Businesses thrive on determination & dedication.

Whether you are a sole trader, family run generational business, medium trading entity or corporate giant; the one thing they all have in common is people. Without good people at the helm, any sense of individuality can be lost.

Partnerships in business are commonplace, so what happens when these partnerships extend beyond professional & in to the personal?

‘Copreneurs’ across Britain are flying the flag for self-employment & the entrepreneurial mindset by creating successful start-up’s & running successful businesses.

Many people might argue that working with a partner/spouse might mean there is no time for you as an emotionally connected couple. However, studies have shown that out of 4.7 million family owned businesses in the UK, coprenuers run 1.4 million of them.

The covid19 has certainly taken it’s toll on global economies & seen many businesses collapse under the strain. This has been especially challenging for copreneurs who not only have had the concerns of how their businesses might fare, but also the impact this could have on their emotional partnership & home life.

During the various lockdowns implemented in the UK due to the Covid19 pandemic, businesses repeatedly had to close their doors & it is no secret that the hospitality sector in particular was severely affected by the lockdowns & for some copreneurs, it simply was not viable to continue.

One example where a couple diversified & thrived was brought to light in the Tom Kerridge BBC documentary series Saving Britain’s Pubs.

The White Hart Inn, Chilsworthy, Cornwall was purchased by Ian & Amy in 2017. Having taken over the 18thC pub in a small community, it was very much that the pub was at the centre of the local community.

When the Covid19 pandemic began Ian & Amy were already struggling to survive, but having to close was a devastating blow to them both.

However, remaining the focus of the community, Amy turned one of the rooms in the pub into a small provisions shop & stocked essentials for the locals who could not get access to supermarkets. Amy also started to cook meals for the elderly & vulnerable in the community.

Despite the fact that Ian & Amy nearly lost their pub due to the lockdowns, they were able to find ways to diversify & in doing so, support their local community.

Another example of how a couple again in hospitality managed to survive the pandemic, is Neil & Mary Wilkins of Wilkins Dining.

An already established outside caterer for weddings & corporate events, the Covid19 pandemic forced the couple to diversify.

With weddings & events postponed & venues closed, Neil & Mary Wilkins built the ‘Rothbury Food Truck’ selling takeaway meals direct to the community. Neil & Mary then went on to deliver fruit & veg boxes which proved so successful they subsequently opened a shop in the village.

“From doing two to three weddings a week, our business literally dried up within the first couple of weeks of lockdown & we had to diversify, or we would have had to shut it down.” Neil Wilkins (1)

“The food truck saved us & I cannot thank the people of Rothbury enough for the fantastic support we have had from them. Similarly, what started with delivering a few fruit & veg boxes to elderly neighbours snowballed to us opening a shop, thanks to community support.(1)

“It’s certainly been a learning curve. From setting up card payments & a booking system for our takeaways to running a shop; we’ve needed to be resilient” (1)

The Rothbury Food Truck is still a going concern & continues to provide hot takeaway food for the local community at a variety of locations.

This is only a brief look into how two copreneurs have found ways to diversify & survive throughout the Covid19 pandemic & have through determination & hard work, found a formula for success.

Written by Katy Jane on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd