot of money that created our identity and it was invaluable to us.”

What is your plan looking ahead?

“Since then we’ve learnt that Proper Good also supports with social investment. We have been successful in our first nine months of being a social enterprise and we’re ready to take the next step in our journey and keep growing – which is to acquire a building.

“We would need help to do so, and the flexibility with Proper Good means that they are currently our preferred avenue to acquire funding. We’re now in the process of identifying which fund best suits our needs.”

Why would you recommend Proper Good?

“The Proper Good teams that I’ve met so far contain the best humans that I’ve ever dealt with! Don’t make it a barrier talking to them – it doesn’t matter what stage you’re at. Initiate the conversation because they really are the best of the best.”

What advice would you give to other social entrepreneurs?

“Two pieces of advice for any social entrepreneur. Use Proper Good whilst it’s there. I have been in business now for over 20 years and have never come across such a resource that is free and given with such good people behind it. Secondly, attend the training. The impact of the training on Funding Futures has been significant.”

Proper Good Bolton is a programme of free-to-access business support and social investment, designed to help your social enterprise diversify, develop and thrive. Find out more: www.boltoncvs.org.uk/proper-good-social-business-support-programme/