Partner Article

New Warwickshire market research business lands Visit England contract

A Warwickshire market research consultant has secured a major contract just months after launching her own business.

Leamington-based Helen Roberts launched XV Insight last year after working for 25 years in the market research industry, mainly for major agencies in senior roles.

And her decision is already looking like the right one after the company won several new contracts including a major piece of work with Visit England and the Discover England Fund, which is aimed at growing in-bound tourism to the UK.

To get the business off the ground, Helen has been tapping into free support and advice available through the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Start-Up Programme, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils.

She has been attending masterclasses on a range of subjects aimed at offering practical advice to business owners, attending networking events, and accessing support from a business coach, Tanya King.

Helen said: “It was great to win the contract with Visit England and the Discover England Fund so soon after establishing XV Insight. It’s a great testament to the new business that such a major organisation has come to us for such a significant piece of market research work.

“I felt the time was right to take the plunge because of the experience and expertise I had acquired over the years and I am really enjoying it. “I can offer a wide range of market research services – from short-term consultancy through to long-term, full-service project management.

“The contract with Visit England and the Discover England Fund is focussed on tourism but XV Insight can operate in any sector – if a business or organisation wants to know what its customers or potential customers are thinking, we can help them find that out and provide robust action-orientated insight.”

Helen added: “The support from the Chamber has been invaluable. The masterclasses were in a relaxed, informal setting and it meant I could take away exactly what I wanted from them.

“And having my own business coach was fantastic too. Sometimes it’s just great to be able to talk through an idea and get some genuine feedback in return – it helps you to question yourself and where you want to go with the business too.

“I’d researched – as you’d expect – quite a few networking organisations in the area and the Chamber stood out for me because of the additional help that comes with it.

“I feel like I’m getting long-term help and support, not just something that will be dropped after just a few weeks and that’s great to know as a new business.”

Tanya King, a business coach at the Chamber, said: “It has been fantastic working with Helen as she’s established XV Insight and it’s been a wonderful start for the business.

“Businesses required different levels of support when they start-up and we can tailor our coaching to the needs of the company, rather than the other way round.”

For more information on business support from the Chamber, call 024 7665 4321.

Information on the project led by XV Insight for Visit England and the Discover England Fund can be found here https://www.visitbritain.org/research-summary-reports

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .