How the Cumbria brand is greener, more resilient and with bigger goals than ever, post-pandemic

Growth abounds at Cumbria-based family business, Bath House, in more ways than one.

Founded in 1997, the company’s head office is nestled in the lush Dentdale countryside. With a focus on quality and sustainability, a host of natural and locally-sourced ingredients are used in its luxurious bath and body products.

Growth is on the agenda within the business, too, as the firm looks to overseas expansion.

Senior Manager, Will Marshall, explains: “We’ve had great success in the UK and now want to explore US and European markets, as well.”

Will’s international aspirations are a marked change from the team’s outlook back in March 2020, when they were forced to focus more on survival than expansion.

Will continues: “Three years ago, we predominantly sold products via our six retail stores in Cumbria and Yorkshire and directly to the hospitality industry, so we felt the impact of the pandemic sharply and needed to act fast to stay afloat.

“We immediately switched our perfume machinery to creating hand sanitiser which we gifted to frontline workers and quickly built our e-commerce website and wider online marketing.

“It was all hands on deck, with staff at every level working to fulfil online orders which, fortunately, picked up rapidly.”

A chance to step back and think

As the pandemic eased, Will wanted to look again at the business’ direction. He says: “We had become a very different company, with new staffing structures, roles and a substantial online presence and I wanted a chance to take stock and plan.

“I heard about the Help to Grow: Management programme in the Chancellor’s 2021 budget speech and it sounded like the opportunity I needed to stop fighting fires and begin to plan strategically with Bath House’s longer-term future in mind.”

Help to Grow is a national programme launched by the UK Government and delivered by Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). It provides delegates with the management tools to help them innovate and grow their businesses post-pandemic.

The 12-week blended programme is aimed at senior leaders of small and medium enterprises and is 90 per cent subsidised by the government.

Will continues: “I discovered that I could complete the course at Lancaster University which was perfect as it has an outstanding reputation for delivering business education, and was less than an hour’s drive from our base in the Yorkshire Dales.”

“Like a mini-MBA”

“I would best describe Help to Grow: Management as being like a mini-MBA. It offered a high-level insight into a wide range of business and management issues. Suddenly, I found myself with a new level of understanding of the business and was able to make connections and see gaps that I hadn’t before.

“For example, we have been phasing out plastic packaging: 95 per cent of our products are now refillable or recyclable. I realised that by just getting on with it we had overlooked an opportunity to share this next phase in our commitment to sustainability with the whole Bath House team.

“Because of the Help to Grow scheme we now have a much clearer focus on communicating our vision internally and helping all colleagues to understand how they contribute to encouraging people to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

“Now, colleagues have a much stronger sense of purpose and feeling of being part of something bigger than themselves, which is also bolstering the sense of Bath House as a great place to work.”

The power of an objective perspective

As part of the Help to Grow programme, delegates receive ten hours of one-to-one mentoring with an experienced business leader.

For Will, time with his mentor gave him an invaluable, objective view of the Bath House. “The process of explaining challenges, talking them through and taking someone else’s perspective was hugely useful.” says Will, “It gave me the confidence I needed to overcome the challenges presented by Brexit and instead aim for growth and the opportunity that exporting presents.”

Gain the tools to grow your business

The Help to Grow: Management programme is delivered over 12 weeks through a combination of in-person and virtual sessions. The timetable of weekly, part-day seminars is designed for delegates with full-time jobs.

Places are open to the senior managers of UK-based small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that employ between five and 249 people.

The next cohort starts on the 1st November 2023.

Fees are part-funded by the UK Government. To find out more about costs, eligibility and to apply, visit Help to Grow | Lancaster University.

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