How connection & collaboration are at the heart of micro business success.

Small businesses, particularly micro ones are very rarely in the posession of unlimited resources, support or even recognition and yet continue to create untold value to us all in communities around the UK.

We know that hard work, tenacity and innovation are all part of any small business's arsenal as they survive and thrive, but there's another ingredient or two that small businesses are particularly great at using to bring a new level of success and that's connection & collaboration.

Collaboration isn't just about pooling resources or sharing promotional activity but it's the effective networking and relationship building that unlocks new levels of working together while pouring real love and dedication into any project, all with a shared goal to make something really magical.

Take the recent redesign of a Peak District cafe in the historic village of Eyam. After many years of successful trading, Sara and her team from Village Green Cafe decided that the next chapter included a redesign to provide both internal efficiencies and newly enhanced customer experiences and it was time to seek out the best people to help her. Turning to Simply Club members among others, Sara set about choosing a team of experts who could share her vision and help her achieve her dream while aligning to her ethos of 'made with care' in all that she does.

Local trades people were used alongside Nancy, her website designer from PeakNet Web Design. To go with the new layout and colours, Andy from A Spark A Flame A Fire also designed stunning new branding and work with Nancy to help bring this alive on the website. Helen Rowan, a personal brand and location photographer, was also able to provide new professional photographs that perfectly capture the essence that Sara has created. Every detail of the new cafe has been supported by local, small and micro businesses, right down to beautiful hand made ceramic table numbers. This isn't about just a local supply chain ethos but about finding people and expertise that truly align to a small business vision.

These kinds of collaborations are testament to long term relationship building and trusted recommendations that ensure results that are both high quality and impactful far beyond the project itself.

To celebrate the opening of the newly refurbished cafe, Simply Club held a Meet Up in Eyam in January to congratulate Sara and the people around her who have made such a difference. As Sara said, she simply couldn't have done it without the support, encouragement and expertise of her fellow micro business owners who all worked to the tight deadline in an effort to welcome customers back as quickly as possible.

If you're visiting the Peak District and want to be enchanted by the beautiful village of Eyam, then stop by the Village Green Cafe for home made bakes, delicious coffee and a calming vibe that only comes when such collaborative love is poured in.

Find out more about how Simply Club is growing a committed community of stand out micro business owners across the UK here.