Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Footfall in Ripon city centre bucked the national trend last month, seeing a sharp increase on the previous year, according to the latest figures.

Record numbers were recorded in November 2023, with footfall up 81% on November 2022 and 98% up on November 2021, analysis from data firm Huq shows.

It follows an encouraging October, when footfall in the city was up by 57% on October 2022, 6% up on September 2023 and 62% up on October 2021.

Nationally, footfall tends to drop off after the summer, and this September it was down -2.8%.

Ripon’s vacancy rate of just 9% (empty city-centre ground-floor retail units) is also well below the national average for high streets, which stood at 13.8% at the end of 2022, according to the British Retail Consortium.

The figures were warmly welcomed by Ripon BID (business improvement district), which said in a statement:

“Ripon is going from strength to strength with a full programme of events plus its unique visitor offering of heritage, history, attractions and independent traders all leading to national media recognition and coverage.”

It added:

“With new traders such as Silva Bells, The Portly Pig, Elevate, Peacocks, BUD Floral coming in, expansions to larger premises from Yorkshire Bikemonger, Stuff for Offices and the Easy Learning Shop, together with the new bed stock provided by the recently opened Ripon Inn – the future looks very bright for Ripon.”

Impression becomes Show + Tell

Harrogate-based creative agency Impression Studio has rebranded and is now called Show + Tell.

The growing creative and digital products agency, established by CEO and founder Charlie Hartley in 2009, currently has 17 staff across two agency brands: the newly-minted Show + Tell, and its sister agency, Next Chapter, which specialises in digital marketing. 

The rename and brand transformation was spearheaded by the agency’s Head of Design, Jordan Donnelly. He said:

“The name Impression served us well since 2009, but as the agency has grown and developed and the services we deliver have progressed. It felt like we’d outgrown the name and we needed something that better represented our offering and what we’re about as a collective. 

“Show + Tell does exactly that. We believe in the transformative power of showcasing and storytelling. Our mission is to be the creative catalyst that enables brands to shine through captivating narratives and visually stunning designs. Just as ‘Show’ represents our dedication to presenting your brand’s unique story through outstanding creative and visual design, ‘Tell’ signifies our commitment to communicating it effectively in the digital world through strategy and brand storytelling.” 

Based in Harrogate, the agency works with clients across the UK and globally, including the likes of Bettys and Taylors Group, Omega Funds, Atlas Ventures, O&3 and Northern Energy. 

Charlie said:

“I’m incredibly proud of our growth and success, particularly in the last 2-3 years, and we’ve done a lot of growing up as a business as a result. 

“We’ve invested a lot of time and resources in the agency in recent years, from our outstanding studio space with its custom fit-out to hiring more brilliant people across the business, including in crucial senior leadership roles.” 

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate BID appoints communications officer
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate carbon accounting firm makes two new hires
• Business Breakfast: Reed Boardall awarded Silver by MOD

New marketing agency launches in Harrogate

A new marketing agency called Next Chapter has launched in Harrogate.

Charlie Hartley, founder of creative agency Impression, set-up the company. Working alongside marketer Daniel Swepson, the agency will offer market and consumer research, strategy, digital advertising, search engine optimisation, content strategy and social media.

Mr Hartley said:

“We shall be delivering more advanced services within strategy, digital marketing and SEO and Daniel’s experience aligns perfectly with this vision.”

Mr Swepson said:

“We’re both clear in our vision and intend to do things differently from other agencies. From the start we shall enable brands to challenge and disrupt. Our strategies are bespoke and aim to break the mould, pushing our clients to lead the way in their sector.”

Chartered surveyors help Harrogate charity expand

Max Vause, of Carter Towler (left) and Tony Graham of Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Chartered surveyor Carter Towler is to help a Harrogate charity expand its network of shops.

Yorkshire Cancer Research currently has shops in Ripon, Knaresborough, Tadcaster and Northallerton. Carter Towler has been tasked to find five suitable retail units per year for the next three years.

Tony Graham, head of retail at Yorkshire Cancer Research, added:

“By having Carter Towler working with us we will be able us to scale-up our retail operations quickly and efficiently. By 2025 we are aiming to have 20 outlets.”

Leeds-based Carter Towler is one of the largest independent property consultants in the north, with 55 staff.

Linley & Simpson staff fundraise for charity partners

Linley & Simpson’s Aydin Arslan, Kerry Ferguson and Greg Smallwood.

Staff at Harrogate estate agency Linley & Simpson are embarking on the National Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for a young people’s hospice.

A dozen employees, including property manager Aydin Arslan, branch manager Kerry Ferguson and land and development consultant Greg Smallwood will bid to scale the summits of the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales – all within 24 hours in June.

The challenge forms the centrepiece of the company’s pledge to raise £25,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice, at Boston Spa, as part of its 25th anniversary year.

Linley & Simpson, which has more than 20 branches across Yorkshire and The Humber, has raised more than £100,000 for the hospice since their partnership began six years ago.