Blog Archives - Our Local UK

A West Midlands business is helping small retail and hospitality businesses sell online – without any upfront financial commitment or need for technical know-how – as they seek to recover from lockdown.

OurLocal.uk, based in Cannock, Staffordshire, has been helping a wide variety of small businesses add a new dimension to the way they sell to customers old and new.

As owners look to increase sales as lockdown begins to ease, cafes, takeaways, farm shops and convenience stores in towns and villages need the support of their local communities more than ever, but it’s also important they can adapt to meet the needs of consumer habits.

Ourlocal.uk is an innovative new company that designs and delivers e-commerce websites for small businesses – covering the cost of set-up – so they can take online orders from customers and arrange deliveries and collections.

According to managing director Russ James, it is vital that businesses move with the times to help them thrive in post-Covid times.
Russ said: “The last 12 months has seen a dramatic acceleration in online shopping, with the largest increase coming from the over-50s sector. Global businesses have reaped the benefits in the shape of massive profits, with record numbers of people using the likes of Amazon and JustEat, while our small local traders are cast further adrift.
“I’ve been in the design industry for over 30 years, and during that time I have created lots of websites for corporate clients who rely on their online presence. However, bespoke e-commerce websites are not cheap, which means they are often out of reach for the typical small local retailer.”
He added: “There are options out there to build your own website, but your average small business owner simply does not have the time or technical skill to do it themselves. That’s why I created OurLocal.uk, which builds online shops for small businesses for free, and we also do all the technical stuff for them.
“This includes adding their menu or products, connecting their secure payment system, and setting up all their collection and delivery criteria, so they are good to go in no time at all.”
Initially OurLocal.uk launched with the offer of a 30-day free trial, with a low fixed-cost fee per month and the option to cancel anytime. Many businesses took advantage of this and continue to trade online very successfully.
However, with the uncertainty surrounding forced closures and a severe lack of confidence about future trading restrictions, many small businesses are still nervous about committing to any form of additional fixed cost.

Russ said: “We thought our offer was perfect for small businesses, as it enabled them to spread the cost of a professional e-commerce website over a long period of time. But the more business owners we spoke to, the more we realised just how tough things are for them, and the thought of committing to even £23 a week was still too much for some.
“That’s why we’ve changed our pricing structure. We still build the websites for free, but now charge 6% on any orders they receive, (which includes all credit/debit card fees and merchant fees). If they receive no orders, they pay nothing whatsoever. There’s no annual hosting or maintenance costs, and they can still cancel anytime. Now, there is absolutely no reason why any small business shouldn’t have their own online shop.”
The boom in online shopping tells us consumers are comfortable paying a little extra for the convenience of purchasing from the safety and comfort of their own home, so, if they wish, business owners can also recover the commission and payment fee, with a small increase in their online prices, added Russ.
“As with any business, OurLocal.uk also has costs and staff to pay. Fortunately, we are in a position where we can recover these over a period of time. This is primarily due to the financial backing we received from a very successful, local entrepreneur, who is passionate about helping as many small businesses as possible.”

People have been urged to buy from local stores after the government issued a stark warning about the risks of catching Covid-19 while shopping at supermarkets.

Speaking in a press conference, Boris Johnson warned that the disease can be passed on by standing too near to someone in a supermarket queue, and also by handling something touched by an infected person.

Entrepreneur Darren Nelson said the dangers associated with supermarket shopping during the pandemic means that shopping local, through an online click and collect service or deliveries, now makes more sense than ever.

Switching to farm shops, convenience stores, butchers, bakers, takeaways and other food shops is safer than going to a supermarket and helps to support businesses that provide jobs for local people, said the director of Penkridge-based Ourlocal.uk.

With business partners Russ James and Andi Elliott, Darren has launched a drive to save our High Streets by helping thousands of shops survive lockdown and thrive afterwards.
They have designed and developed Ourlocal.uk – a low-cost online ordering system and have been signing up shops across the West Midlands to create their own e-commerce websites.

The launch of Ourlocal.uk means those businesses not allowed to open under lockdown legislation can get e-commerce websites within as little as 24 hours, ready to take online orders from customers and arrange deliveries.

Darren said: “Our Prime Minister has warned us that it is dangerous to shop at supermarkets where infected people may have handled the goods you put in your basket or trolley. Of course we support the call for people to make sure they keep a safe distance from others, wear a mask, only pick up what you intend to buy, and wash their hands. But there is a way that people, particularly the elderly and the vulnerable, can shop in a safer way and that is to order online from your local shops.” He added: “By ordering from your local stores you will avoid coming into contact with baskets and trollies that may have been used by an infected person, and you will not have to queue near people that may be carrying the disease. It has to be a safer way to shop.”

Russ said: “We’re urging more shops to get online – it could be the single best decision they make. It could be the difference between survival and bankruptcy. Now, more than ever, we must support shops, pubs, restaurants and other small firms if we want them to survive. Tens of thousands of jobs are at stake.”
During the first three months of the initial lockdown a reported 85,000 businesses in the UK started selling online.

“We believe an online shop is a vital addition to any business, even more so in recent times. We help customers get selling online quickly, without the need for any upfront payment or technical skills. Furthermore, we don’t charge commission and we ensure that their online customers are theirs for the long term,” he added.

A West Midlands businessman is calling for a local shopping revolution to help small retail and hospitality businesses survive the latest lockdown.

Cafes, takeaways, farm shops and convenience stores in towns and villages need the support of their local customers if they are to continue trading, according to Russ James.

With business partners Darren Nelson and Andi Elliott, Russ has launched a drive to save our High Streets by helping thousands of shops, pubs, restaurants, takeaways and others survive lockdown and thrive afterwards.

They have designed and developed Ourlocal.uk – a low-cost online ordering system and have been signing up shops in Stafford, Lichfield, Penkridge and Wolverhampton to create their own e-commerce websites.

Russ said: “The government is calling on all of us to stay local to avoid spreading coronavirus. As a result, many of us are now beginning to realise what an invaluable service our local shops provide. If we all divert some of our spending from supermarkets and big stores to our local shops it will have a major positive impact. We are calling on customers to support a local shopping revolution by buying more from shops, cafes and takeaways in their own area. This will help small businesses that provide jobs for local people to survive. It’s a win-win situation.”

The business partners have issued an SOS – Save Our Shops – urging thousands of small businesses to begin trading online to help them survive the impact of the pandemic.
Driven by the desire to make a difference, they developed Ourlocal.uk with a mission to provide low-cost, e-commerce websites to enable local shops to get selling online. Dozens of small businesses across the West Midlands have signed up to Ourlocal.uk.

“Getting online could be the single best decision these businesses make. It could be the difference between survival and bankruptcy. Now, more than ever, we must support shops, pubs, restaurants and other small firms if we want them to survive. Tens of thousands of jobs are at stake.”

During the first three months of the initial lockdown a reported 85,000 businesses in the UK started selling online.

However, there are a number of challenges facing businesses that want to get selling online:

• Cost – a typical e-commerce website would start at £2,000-£3,000.
• Technical knowhow – building an online shop yourself using a platform like Wix/Godaddy/Squarespace/Shopify requires a degree of IT skill.
• Time – local businesses are already working really hard to survive and have little spare time to dedicate to building and running an online shop.

Russ added: “It has been amazing to see these small businesses begin making money through online ordering. They can see that having their own click and collect/delivery system makes sense. Their costs are reduced dramatically and they are in complete control from start to finish.”

Restaurants, cafes and takeaways in the West Midlands are ditching food delivery apps like Deliveroo and JustEat in protest at their high commission fees, and switching to their own low-cost online ordering systems instead, it was claimed today.

Entrepreneur Darren Nelson is leading the delivery apps protest and has been signing up shops in Stafford, Lichfield, Penkridge and Wolverhampton to create their own Ourlocal.uk e-commerce websites.

The backlash from angry owners of independent eateries comes after they faced paying commission charges of up to 37.5% on each order. For some it can mean the difference between breaking even, making a loss, or going under, said Darren.

With business partners Russ James and Andi Elliott, Darren has launched a drive to save our High Streets by helping thousands of shops, pubs, restaurants, takeaways and others get through lockdown and capitalise on the Christmas shopping rush.

They have issued an SOS – Save Our Shops – urging thousands of small businesses to begin trading online to help them survive the impact of the pandemic.

Driven by the desire to make a difference, they have developed Ourlocal.uk with a mission to provide low-cost, e-commerce websites to enable shops to get selling online.
The launch of Ourlocal.uk means those businesses not allowed to open under lockdown legislation can get e-commerce websites within as little as 24 hours, ready to take online orders from customers and arrange deliveries.

Darren said: “These are extremely tough times for everyone operating a shop, but restaurants, cafes and takeaways have the added problem of having to pay high commission on food deliveries to customers.

“We’ve spoken to many business owners and they’re at the point where they’ve just had enough. They can’t afford to pay such a high slice of every order to the likes of Deliveroo and Just Eat and so they’re looking for alternative options.

“That’s why they’ve embraced Ourlocal.uk so readily. They can see that having their own click and collect/delivery system makes sense. Their costs are reduced dramatically and they are in complete control from start to finish.”

He added: “Getting online could be the single best decision these businesses make. It could be the difference between survival and bankruptcy. Now, more than ever, we must support shops, pubs, restaurants and other small firms if we want them to survive. Tens of thousands of jobs are at stake.

“I’m happy to put my money where my mouth is and offer retailers and small business owners an opportunity to become e-retailers overnight. They will pay nothing at all until we are out of lockdown. We’re taking all the risk away so that they can focus on generating income.”

Darren recently sold highway maintenance business Carnell Support Services after leading its growth for 30 years. As majority shareholder, he has invested heavily in the new business and believes it has the potential to help businesses across the UK make it through the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis it has caused.

Try our online calculator to see how much you could save >

Why choose Ourlocal.uk?
• We’ll build your online shop for free.
• We’ll have your new website up and running in days.
• We’ll let you try it free throughout lockdown.
• Then, if you love it, just pay a low, fixed cost monthly subscription.
• There’s no contract, so you can cancel any time.
• We don’t charge any commission.

Business is booming for a West Midlands bistro after it launched an online click and collect service to beat the lockdown which is crippling many restaurants across the country.

Seats Bistro, in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, is thriving after launching its Ourlocal.uk e-commerce site for customers to order gourmet burgers and Sunday roast dinners.

Ourlocal.uk – an innovative company that designs and delivers e-commerce websites for small businesses – has launched a Save Our Shops campaign, helping small firms to get online quickly and at very low cost.

Tom Robinson, owner of Seats restaurant, said offering click and collect via its new Ourlocal.uk site had helped takeaway sales rise to more than half a normal week of being open full time.
Seats – a 30-seat restaurant – is part of Robinson’s Butchers which was first established in Wolverhampton in 1905. Tom, a fourth generation butcher, has been a chef at hotels in Wales and Australia, and at ski chalets in the Alps. He has also run a street food business from a converted horsebox. The company employs a team of around 20 across the butchers and bistro.

Tom said: “During the first lockdown we closed down and completely refurbished the restaurant. When the second lockdown started we decided we wanted to offer a takeaway service showcasing our great restaurant quality meals.

“We are focusing on gourmet burgers and roast dinners purely as takeaways. We started taking orders with a pen and paper ordering system, which got very confusing. We looked for an online ordering system but some are very expensive and have high commission rates and other catches.

“We tried one system and it had fault after fault and, by the end of the week, I was in tears because it just wasn’t working and was actually adding to the workload.
“Then I was told about Ourlocal.uk. I wrote down all the problems I had had and then Russ James contacted me and set everything up. They came out to meet us and set up our system and printer, which allows us to print out all the orders. The whole thing took just two days. The speed and efficiency is amazing.”

He added: “It is seamless and the support we have been given is much more personal than the other systems. First impressions are that it is great.”
he also urged customers to head into the butchers as it stocks great local beef, free range bronze turkeys, home made sausages, home cured bacon and a wide selection of cheeses and everything you need for a great Christmas feast.

Visit seats-wv6.ourlocal.uk

A Stafford menswear store, first established in 1825, is hoping to benefit from 21st Century technology after setting up an e-commerce site as part of a nationwide campaign to save local high streets.

Black’s Menswear, in Mill Street, signed up to Ourlocal.uk and launched a click and collect service after the first Covid-19 lockdown resulted in it having no income for three months.

Anton Sedgwick, director of the renowned shop that sells high-end brands such as Mac Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger and Bugatti, said he turned to Ourlocal.uk when his shop was allowed to reopen after the first lockdown was lifted.

Staffordshire-based Ourlocal.uk is an innovative company launched to design and deliver e-commerce websites for small businesses which aims to save our High Streets one shop at a time.

Anton found out about Ourlocal.uk through a friend of Russ James, one of the three businessmen behind the initiative. He was keen to add e-commerce to the shop’s existing website, to sell stock and save the jobs of the 11 staff who work across the two stores in Stafford and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

“We’re quite a traditional shop but we have very loyal customers,” said Anton, who has worked at Black’s Menswear since 1986.

“It’s like a big social club because we know each other by name and it is this environment that we have built our reputation on.

“It was a big step to decide to open an e-commerce site, but Ourlocal.uk has been brilliant at setting it up for us. It was no small undertaking because it had to integrate with our existing website, but we’re really pleased with the result. Although we don’t have all of our stock on the website there are a few select brands that we think would sell best online.

“It’s early days for us, so we’re starting out by offering a click and collect service from our Stafford shop first. If things go well, we may look at offering the same service from our Newcastle-under-Lyme shop too.”
Ourlocal.uk was launched by local entrepreneur Darren Nelson, who recently sold highway maintenance business Carnell Support Services and joined forces with businessmen Russ James and Andi Elliott in an effort to save local businesses operating in high streets.

Darren has also committed to covering all the subscription costs for the duration of the lockdown for any business that signed up for the service.

He said: “Ourlocal.uk provides low-cost, e-commerce websites and it is coming to the rescue of many local businesses that are looking for ways to survive after an extraordinary few months of restrictions and lockdowns.

“It’s never been more important to support local businesses. These independents are part of the lifeblood of our retail communities and thousands of jobs depend on their survival. I’m pleased we are able to support an historic shop such as Black’s Menswear and hope this new venture into e-commerce opens a new chapter for the business.”

For more details about Black’s Menswear, visit: shop.blacksmenswear.com

A Stafford-based cafe has launched a click-and-collect service for customers after signing up to a new online system that aims to save local high streets during lockdown and beyond.

The Soup Kitchen, based in Church Lane, got its e-commerce site up and running in just a day after Ourlocal.uk came to Duncan Sandy’s aid.

Launched by local entrepreneur Darren Nelson, Ourlocal.uk is an innovative company that designs and delivers e-commerce websites for small businesses – covering the cost of set-up – so they can take online orders and arrange deliveries and collections. Darren is also covering all the subscription costs for the duration of the lockdown.

Duncan said he was eager to get online to provide a takeaway service to help save his cafe, which has operated from the same site for 120 years.

“Darren managed to get us online in just a day which has been amazing and the great thing about ordering online is customers can pre-order and choose a time slot to collect,” said Duncan, whose family has run the cafe for 40 years.
“There is no minimum order and they know their freshly baked scones, for example, will be waiting for them when they arrive.

“With the current situation we have had to adapt to stay in business. It’s been a big change this year but I can’t believe how supportive our customers have been.

“The Soup Kitchen has been here so long it has a loyal following and they really care about us. It makes us feel quite emotional – I want to say a big thank you to them.

“Our first day went well, it was definitely encouraging and we’ve even had orders come through on Monday for the weekend which is great. We wanted to start small to get it right but we may bring delivery in in the future. The aim is it’s not just for lockdown, but afterwards as well.”

The Soup Kitchen launched its online offering with a limited menu of coffees, teas, scones, cakes, hot food and afternoon teas for collection.

Darren, who recently sold highway maintenance business Carnell Support Services, joined forces with businessmen Russ James and Andi Elliott to launch Ourlocal.uk and has invested heavily in it to try to help small, independent businesses across the UK.

He said: “I’m so pleased to see that Ourlocal.uk is helping another local business to survive in these difficult times. It’s vital that we all support our local businesses because thousands of jobs are at stake
“Ourlocal.uk provides low-cost, e-commerce websites and because I’ve committed to footing the bill for these businesses until we are out of lockdown, they have a risk-free opportunity to become online retailers quickly and start to generate much-needed income.”

While the new restrictions are in place, The Soup Kitchen is open Thursday to Saturday 10am-3pm with last orders accepted at 2.30pm and the last collection time being 3.30pm.

For more details and to order, visit order.thesoupkitchen.co.uk

A Staffordshire butcher’s shop is thriving in lockdown after launching an e-commerce site via a new online service that aims to save local high streets.

Russell’s Butchers, in Market Street, Penkridge, said online business has been going so well since it signed up to Ourlocal.uk that it could soon take on an extra pair of hands to cope with demand.

Ray Quarry, who co-owns the shop with Lee Russell, said offering click and collect and a local delivery service via its e-commerce site had added another avenue for sales.

“As we’re an essential shop, we’ve been open throughout the pandemic but when we were told about the Ourlocal.uk site we decided we should give it a go as it’s another way for our customers to place their orders,” he said.

“We’ve just recorded our best week of online orders, with about two thirds coming from new customers, which is great news. Lee and I were talking about going online for ages and this has shown that it was the right thing to do.

“As a local independent shop in a small village, we’re doing all we can to compete with supermarkets and provide a really good, friendly service to our customers and adding the Ourlocal.uk site to the mix has been invaluable. It’s more than paying for itself.

“The Ourlocal.uk guys have been great setting up our e-commerce site and I’m more than happy that it is so easy to use. I can’t fault it and if business keeps up, we’ll have to employ someone to help us with the orders.”

Local entrepreneur Darren Nelson, who recently sold highway maintenance business Carnell Support Services, joined with businessmen Russ James and Andi Elliott to launch Ourlocal.uk and has invested heavily in it to try to help small, independent businesses across the UK. He is also covering all the subscription costs for the duration of the lockdown.

He said: “Hearing success stories like Russell’s Butchers is the reason why I wanted to set up Ourlocal.uk. It’s more important than ever to support local businesses because many of them are struggling. Offering them a low-cost, e-commerce website – which I’ll pay for while lockdown continues – gives them a risk-free chance to try and grow their business.”

Russell’s Butchers is open Tuesday to Saturday. Orders can be placed at: www.russellsbutchers.co.uk. Free delivery is offered up to 3.5 miles away, while there is a small charge for deliveries up to six miles from the shop.

Entrepreneur Darren Nelson has issued an SOS – Save Our Shops – urging thousands of small businesses to begin trading online to help them survive lockdown.

With business partners Russ James and Andi Elliott, he has launched a drive to save our High Streets by helping thousands of shops, pubs, restaurants, takeaways and others get through lockdown and capitalise on the Christmas shopping rush.

The launch of Ourlocal.uk means businesses, not allowed to open under lockdown legislation, can get e-commerce websites within as little as 24 hours, ready to take online orders from customers and arrange deliveries.

And Darren is putting his money where his mouth is. He will personally cover the cost of subscriptions during lockdown. No money is paid up front to produce the websites, helping cashflow.

Darren said: “I’m sending out an SOS to Save Our Shops. I’m calling on anyone that cares about the future of our High Streets and local shops to spread the word before it’s too late. Getting online could be the single best decision these businesses make. It could be the difference between survival and bankruptcy.

“Now, more than ever, we must support shops, pubs, restaurants and other small firms if we want them to survive. Tens of thousands of jobs are at stake,” said Darren.

Driven by the desire to make a difference, together with Russ and Andi, he has developed Ourlocal.uk with a mission to provide low-cost, e-commerce websites to enable shops to get selling online.

Duncan Sandy, of The Soup Kitchen café in Stafford, said he was eager to get online to provide a takeaway service to help save his cafe, which has operated from the same site for 120 years.

“Darren managed to get us online in just a day which has been amazing and the great thing about ordering online is customers can pre-order and choose a time slot to collect. There is no minimum order and they know their freshly baked scones, for example, will be waiting for them when they arrive.

“With the current situation we have had to adapt to stay in business. It’s been a big change this year but I can’t believe how supportive our customers have been.”

A Midlands-based entrepreneur has launched a drive to save our High Streets by helping thousands of shops, pubs, restaurants, takeaways and other small businesses survive the impact of the latest lockdown.

Darren Nelson has unveiled an innovative new company that will design and deliver e-commerce websites for small businesses – covering the cost of set-up – so they can take online orders from customers and arrange deliveries and collections.

And the Staffordshire-based angel investor has vowed to cover all the subscription costs for the duration of the lockdown.

Darren, who recently sold highway maintenance business Carnell Support Services after leading its growth for 30 years, has joined forces with businessmen Russ James and Andi Elliott to launch Ourlocal.uk.

As majority shareholder, he has invested heavily in the new business and believes it has the potential to help businesses across the UK make it through the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis it has caused.

“Another lockdown is the last thing our local High Streets need and now, more than ever, we must support shops, pubs, restaurants and other small firms if we want them to survive. Tens of thousands of jobs are at stake,” said Darren.

“Driven by the desire to make a difference, together with Russ and Andi, we have developed Ourlocal.uk with a mission to provide low-cost, e-commerce websites to enable shops to get selling online.

Russ said: ““As we saw during the first lockdown, customers have a real desire to buy from their local shops but the difficulty is that most do not have an option to order online. That’s what inspired me to create Ourlocal.uk. With Ourlocal.uk, there is now the opportunity for all retailers to get online almost overnight and start taking orders.

“We are now urging businesses to take immediate action as the latest lockdown starts. The future may look bleak for many but having an online presence could help hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses survive.”

Russell’s Butchers, in Penkridge, was one of the first small businesses to try Ourlocal.uk’s online shop service. Owner Lee Russell said: “Our online shop costs just £23 a week. It’s been live for two months and our average daily order is £35. Our online orders are increasing every week and we have also attracted new customers.”

Free, easy set up.

sales@OurLocal.uk