This year's keynote speaker, Ed Webb, head of the family firm, Webbs of Wychbold, engaged his audience in a fantastic presentation about how the business has grown from a relatively modest seed merchants in the mid-nineteenth century to the multi-site 21st century visitor attraction it is today.

(L – R) David Caro (FSB),Tim Maxfield (UoW),Ed Webb, Rhys Humm,Judi Brazkiewicz (FSB)

Ed described changing times over the centuries and how Webbs adapted and updated to meet new markets, moving away from agriculture towards consumer, replacing bulk corn seed orders with, in the earlier days, gardens seeds and plants and then more recently the wide range of garden and home goods that most of us like to have around us.

Although Ed admits that times are not as easy as they were just a few years ago; he still works hard with his team of over 300 staff to ensure that the family firm continues to be the favourite for his West Midland customer base.

Recently the Wychbold site has added other brands to the retail offer, national names which, though not gardening based, fit firmly within the ‘leisure', or as Ed calls it, "what you do in your spare time" model.

His latest update is the new website. www.websdirect.co.uk brings the company right up to date with click and collect, delivery to your home and general information and browsing.

Add all of the above to the expanding wholesale supply Webbs offers to other retailers and the in-store food hall, cafe and other consumer must haves and you have a superb model of how a small family firm has taken proactive steps to remain within its expertise but still managed to diversify, securing the future of both the company, 300+ staff and 4000 suppliers which rely on Webbs for their own economic success.

When asked by FSB what town centre retailers might do to help their own economic survival Ed suggested that high property rents and business rates are stunting natural growth in retailing. He hoped that local business owners would negotiate with landlords to ensure properties remained occupied and at a sustainable cost.

And....How did Webbs get the brown sign off the M5? Well, says Ed, we just asked for it, and they said yes!

The supporting presentation of the evening was made by Rhys Humm, of Holywell Malvern Spring Water. Rhys gave his audience an inspiring insight into the way his company has gone from nothing to almost a household name in just a handful of years.

It all started when Mr and Mrs Humm, senior, bought the Holywell property. They didn't know anything about the spring waters and were intrigued by the beautifully fresh water from the spring at their home. Rhys undertook investigations and found that they were literally sitting on the original source of Malvern spring water.

The following years included all of the checked, planning applications and so on to kick start a brand new company, Holywell Water. The gap in the market was obvious and as Coca Cola withdrew from Malvern in 2010 Holywell was on hand to fill what had been a gap and was now a gaping abyss. Malvern spring water was first recognised as a leader at the Crystal Palace Great Exhibition of 1851, when Queen Victoria decided that she liked it, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Rhys has recently landed his first export deal, taking Holywell Malvern Spring Water to the Far East. The FSB has invited Rhys to speak at their forthcoming Business Grow Show at Worcester Sixways Stadium, where he will outline the process of reaching foreign markets.

Local MP signs up as Entrepreneurs' Champion

Starting up a business is never easy, and can often become even harder to keep it going and develop it to a level which will pay both the business owner and staff decent salaries.

Support is needed at a variety of levels and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Enterprise Club provides a wide range of support to Worcester's pre and early stage start up businesses.

Working with Worcester City Council and Job Centre Plus, FSB provides fortnightly workshops at the Guildhall in Worcester, where new and would-be business owners learn from local specialists the practicalities and legalities of self-employment.

(L-R) Robbie Hazlehurst, FSB, Gill Handley, Job Centre Plus, Robin Walker, MP with Caroline Fidoe and Chris Bullock, local entrepreneurs.

Recently Robin Walker, MP, visited the group to find out exactly what's happening in Worcester, how local people are planning for their futures and the hurdles that they have to clear in turning a good business idea into a real business. Being a past business owner himself, Robin was very keen to listen to experiences from those around the table, adding his own anecdotes along the way.

Whilst at the Enterprise Club Robin confirmed his role as a Business Champion, part of the FSB's Real Life Entrepreneur Campaign. This means that Robin will bring the concerns and issues of small businesses to the table when decisions are being made that impact on the millions of small businesses across the UK affecting their potential for business growth and further employment.

Robin is one of a growing number of Business Champions from across the whole of the UK. Anyone wishing to find out more about the FSB's Real-Life Entrepreneur Campaign, the FSB Enterprise Club, or FSB Membership should contact the local office on 01386 750032.

Business Champions sign up to national campaign

17/02/12

MP for Mid-Worcestershire, Peter Luff, joined Michael O'Brien, the Principal of South Worcestershire College, local businessman Paul Johnson and new business owner, Lucy Howson, today when they signed up to the fastest growing band of Business Champions across the UK, FSB's Real Life Entrepreneurs.

Pictured L - R: Michael O'Brien, Paul Johnson, Lucy Howson and Peter Luff, MP.

Peter Luff, already the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Champion for the Ministry of Defence, was keen to learn more about the working relationship between the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and South Worcestershire College (SWC).

SWC's Principal, Michael O'Brien, explained that the College's need for work placements and apprenticeships was very dependent on a good working relationship with local small businesses and the FSB was providing some support for students who need to meet business owners and secure placements to help them into full time work.

Joining Michael and Peter was a very well established businessman, Paul Johnson, CEO of Long Marston based Johnson Vellen Total Vehicle Services and brand new business owner, Lucy Howson, who runs not one but two businesses: Vanilla Moon, specialising in bringing beauty therapy to you, and Offenham based Nick Nash, where she is the resident beautician, serving the local community with a range of luxurious treatments, from her state of the art salon located right at the heart of the village.

Paul, a specialist in vehicle refurbishments, has run his own business for over twelve years, following in his father's footsteps, who also devoted his life's work to the automotive trade.

Paul said: "I started from the ground up; I know how every stage of our business works and how the different departments impact upon each other. My son is now in the business and is making a real go of it, so I hope that he will take the business into the next generation."

Lucy studied at SWC for two years, reaching level three in her speciality beauty treatments. Until recently she worked for a large spa salon in Gloucestershire, but felt that she wanted to spread her wings and, though some friends, she says, think she's mad to start up in the middle of a recession, she adds: "It just goes to show that if you put your heart and soul into something it can really work."

Judi Brazkiewicz, Chairman for FSB Worcestershire, said: "All four FSB Real Life Business Champions have taken life changing decisions as their careers have progressed. Entrepreneurialism is a way of thinking and a way of life. Business ownership doesn't suit everyone but for those who take to it see their efforts can really pay off."

For more information about the Real Life Entrepreneur Campaign visit http://www.fsb.org.uk/campaigns and for local information www.fsb.org.uk/092 or call 01386 75032