Expression Blog

Community counts, now more than ever. So here is a collection of stories, tips and insights from fellow great independents. Do get in touch if you have a story you'd like to share

Business Love Stories – BOHNS Best Burgers

After time spent travelling Europe and living and working in Canada, Tom Bohn returned to the UK full of dreams and ideas. In 2015, Tom and Jeff started BOHNS Rubs and Spices, and after 3 years of trading, doing fetes and street pop ups, dreams turned to reality when they got together with Tarvinder and Oli and opened the doors to Nottingham based BOHNS Best Burgers (bohnsbestburgers.co.uk [https://bohnsbestburgers.co.uk/]) , an independent restaurant with a focus on quality, using fresh ingredi

10 Achievable New Year’s Resolutions to prosper in 2023

It’s the start of a brand new year and time to look to the future. 2023 will be tough, let’s make no bones about it. We may not want to make huge commitments right not and set ourselves up for a fall, BUT we can all still commit to doing our bit to keep the ship steady and even grow this year. At Expression we understand the pressures on every small business owner, so we have put together 10 simple resolutions that don’t cost anything other than a bit of thought / time to put in place. Keep to t

Inspirational Podcasts for Small Business Owners

Podcasts enable the time poor independent business owner to multitask. To listen to inspirational stories and advice from small business experts whilst in the car driving to work, walking the dog or simply during a well-earned break. Podcasts have been around for years with numerous series addressing small business matters, shining the light on the road to success, bringing advice, life lessons and stories of inspiration from influential businesspeople, but where do you start? The secret is to

Business buildings insurance - don't risk underinsurance

Insurance can be summed up by “hoping for the best, preparing for the worst” and should the worst happen you want peace of mind you are protected. With spiraling costs, small business owners are looking for cost savings at every opportunity, including their business and buildings insurance, but making cuts on your level of cover to get a better price may leave you at risk of being underinsured. Buildings insurance is one area that often catches small business owners out. Read on to understand

Restaurant Insurance - The must have and nice to have cover for all seasons

The last two years have taught us that we never know what is round the corner, we can’t predict the future, but we can protect it. Having the right insurance for your independent restaurant protects you, your business and your customers from risks and liabilities should an accident happen. With the unpredictable comes the predictable, continued challenges of staffing shortages, interruptions to the food supply chain and rising costs. Planning for the year ahead has never been more important for

Business Love Stories - Malt Cafe

In 2018, Malt, a small but perfectly formed cafe opened in what you may think of as the wrong side of town. A bit grey and rundown, there were a couple of pubs, a co-op, and Gala Bingo tipped out its clientele just down the street. All the good places to eat and drink were at the other end of town. Malt stuck out like a sore thumb. Fast forward four years later and it’s an entirely different story. Look out of the window while scoffing the best full English you’re ever going to eat in your life

Safeguarding your DIY and Hardware Business from the Rising Threat of Theft

DIY and hardware stores have been particularly hit hard by the increase in retail theft and these small businesses, selling higher value items such as power tools and garden products, will continue to experience losses without reviewing their theft proofing measures. Retail theft is fuelled by poverty and as the cost of living takes hold and shoplifting from the high street increases, theft proofing your independent business has never been more important. There’s no way to keep your business 10

Deck the halls on a budget

As temperatures start to dip and mince pies once again grace our shelves, it can only mean one thing, Christmas! That special time of the year when we see our high streets transformed with twinkling lights and festive tunes can be heard from the doorways of small businesses as they entice shoppers on the hunt for gifts, a celebratory meal or seasonal sweet treat.  It’s time to “get your festive window on”. There is something quite magical about Christmas including the positive impact on many bu

Business Love Stories - Enzo's

Every time I’m lucky enough to go to Italy, I seek out busy restaurants shovelling out meal after meal of great looking food. By shovelling, I mean one of those places you can plonk yourself down and pretty much guarantee an unpretentious, delicious plate of fish or a pizza that doesn’t look much but is a texture and flavour sensation. Then, when you’re in the thick of a post homemade tiramisu haze, you and your fellow diners lament that you won’t get Italian food like this again until you’re fo

Business Love Stories - Vegan Street Food Company

Sandwiched between a mobile phone shop and Superdrug up the tidiest alleyway you’ll ever saunter down sits the little shopfront of The Vegan Street Food Company. Blink, and you’ll miss it at your peril. The small entrance leads to a landing and a set of stairs down into the cafe proper. It is, however, worth pausing on the landing to take in and, frankly, admire the layout. On the right-hand wall, racks of herbs, spices and pulses sit cheek by jowl with lentils and gluten-free flour. For this wr

Business Love Stories - Emporium Worthing

Garden gnomes are back, and they are cool. There, I’ve said it. A gnome is no longer considered naff; indeed, #gardengnome trends on TikTok. If you fancy hosting one but don’t want to go ‘old school’ gnome, I can point you in the direction of a bright blue, eighty-five centimetre, cordial looking chap standing proudly in Emporium Worthing’s window. Emporium is a double-fronted shop in the centre of Worthing, selling an eclectic mix of homewares, gifts and preloved fashion. It’s also a cafe with

Business Interruption Insurance – continuity and stability when it matters

“Unprecedented” and “record shattering” were the headlines in many of the UK’s newspapers during summer 2022 when describing the record hitting temperatures experienced. These headlines were followed by amber warnings issued for London with risk of transport disruption and power cuts due to flash floods and these phenomena are set to continue. Detailed in carbonbrief.org [https://www.carbonbrief.org/climate-change-made-2022s-uk-heatwave-at-least-10-times-more-likely/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20