0:00:02 > 0:00:04I'm Alex Polizzi.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07I cut my teeth inside my family's international hotel empire
0:00:07 > 0:00:12and now run a multi-million pound food business with my husband.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Last year, I battled to save six failing family firms.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20- I don't know if it's ever going to get better!- You must see some hope!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Otherwise, let's not bother with this, no.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26In the midst of the recession, every month,
0:00:26 > 0:00:301,000 businesses were going bust.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32This business is on a knife edge.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35At some point, we're going to have to call it a day.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38But for families, it was more than finance.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42£50,000 now, you'll never see me again.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Now, I'm heading back to see how it's all turned out.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51This is a business! You're ruining your health! You're ruining your family life!
0:00:51 > 0:00:53He's just used to getting his own way.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55And I'm used to getting mine.
0:00:55 > 0:01:01This week, I'm revisiting two companies whose business dreams had turned into nightmares.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05If we fail to make a living here, this will go.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07And when it's gone, that's the end of it.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10A heritage mill that had never turned a profit...
0:01:10 > 0:01:13If the site turns into a tearoom, I don't want to work here.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16..grinding the family who ran it into the ground.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21This isn't your life, this isn't your family, this isn't your home!
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Just stop behaving as if it is!
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And a bridal wear shop run by squabbling sisters...
0:01:28 > 0:01:30You're making a mountain out of a mole hill.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill?
0:01:32 > 0:01:34..with a mother who had no head for business.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38What proportion will end up on the remainder rail?
0:01:38 > 0:01:40- 90%.- Oh, my God!
0:01:49 > 0:01:51The first of our floundering firms this week is
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Denver Mill, Norfolk's last working windmill.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01Three years ago, Mark and Lindsey Able became tenants of this wonderful historic building
0:02:01 > 0:02:04on the first step to realising a dream.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07This is the biggest machine you'll ever go in.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10And it is a machine, we are inside a machine.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Their ambition was to mill flour
0:02:12 > 0:02:14and turn it into bread they could sell on site.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18It sounds a bit, you know, hippy,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21but I think this windmill found us, not that we found the windmill.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28But their utopian dream has turned into a nightmare.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31There's something going dreadfully wrong.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Everything we have in the world is here.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39We have nothing. Nothing in the bank. Everything's here.
0:02:39 > 0:02:45Rather than concentrating on profit, their passion is focused on keeping this mill up and running
0:02:45 > 0:02:47and any money they do make is swallowed up
0:02:47 > 0:02:51maintaining a listed building they don't even own.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54If we fail to make a living here, this will go.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57And when it's gone, that's the end of it.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01And just when it seemed it couldn't get any worse,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03disaster struck.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07There was just bits of sail and things falling. We just looked up
0:03:07 > 0:03:09and shook our heads and said "Well, that's it.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13"That's the end. The end of the business, the end of everything."
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Nothing would be here if the mill wasn't here.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20The tea shop, the shop couldn't survive. It's all the same thing.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23It is like a loss of something.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The unique selling point of Denver Mill has always been
0:03:29 > 0:03:32that it was Norfolk's last working windmill.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Three weeks ago, that was true.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37However, it's going to cost a lot of money to replace them
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and at the moment, the family don't know if it's possible.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41The windmill might be in pieces,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46but the business was broken before the sails came off.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51Despite three years of hard graft, they've never turned a profit.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55If that doesn't change, this place could close in a matter of months.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I need to get under the skin of this family, and find out
0:03:58 > 0:04:01where it all went wrong.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07First stop, the on-site cafe to meet mum and company boss Lindsey.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11- Hello, hello. - Lovely to meet you.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14And you. We're very pleased you're here.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Thank you. I'm very pleased I'm here.- I'll just come round.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20So how many people can you serve at a time here?
0:04:20 > 0:04:23At busy times, probably about 25 to 30 at the most.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26You also sell your own bread here, you make sandwiches
0:04:26 > 0:04:29from your own bakery bread, I see.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Well, the idea is that we mill the flour here.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- Yeah.- We make our bread.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- Yeah.- And then people can take a loaf home
0:04:35 > 0:04:38or they can use it to cut up for the sandwiches,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41so people can actually get to taste the mill, so to speak.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- OK. - Let me take you to see Mark.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49# What goes up, must come down... #
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Lindsey's husband Mark has a background
0:04:52 > 0:04:53in mechanical engineering,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56but now spends all his time milling flour.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00- Hello.- Mark, this is Alex.- Hello. - What are you up to in here?
0:05:00 > 0:05:04This is referred to as my other woman. I spend too much time here.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06I thought she was the engine round the back.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- You've got two other women? - I have.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11OK, so this is your arena and obviously your passion.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17You have that slightly crazed look of a man who's in his element.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Charming as they are, Mark and Lindsey
0:05:19 > 0:05:21don't strike me as natural entrepreneurs.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Let's go. So I'm allowed to go and have a look about, am I?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- Yes, yes. Help yourself. - And then I'll come back.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30I want to ask you lots of questions about money.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31OK. Oh, dear!
0:05:31 > 0:05:34You ARE the person to ask about that, are you not?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- Well...- I believe you're the managing director?- Oh, absolutely.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Good, good. Fantastic.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45Besides the cafe, this sprawling business boasts a gift shop.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48But it's far from well-stocked.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53I find it very confusing in here.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55The family's home-milled flour
0:05:55 > 0:05:58sits side by side with tourist tat and curios.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Really unattractive and generic, notelets and name stuff,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06which I honestly I don't think has any place here.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12This shop should be a celebration of quality local produce.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15All this plastic is just bad business.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20One person who should know how things are run is daughter Sally.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23She's been brought in to develop the business
0:06:23 > 0:06:26but has been sidetracked by the flour mill.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31What's your gut feeling about what's wrong with it here?
0:06:31 > 0:06:33What needs to be improved more than anything else?
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Finance-wise, I feel like we're not looking
0:06:37 > 0:06:39to make large amounts of profit here.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I don't think it's easy to make...
0:06:41 > 0:06:44- Why do you think that? - That's what Mum and Dad told me.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47When they came in, their business plan didn't involve
0:06:47 > 0:06:49making a large amount of money...
0:06:49 > 0:06:52It probably didn't involve spending all their money either.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- No, it certainly didn't. - Do you have any handle at all on
0:06:55 > 0:06:58where you're making money in this business and where you're losing it?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01SHE SIGHS
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Not effectively, no.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Passion is admirable, but not at the expense of profit.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Spoons and cutlery, just help yourself there.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15On paper, the only bit of the business showing any potential
0:07:15 > 0:07:18is the tea room, run by Sally's boyfriend Duncan.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21What do you think you're doing right here?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I don't know. We're doing a bit right, but there's a lot to work on.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28So tell me your strengths, what you think the strengths are?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The strengths are the quality of the ingredients we actually use.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33We try to go for quality not quantity
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- to get people to come back again. - Do you know how much you spend?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39How much a cake takes to make and what you cost it for?
0:07:39 > 0:07:41- We have our costings, yeah. - Yeah.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- Costings are all done upstairs. - So you're pretty confident
0:07:45 > 0:07:47about your costings? That's what I'm asking.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50I wouldn't say I'm confident. They could probably be done better.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52The elephant in the room
0:07:52 > 0:07:55that everyone knows is there and no-one is discussing,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59is the fact that no-one seems to know what's making the money,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01where the money's being spent on.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05There has to be an answer buried deep in those figures somewhere
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and I just need someone to lead me to the answer.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13And that's a trail that leads directly to Lindsey.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I've got tea room sales, tea room purchases there,
0:08:16 > 0:08:21which would seem to suggest that you've made 40,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- more or less, 40 grand. - Yes.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28But then here, I've got a different price on tea room purchases.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Well, that is peculiar.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37And then, if you include the wages that shows the tea room,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40over the course of a whole year, didn't make you a penny.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Yeah, but that doesn't actually surprise me.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- Doesn't it? - No, it doesn't.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49How is the pricing worked out in the tea shop?
0:08:50 > 0:08:53The pricing, I...
0:08:53 > 0:08:56So let me see, purchases.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Yeah, again...
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Er, I'm afraid I don't understand those...at all.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10I don't know whether they take it all as a game.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12I think they won't find it a game
0:09:12 > 0:09:15when they are walking away from there
0:09:15 > 0:09:17with £100,000 less of their own money
0:09:17 > 0:09:19and nothing to show for it.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I think it'll all be pretty depressing, actually.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26- Hello, love.- Hello.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- You got out.- I did, yeah. - In one bit?- I did, yeah.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- And? - It was...
0:09:32 > 0:09:35It was quite tough. It was quite tough.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I do feel a bit "Urgh!" now. I just want to burst into tears
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- and have a little cry. - I can see.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43All right.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49I stick my head in the sand about the figures,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52because I think if I know them and realise what a mess we're in,
0:09:52 > 0:09:53then we'll have to get out.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57We may have to say, "Well, that's it. We'll have to call it a day."
0:10:02 > 0:10:04The books paint a bleak picture.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05The cafe is busy,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09but the rest of the business squanders any profit they might be making.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11As the owner of a wholesale bakery myself,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15I can see that milling flour is Denver's unique selling point,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18but Mark and Sally's obsession with the mill is to the
0:10:18 > 0:10:20detriment of everything else.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24I've GOT to get them to see the rest of the business
0:10:24 > 0:10:26and what it means to them for it all to be a success.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31So what I want you to think about is the unthinkable.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I'm afraid your sense of self-worth is
0:10:34 > 0:10:38so wrapped up in the flour milling thing that I think you are really
0:10:38 > 0:10:39ignoring at your peril,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43what is the bit of the business that makes money - the cafe.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45But if we didn't have our flour which we use in our products,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49our breads and our cakes, which is what makes them so nice,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51cos the flavour of our...
0:10:51 > 0:10:53of stone-ground flour is very different from the flavour
0:10:53 > 0:10:54of roller-milled flour.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- Sweetheart, I have a bakery, I know this.- I know you do.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00You have to start thinking commercially!
0:11:00 > 0:11:02You have a very tough decision here.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04- You have no money in the bank. - Mm-hm.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08You have a bit of the business that's working. You're managing to...
0:11:08 > 0:11:11you know, to do a little bit of milling in the set-up that you've got now,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15but is it enough to be the raison d'etre of this business?
0:11:17 > 0:11:22This isn't your life. This isn't your family. This isn't your home.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Just stop behaving as if it is. This is a business, guys.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32You've got to make it work so that you have money to feed and clothe
0:11:32 > 0:11:35and shelter yourselves.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Running a family business should be a pleasure. It has become a chore.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50At the end of the day, if Denver Mill is going to survive,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53they just have to be more commercially minded.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57They have to be more focused, they have to concentrate.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01They all have to be pulling in the same direction and they have to start now.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The second company I'm visiting this week is a family-run bridal
0:12:10 > 0:12:12boutique in the Midlands.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15With over a quarter of a million weddings every year in the UK,
0:12:15 > 0:12:20it's an industry that's worth nearly £130 million annually.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Even though the economy is in trouble,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25people still spend money on weddings.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29This is a business that should be more or less recession proof.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33But Courtyard Bridal Wear in Kettering is in trouble.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Ready? In this sort of shop, we always have the tissues!
0:12:37 > 0:12:42It was set up by Anne Preece who runs the shop with her two daughters.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48I love doing it, my life is wrapped round it, my life is wound up in it.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50But as customers, sales and profits have taken a nose dive,
0:12:50 > 0:12:55the family have fallen out of love with one another.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I said, "What are you looking for?"
0:12:57 > 0:13:01I was looking for a 38 trouser, but I had to leave what I was doing and go and look for it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03But as the business crumbles around them,
0:13:03 > 0:13:09sisters Bethan and Rihannon can't stop blaming each other.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12If you don't deal with them, how am I supposed to know?
0:13:12 > 0:13:17Bethan and I have fallen out since we've been working together.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I don't think she trusts me any more.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- Are you annoyed with me?- No.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27The rift between them is, I feel, the fact that one has children
0:13:27 > 0:13:29and one doesn't.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35Um, sometimes I don't think Bethan quite understands how tiring it is.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41I do resent my sister. In my head, she thinks of herself first,
0:13:41 > 0:13:46and doesn't think of the business or Mum or me.
0:13:46 > 0:13:52But it's because I can't get babysitters. I can't necessarily rely on some family to babysit.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It was the same before you had children.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57- No, it wasn't.- Yeah, it was. - No, it wasn't!
0:13:57 > 0:14:03I feel like I've kind of let everybody down...
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Sorry.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09The rift between siblings is pulling this business even further apart.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12The stress is compounded by the fact that Anne can't afford to pay herself a wage.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17and has had to remortgage her home to keep the shop alive.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19It IS quite scary at the moment.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21The real worst-case scenario would be
0:14:21 > 0:14:23to end up in a bankruptcy court -
0:14:23 > 0:14:27that would be the very, very, very worst thing that I could imagine.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32My first impression of Courtyard Bridal Wear
0:14:32 > 0:14:35is the shop itself looks rather tired.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Certainly for a wedding dress shop
0:14:37 > 0:14:41that window display is all-important.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43That is how the world sees them
0:14:43 > 0:14:47and that is what's going to convince people to come through that door.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50ALL: Hello.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51How are you? Anne, it must be.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56- That's right. Welcome to Courtyard Bridal Wear.- Thank you very much.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01I've had a little walk past the shop, gone over my first impressions.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02How many styles do you stock here?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Do you keep close track of that kind of thing?
0:15:05 > 0:15:06Um...
0:15:06 > 0:15:07No.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12Well, we do, but we don't have sort of a written down record,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14if that makes sense.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- OK, so that's an immediate flaw that we can identify.- We know that.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- There's no point knowing it and not doing anything about it.- No.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26- It's worse to know that's a flaw and not to do anything about it.- OK.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30As Anne takes me on a tour of her back room,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33it's soon clear that she has amassed an overwhelming
0:15:33 > 0:15:37amount of dresses, crammed into every corner of the shop.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- Ball gowns.- Wow! Look at this!- Yes.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43We call her Cupcake. They all have names, all nicknames,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45and we always call them shes or hers.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47I don't know why, it's a bit like a boat.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Courtyard Bridalwear stocks 150 dress styles,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56whereas similar stores will only stock half that.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- Right, are you ready?- Yes. I'm coming in!
0:15:59 > 0:16:05- What's your average spend here? - People would come in and say, oh, I've budgeted for £1,000,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08but we have found that lately, that has gone down quite considerably.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12I actually think it's immoral to show a girl a £1,500 dress
0:16:12 > 0:16:14when she can only afford a £500 one.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Oh, my goodness, darling, wakey wakey!
0:16:17 > 0:16:21A girl has a way of getting what she wants for her wedding day.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24If you can persuade them to spend a little bit more money, you should.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- How strict is your budget? - I'd say it's not very strict!
0:16:28 > 0:16:30I would tend to agree with you, darling!
0:16:30 > 0:16:32I'm sure my partner thinks differently!
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Anne's reluctance to push sales is a concern...
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- Beautiful!- Are you ready for me? - I am!- Let's have a look!
0:16:39 > 0:16:43..but so too is the sheer amount of stock. And it gets worse!
0:16:43 > 0:16:46In the store room, there's a wedding dress graveyard!
0:16:49 > 0:16:53- All this is what we'd call dead stock?- Yes.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56So, things that have either been discontinued,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- have been on sale and haven't sold? - Mm-hm.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03What proportion of the dresses that are actually in your shop
0:17:03 > 0:17:06at the moment will end up on the remainder rail...
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- would you say?- 90%. - Oh, my God!
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Let's say the dresses average, to be generous, £500 a dress.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19That's £75,000-worth of stock you have there!
0:17:21 > 0:17:24With so much of their money tied up in dead stock,
0:17:24 > 0:17:30Anne not paying herself a wage and with her home now on the line, it's a bleak picture.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35If I said to you off the top of your head, what was your turnover last year?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Do you know your profit margin?
0:17:47 > 0:17:48No.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I'll be honest,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I don't know half of what things mean on the balance sheet.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Well, you know...
0:17:56 > 0:18:00I know when it says 5,000 at the bottom, that's what I pay my tax on.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Yeah. That's your profit, darling.- OK.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05That's pretty poor,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08especially as you've committed yourself...
0:18:08 > 0:18:10You've remortgaged your house.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12You're not paying yourself.
0:18:12 > 0:18:18The picture would be much worse if we put in even a nominal sum for your work.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- Yeah?- Yeah. I don't know if it's ever going to get better.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Of course it will!
0:18:25 > 0:18:29If you really thought that, you wouldn't have asked me in!
0:18:29 > 0:18:35You must see some hope. Otherwise, let's not bother with this, then! You know!
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Who are you doing this for?
0:18:37 > 0:18:40If you're doing it for your daughters then they have to bloody pick up the slack!
0:18:44 > 0:18:46If I AM going to get this shop back on its feet,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49The family are going to have to stop bickering and start pulling
0:18:49 > 0:18:52in the same direction.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57Ultimately, Courtyard Bridalwear's figures show that they would be
0:18:57 > 0:18:59better off just closing the business,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01which is a very hard fact to face
0:19:01 > 0:19:04after all the hard work that Anne's put into the business.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08This is something that I now have to convey to her children
0:19:08 > 0:19:12and, you know, it's time that they WERE made aware of these facts.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18So, let's cut to the chase straight away.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Last year, on 190,000,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26you made a three percent profit,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28which is just over five grand.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32You would be better off if the business closed.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35I suppose it's never been put so bluntly.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36What's the point of this for you?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Why do you want to be involved in this business?
0:19:38 > 0:19:42It would be sad to say, it's all just gone. You know.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Nine years of our lives. Just wasted.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I don't know if I love the business or I love Mum,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and I want to help her.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55We've got to start boxing a bit cleverer.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01I'm hoping this reality check will force the sisters to buck up their ideas.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04If the family can't move forward, then they'll all be out of a job.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11# It's a new dawn, it's a new day
0:20:11 > 0:20:14# It's a new life for me, yeah
0:20:14 > 0:20:16# And I'm feeling good... #
0:20:16 > 0:20:19At Denver Mill, emotions are also getting in the way of business.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24The Able family have an idealistic love of milling, but have no idea
0:20:24 > 0:20:27or interest in how to turn a profit.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30We know that we've got to get this business working.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32If the site turns into a tearoom and a gift shop,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34I don't want to work here!
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Their onsite cafe DOES pull in the punters, with quality produce
0:20:37 > 0:20:39made from their home-ground flour.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45I think there's a wider market for their products,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47if only they'd think outside of the box.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Forman & Son, a century-old family smokehouse,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59developed a luxury hamper range ten years ago
0:20:59 > 0:21:01and haven't looked back since.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04It's a market that's worth a staggering £75 million a year
0:21:04 > 0:21:06in the UK alone.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09I want the family to realise they CAN keep their heritage
0:21:09 > 0:21:11AND turn a healthy profit too.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14First of all, why are hampers a good idea?
0:21:14 > 0:21:16We're very much a fresh food company,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19but they wouldn't necessarily come to us for gifts.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22So hampers gives you an extra element that you can...
0:21:22 > 0:21:25you can supply to people,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27they can just buy it off the shelf or out of a catalogue
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and, you know, it's all there complete.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32The key to all this, I would suggest,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36is sourcing stuff that people cannot find so easily independently.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41The hamper challenge.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44We've got a whole load of your products on that table over there,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48so I just want to see what you think makes a good hamper.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I'm interested in seeing what they think goes together,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56whether they have a theme, whether they can explain that theme to me,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00whether they've thought about the cost of the goods
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and what kind of mark-up they can put on it.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I need them to prove they can think commercially.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Contents, £25. Box, don't know the price of.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Have to roll me sleeves up, it's no good.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Disappointingly, they're being very random.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22Toast and honey, beer and clotted cream - there you go.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Apart from Sally who, unusually, is very focused on
0:22:24 > 0:22:27what customers might be willing to pay for.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I was trying to do something different
0:22:29 > 0:22:31and do more of a hamper just with our baking products.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Let's have a look, then.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36So, your thinking was here?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40It's a showcase of our products and if somebody wants a sort of, like,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42you know, start-up kit to try and start
0:22:42 > 0:22:45making their own bread with our products, this would be it.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49I love it. I mean, to me, this really, you know, this...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51this sells your brand, you know.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53You know these products are excellent products
0:22:53 > 0:22:59cos you're producing them yourself, and part of the reason for doing hampers is to promote what you do.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03I was worried that Sally would let her values get in the way
0:23:03 > 0:23:06of creating a hamper you could make a healthy profit on,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09but her bread-making kit captures the essence of the mill
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and passes muster with the experts.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13That looks like something you'd spend money on.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- That looks worth plenty, yeah. - It does.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18It's very natural looking and it says something about you,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and I think that that's... you know, that is great.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26It was a real eye-opener for me.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Made me realise that you can progress and you can make money,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32but still hold these values.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42With the new day comes a new direction for Denver Mill.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46To help the family I'm introducing them to David Revell,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49who has created brand identities for heritage sites
0:23:49 > 0:23:52like the Roman Walls at Chester.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55He's been working on a selection of logos for the mill.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00The first one is our classic and we were thinking the National Trust,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04English Heritage, those sort of things and there's a middle ground,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06which is a little bit more contemporary.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10And then there's another look and feel,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12which is about being a bit more artisan.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I must say this is really exciting. These are like the dark arts
0:24:15 > 0:24:19that we mere mortals are not really sure of
0:24:19 > 0:24:23but it's suddenly becoming very obvious.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I think this looks too classy for us.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28I don't think we're quite... As much as I like them.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33And I think this is a sort of image that you could use on a sack,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36- you could block print it.- You imagine it being a stamp.- You could.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- Which I love.- Yeah. - And how it can be manifested
0:24:38 > 0:24:41is so much part of the brand, and it can be stickers.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46You can be folding your flour bags down and putting the sticker on it.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- Yes. - They work really well in packaging.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I think the main thing, which is very appealing,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54is that it has so many uses.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59I mean, that shape, that format, is so easy to transfer onto.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01So, do we have a winner?
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- I think it's got to be this one. - Yeah, that one.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- Duncan. - THEY LAUGH
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Ready to derail the process.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- Good choice.- Hooray.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Honestly, I'm relieved that they came
0:25:18 > 0:25:21so quickly to a decision about a logo that they all agreed on.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25I wasn't going to let them leave the room until it was hammered out.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30What I really wanted them to be aware of was once they'd left this room the bridges are burnt,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34there is no turning back and so they had to commit to it wholeheartedly.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36And actually, I think, overall they did.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47With the new heritage logo chosen, it is essential that the shop
0:25:47 > 0:25:50starts to match the smart image they will be presenting.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I want them to promote their own products
0:25:53 > 0:25:57and other local produce, not the tat they have been touting.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01We need to get all those units out of the way. I'm not sure where.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Just move it into the middle for now.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09We'll be moving something over there to bring something in there
0:26:09 > 0:26:10to move it back over there.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12But this is the only way we can do it,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15short of taking everything out of the shop.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Put it in the back garden and bring it all back in again,
0:26:17 > 0:26:18which might be an idea.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23In just a few weeks' time,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27I want to help the Ables relaunch Denver Mill as a destination,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31not just for fans of flour, but for foodies far and wide.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35I'm hoping the rejigged shop is a step in the right direction.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Aha!
0:26:39 > 0:26:40Oooh!
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Very different. Oh, I like it. I love this.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49I mean, that looks amazing. All your produce.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Instead of hiding behind cheap toys, the mill products take
0:26:52 > 0:26:55pride of place alongside the best of Norfolk food.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57It is an impressive turnaround
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and a big step in the right direction for the Ables.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Back at Courtyard Bridal in Northamptonshire, I am still
0:27:09 > 0:27:12battling to push them in the right direction, too.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Owner Ann is deep in debt
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and her daughters are too busy bickering to help.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19What's more, the shop is swamped in dead stock
0:27:19 > 0:27:22and in desperate need of a facelift.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25I think visually this shop is cram packed.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29I don't think things are displayed particularly brilliantly.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31I would agree on that. Definitely.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35I think you walk in and you think, bloody hell, where do I begin?!
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Somehow, this isn't aspirational enough.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41So we need to make this kind of just a bit more special
0:27:41 > 0:27:44as a shopping experience.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- We've got too many... - OK, pick out the ones that have definitely never sold.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Not only will holding a discount sale help de-clutter the shop,
0:27:55 > 0:28:02the family should also generate some cash to rejuvenate their tired sales floor.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That one can go. That one can go.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06That one can go, never sold that one.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
0:28:15 > 0:28:1711, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16...
0:28:18 > 0:28:21- They need to go, would you agree? - Yes, yes.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26I'm not quite sure who to blame for this ridiculous mess.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29What they seem to have forgotten is that sample dresses are only
0:28:29 > 0:28:32useful for them if they generate future income,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36which some of these dresses are signally failing to do.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39She's been on the shelf for about a year and a half.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43- And we've never sold one.- Never had one person in it.- No.- So it can go.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47The girls have managed to clear out over 150 dresses
0:28:47 > 0:28:49and hired a hall for the sale.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Now, all they have to do is flog them.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55To cover our costs, I worked out we need to sell seven.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Best case scenario, we don't have to pack anything up and go home, yes!
0:28:59 > 0:29:03There's really expensive dresses here that are worth £2,000
0:29:03 > 0:29:06and we are selling them for £149.99.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08So people are getting a great bargain.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Just got to hope that people come, now.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16As soon as the doors open, the brides flood in.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Take up this bit, from here.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Oh, I like that. I think that's lovely.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Try those two on first, and then come back for this one.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30- I think it's beautiful.- As the morning wears on, business is brisk.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36One more, and we've paid for the sale.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41So anything after that will be ours. So that will be good.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45See, it's nice to be busy, rather than standing around twiddling our thumbs.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48160. Perfect.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52I love this taking money thing!
0:29:52 > 0:29:53Bye. Thank you.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59But after a rapid start, sales slow right down.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04Here we are standing around at three o'clock
0:30:04 > 0:30:08and we have got another two hours to go and we haven't seen any customer since one.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12That, to me, is a failure.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16The sale might not have been a huge success,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19but at least we are moving in the right direction.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25- I felt it was a bit disastrous.- Why? You made money.- We did make money.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- Yeah.- But it was an awful lot of work to make that small amount of money.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35I think that you are approaching this in the wrong light. Seriously.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40I mean, every single person who came in and booked, bought a dress!
0:30:40 > 0:30:43That is an amazing hit rate.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46And I think what you need to always do is step back
0:30:46 > 0:30:51from every situation and think about it in purely business terms.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55Yes, you bust a gut to do it. That's the negative.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58The plus side is that you are 600 quid up.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01You know, at the end of the day, you cannot stop fighting,
0:31:01 > 0:31:06you have to keep pushing the envelope, you have to keep thinking of something new, fresh.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09You have to push your own boundaries.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11At the moment, I'm doing the pushing.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16- Once I'm gone, you are going to have to do that for each other. - Definitely.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19When they get back to Kettering, there's some really good news.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21After some serious phone-bashing,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25Ann has managed to secure a buyer for that unsold dead stock.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30A discount bridal outlet have bought the lot for a few thousand pounds.
0:31:30 > 0:31:31We're photographing the dresses
0:31:31 > 0:31:36so we remember why they didn't necessarily sell.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41Now they'll be able to make the changes the shop is crying out for.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Just tell Mum to bring the dress over here
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- if you don't want to deal with it. - Mum's...
0:31:47 > 0:31:49You're making a mountain out of a little molehill.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- I'm making a mountain out of a molehill?- A little bit.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56If, that is, they can stop arguing for long enough!
0:31:57 > 0:31:59- Fine, I'll deal with her, then. - Fine.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04I think this constant sniping
0:32:04 > 0:32:07is because the girls don't have clearly defined roles.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12I want to hear what they think they bring to this business,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14and how serious they are about its future.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16I thought it might be a good idea
0:32:16 > 0:32:20to get the girls to interview for the positions they already have.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25I don't expect to walk away from here thinking that everything is resolved for ever.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27What I would like to teach them
0:32:27 > 0:32:30is a way to deal with each other that is professional
0:32:30 > 0:32:35and that doesn't revert back again and again to that family bickering.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42So, shall I start asking questions or do you have something to show me?
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Um, I'm obviously Bethan McCall, 28,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and I believe that I have an eclectic skill set
0:32:47 > 0:32:53that will be able to fulfil this role in a good way.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55I feel I can communicate very effectively,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59I communicate on a daily basis with the brides,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01I feel I have good selling skills
0:33:01 > 0:33:04and I think that's very much part of communication.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06I've got a B in GCSE Mathematics,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09which I know is very basic but that's where it all starts,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11we all have to count.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15So, do you think you could work with the other members of the team?
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Yes, of course I can work with Rhiannon.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Sometimes we don't always get on but that's the sisters in us,
0:33:22 > 0:33:24not the colleagues in us.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Where are those sisters going to live from now on?
0:33:27 > 0:33:28At the door, before we come in.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33- But so is the mother.- Yes.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36I have not been focused in the past, um...
0:33:36 > 0:33:41But I believe now I can see clearly the path before me.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43I want to work alongside my family in harmony.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Courtyard Bridalwear, I feel, is my chosen career path.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Even though other people could probably do the job much better than me,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56I can bring love to the business.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59It is a family business, I can give that,
0:33:59 > 0:34:00no other person can.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05The only thing that concerns me slightly
0:34:05 > 0:34:08is that everything that you said you wanted to do was all to help me.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Not much of it was about you.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18I want you to get something out of it as well.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21It hasn't just got to be about saving Mum.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23You have to be part of the team,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26not just somebody holding up the rest of us.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31I suppose at the end of the day
0:34:31 > 0:34:36this was never my dream, it's yours, it was never my dream.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38I don't know,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41it was never in my career choice,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43so everything's to help you.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46But then, should it be?
0:34:46 > 0:34:48I want you to want the job, I want you to...
0:34:48 > 0:34:51I do want the job, just maybe for different reasons.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53I want you to really want the job for you,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57and to make you better, and to enjoy your life.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06I told Mum that I do...
0:35:06 > 0:35:10I don't do the job for me, I do it for Mum.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Do you think, though, through this process, though,
0:35:12 > 0:35:18you will start doing it for all of us and yourself, or not?
0:35:20 > 0:35:22I don't know.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26I want to make it successful so that I still have a job.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29So, as long as you know my heart's in it.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32Yeah, and so is mine, just for different reasons to you.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34That's fine, we can have different reasons.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38- Yeah, as long as we have the same goal.- Mm.- So, good.- OK.
0:35:38 > 0:35:39- BOTH:- Do love you.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Ah, you freak!
0:35:47 > 0:35:52At Denver Mill, it's not just the family showing a united front.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54I think they're really, really nice.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57This fragmented business is being pulled together with clear
0:35:57 > 0:35:59rebranding throughout the site.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03- That was good.- Yes. That's good.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Well, these are our new leaflets.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09And don't they look nice?
0:36:09 > 0:36:13I don't want to put them out in case the public take them.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14These are mine!
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Look at this! It's fab.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22The first sign that there has been really significant
0:36:22 > 0:36:24change at Denver Mills.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26It is important to show that they are becoming a more
0:36:26 > 0:36:30professional outfit, that they're thinking about their branding,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32their face to the world.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36In just a few hours, the family will host their first ever farmers' market
0:36:36 > 0:36:39and launch the new Denver Mill brand.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Sally has been working overtime on the hampers.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46The perfect showcase for their revitalised image.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48- You all right, Sal?- Mm-hm.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Don't forget to put loads of that stuff in.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52The hampers are unique to the mill
0:36:52 > 0:36:56and are a great way to promote their own brand flour.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59By grouping this with other products, they are tapping
0:36:59 > 0:37:02into the home baking market that has currently never been bigger.
0:37:02 > 0:37:07- That's it.- It's like doing mill tours. I'll be Dad's glamorous assistant.
0:37:08 > 0:37:09This is the beginning
0:37:09 > 0:37:12of what is going to be a huge warehouse-style factory
0:37:12 > 0:37:17- making hampers. This is the miniature version.- Looks great!
0:37:17 > 0:37:18I mean, fantastic!
0:37:18 > 0:37:21As well as selling in their own shop,
0:37:21 > 0:37:26I think these hampers are ideal for bulk sales that could take the Denver Mill brand countrywide,
0:37:26 > 0:37:30making the business much less reliant on passing trade.
0:37:31 > 0:37:37For now, though, they are a great way to show off the new look Denver Mill at the farmers' market.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40With food producers coming from all over the county
0:37:40 > 0:37:43the pressure is on to make sure the event goes without a hitch.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47I've got to do labels for the spelt biscuits.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Lindsey seems to be running around trying to do everything.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52See if he knows where the side of the gazebo is.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Duncan's trying to do that.
0:37:56 > 0:37:57Lunacy, lunacy.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Have you any idea what's going on?
0:38:01 > 0:38:02Right.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Which way round we are now?
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Um...
0:38:07 > 0:38:11The family are hoping to take £1,500 today,
0:38:11 > 0:38:16which is a lot given they only made £7,000 profit last year.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19So, we need people to spend.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Smoke after bonfire night. That sort of taste.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30The variety of products is a real draw for Norfolk's foodies.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33From fudge to chillies and coffee to cider.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39The site really feels like a hub for good food,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41but to make this a regular event at the mill
0:38:41 > 0:38:44it needs to be profitable for the stall holders.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47- How have you done?- Very good.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49- Yes?- I think we have sold quite a lot.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Really nice. Nice setting here as well.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55It's quite magical, so definitely worthwhile, we'd do it again.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- I wanted to come and support Denver and...- I'm really pleased.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01..when they're trying to do something new and exciting
0:39:01 > 0:39:04so we've all got to stick together, all us food producers.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06What they offer their customers
0:39:06 > 0:39:09is actually sensationally good.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13As long as they keep that up I think they'll succeed in the long term.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15This event is only the start,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18but the family did manage to beat their £1,500 target tonight.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23And better still, they've realised passion and profit can go hand in hand.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25It is about profit, although it sounds like an awful thing.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30I don't believe that any more, I don't believe it is an awful thing to say.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34Of course it's about making profit, we won't survive if you don't make profit.
0:39:34 > 0:39:40We've come a very long way in these last two months.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42We acknowledge now that
0:39:42 > 0:39:45we probably would have given up.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48None of us want that to happen.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51You've achieved a lot, I think.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54You've understood how important it is
0:39:54 > 0:39:57to combine every aspect of the business.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00I'm very happy with how there's such consistency of branding.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04I do think that makes you look much more professional
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and I think that's what you needed.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09I think you mustn't bury your head in the sand
0:40:09 > 0:40:11about the financial parts of the business
0:40:11 > 0:40:14and if there's nothing else that I've reminded you
0:40:14 > 0:40:19it's about the fact that successful businesses are built on the bricks and mortar
0:40:19 > 0:40:23of making sure you make a profit on every item you sell.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26I mean, it's, you know, it's not rocket science, is it?
0:40:26 > 0:40:28I think we've got a much better chance now
0:40:28 > 0:40:31than we certainly had before Alex came
0:40:31 > 0:40:34and I'm looking, you know, I'm looking forward
0:40:34 > 0:40:38to putting some of the things into practice that she's taught us.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43The Ables' new-found focus on what makes their business work is a triumph.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53So, how have they coped since I last saw them?
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Have they managed to keep their focus on the business
0:40:55 > 0:40:58without getting bogged down by the broken windmill?
0:41:01 > 0:41:03What we have been doing in the last year,
0:41:03 > 0:41:07is we have been trying to develop our outside sales.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Which is really what Alex pointed us in the direction of.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14With Mark's electric mill now firing on all cylinders,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17flour production has gone into overdrive.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- I am Duncan from Denver, this is Lindsey and this is Sally.- Hello.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Hi, there.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25We have been selling our flour externally
0:41:25 > 0:41:26and we have five new outlets.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29You can buy our flour from five other places around Norfolk,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31rather than just having to come to this site.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34One of the best things that Alex did for us was giving us this new logo
0:41:34 > 0:41:37and brand recognition and so obviously,
0:41:37 > 0:41:39the more places we have our logo out and about, the more
0:41:39 > 0:41:42people are going to know about us and the better recognised we will be.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46And I'm pleased to see that Sally has big plans for future hamper sales.
0:41:46 > 0:41:51Obviously, we have been concentrating on the hampers since Alex left. They have been really good.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54And now I'm getting myself set up and ready for Christmas.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57The on-site cafe continues to be a hit with the locals
0:41:57 > 0:42:00and the streamlined shop has taken off, too.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Attitude has changed since Alex came, in that we no longer
0:42:05 > 0:42:08do things that we don't think are profitable.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11If something isn't making money, there's no point in doing it.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13But despite the positives,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16the family have recently received some catastrophic news.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20At the end of last year, we had notification from the landlord
0:42:20 > 0:42:23saying they weren't going to renew our tenancy.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26And obviously that was a big blow to us.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28We then had to start thinking what to do next.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31With the landlords ready to sell the site, and a potential price tag
0:42:31 > 0:42:36of over half a million pounds, the outlook seems bleak.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40But the Ables are determined not to be beaten without a fight.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- Hello.- I'm Pat.- Oh, hi!
0:42:42 > 0:42:45So they have called in community action expert
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Pat Murch for some much-needed advice.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Pat heads up a group of locals who bought their village pub
0:42:51 > 0:42:53when it faced extinction.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57And the family are hoping she can help them work out a similar model for the mill.
0:42:57 > 0:43:02Anything like this, it's so important that you get people who are enthusiastic involved.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05There was already a lot of interest in the village,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07because everybody wanted the pub to be saved.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11We circulated to everybody in the village
0:43:11 > 0:43:16some details of what it was we were planning to do to buy it.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20We gave them a form so that if they were interested,
0:43:20 > 0:43:21they could buy shares.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25The shares are £1 each, but you have to have a minimum of 250.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29And the maximum was 20,000. We haven't had any 20,000s as yet.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33- We're still hopeful. - Can I have that?- Absolutely.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37- I brought a copy so that you could have something to consider. - That's helpful.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42They would need to raise around £600,000 from the community
0:43:42 > 0:43:44in order to buy the mill and have only a few months
0:43:44 > 0:43:50in the middle of a recession in which to do it. It's a huge task.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54But Lindsey and Mark want to give it at least a shot.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57The goal that we have had all along for the heritage side
0:43:57 > 0:43:59is that the mill is here at the end of the century.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02So by selling shares, the site will be protected
0:44:02 > 0:44:05and people can actually own a little bit of this mill.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09To have any hope of selling enough shares to buy the site,
0:44:09 > 0:44:13the family set about spreading the word far and wide.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15The guys from Denver Windmill are here.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18They're going to tell us a little about how you can own
0:44:18 > 0:44:19part of history.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23It's a huge day in the history of Denver Mill.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27They are opening their doors to potential investors and will today discover
0:44:27 > 0:44:31whether there is enough interest to make community ownership viable.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34To encourage people to come, we're putting on a ploughman's buffet,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37which we've been doing recently with outside catering we have started doing.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40It's basically a ploughman's but in a buffet.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43It's our bread, local cheese, local pickles,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45local beer and local apple juice as well.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48So hopefully, that will be enough to entice people to come along
0:44:48 > 0:44:50and listen to what we say to them.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53We have got to get moving to get this function up and running.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55We got to get a shift on. Simple as that.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00200 people would be absolutely brilliant.
0:45:00 > 0:45:05Any less than that will be OK, more than that, I shall panic!
0:45:05 > 0:45:07With ploughman's lunches aplenty,
0:45:07 > 0:45:09the Ables have managed to draw in a crowd.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14And after an emotional plea from Mark...
0:45:14 > 0:45:17It's not a building, it's a machine.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20And like any machine, it can come alive again.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24..it's time to find out how many locals might be willing to invest.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Yes, I'd certainly be interested in buying shares.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30Hubby and I, and perhaps some of our relatives we could talk into it.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Neighbours, friends, yes.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36We're looking to buy 200 shares, £2,000.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38That sort of region, really.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42The show of support is strong, but what the family need is cash
0:45:42 > 0:45:43and plenty of it.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46OK, so these were...
0:45:46 > 0:45:50ten... 250. 50.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52250. 500.
0:45:54 > 0:45:562,000.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Just over £4,000.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02£4,000 in pledges is an admirable effort,
0:46:02 > 0:46:06but nowhere near the 600,000 the family need to buy the mill.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08I think we've done everything we can here
0:46:08 > 0:46:11to do what we have to do here and to try to stay here.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15I think it's now the end of the road as far as that's concerned.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19With only two months left to raise such a huge sum, the family
0:46:19 > 0:46:23have had to face the reality of leaving Denver Mill behind.
0:46:23 > 0:46:24But there is hope.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27In the last few weeks, the Ables have managed to sign the lease
0:46:27 > 0:46:31on new premises inside the historic Hanse House in nearby Kings Lynn.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Last year, before Alex came,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38we felt afraid that because the mill had broken, and the mill
0:46:38 > 0:46:42is the centre of our business, that we couldn't carry on without it.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45And she came in and explained to us that there is more
0:46:45 > 0:46:48to our business, there is more to us, than just the windmill.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51So, although we would love to be here, it doesn't really...
0:46:51 > 0:46:54We don't feel afraid any more about whether we're going to be here or not.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56We know we can survive without it.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59Their plan is to take their electric mill with them
0:46:59 > 0:47:03so they can still make their flour, open up a new tearoom and shop,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06and relaunch the whole business model on a new site.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09And now that they have a much better understanding of how to run
0:47:09 > 0:47:12a business, they will be starting this venture from a much
0:47:12 > 0:47:14stronger position.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22At Courtyard Bridalwear in Kettering,
0:47:22 > 0:47:25it's nearing the end of my time with the Priest family,
0:47:25 > 0:47:27and their much-needed makeover is already under way.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33What's more, the squabbling sisters seem to have buried the hatchet.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36I think the refit is going to change
0:47:36 > 0:47:39the perception of the shop as a whole.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42It's going to be more upmarket and a bit more modern.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46Anne and Bethan are taking lessons in business finance.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50When they say to you, you need to make 10% more profit,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52it's not magic.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55I now know the difference between gross profit and net profit.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Oh, my God, is that the sign?
0:47:59 > 0:48:02It's the rebirth of our business, I suppose -
0:48:02 > 0:48:04out with the old and in with the new.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14The three of them have come together as a team,
0:48:14 > 0:48:18and they've transformed the shop into a wonderful bridal boutique.
0:48:20 > 0:48:21Wow.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26That is a really fun window display.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29If people don't stop and look at that, I'll be very surprised.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32It's kind of provocative and witty and charming.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37It shows that there's been a brain at work here.
0:48:37 > 0:48:41The window display is the best form of advertising that any shopkeeper has,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44and they're certainly winning with this one.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48What a difference!
0:48:51 > 0:48:53I'm thrilled and amazed.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03Somehow, everything feels more precious.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05This is just somewhere you'd want to buy a dress.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08This is definitely a destination shop now.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15I think that this really shows that we have changed
0:49:15 > 0:49:18and that we have to change to keep up with the shop.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21With the new-found focus on the business,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24they relaunch as Courtyard Bridal Boutique.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29To promote the relaunch, nine brides are invited back
0:49:29 > 0:49:31to renew their vows in front of a captivated audience,
0:49:31 > 0:49:35including press and the movers and shakers of the bridal world.
0:49:43 > 0:49:49God is love, and those who live in love live with God.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53That each marriage promise renewed here today
0:49:53 > 0:49:57will be a faithful sign of your love in the world,
0:49:57 > 0:50:00and as the years go by
0:50:00 > 0:50:04bring them ever closer to each other and to you,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07for Jesus Christ's sake, Amen.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09APPLAUSE
0:50:09 > 0:50:13It seems strange giving them permission, but you may kiss your wives!
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Tell me what's in your future.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28I, in the future, I'm going to look upon my daughters as young women,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32independent, but both very competent,
0:50:32 > 0:50:37and they've shown me that, that they can both actually do the job.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39I feel slightly tearful.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41We couldn't have done it without you.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44It's been an absolute pleasure, pleasure, pleasure, pleasure
0:50:44 > 0:50:47to work with you all. I've enjoyed every single minute.
0:50:50 > 0:50:51- Bye, darling.- Bye.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54When I first came here, the thing that I was most nervous about
0:50:54 > 0:51:00was that Anne, Bethan and Rhiannon really struggled as a family in business together.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04What I'm most proud of now is that they've resolved their differences as a family,
0:51:04 > 0:51:07and that has transferred into their business life,
0:51:07 > 0:51:12and ultimately, that gives me great confidence in the future of this business.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23Now, though, the Priest family have to make things work on their own.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26In the 12 months since I left, have Anne, Rhiannon and Bethan
0:51:26 > 0:51:31managed to build on their success or fallen back into their old ways?
0:51:31 > 0:51:34You can start arranging that side. I've dusted there.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38- It's been a huge improvement to us, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41Business-wise, we're very much more focused on finances.
0:51:41 > 0:51:46Gross turnover is up 28% in the first quarter,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49so it's going really well. We're really enjoying it now.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52Anne has begun to take a back seat in the business,
0:51:52 > 0:51:56and couldn't be happier with her daughters' progress.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00They've been running the shop by themselves
0:52:00 > 0:52:03and they've been doing that now since February.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07Rhiannon has really excelled at buying.
0:52:07 > 0:52:12Bethan has proved to be an excellent financial manager.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15They are now definitely equal partners.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17The girls are now running the shop,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20but they're about to embark on something even more ambitious -
0:52:20 > 0:52:23making the bold move to push the business upmarket.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31We're going to see Ritva Westenius,
0:52:31 > 0:52:34who is the bridal designer of the year.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37We're coming to meet her in person today,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41and to see if we could possibly stock her brand.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44An exclusive deal with a designer dressmaker
0:52:44 > 0:52:47would massive expand the company's money-making potential.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51These dresses will retail at upwards of £3,000,
0:52:51 > 0:52:55around twice as much as the most expensive they currently stock.
0:52:55 > 0:52:56The responsibility is ours now.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59If anything should happen to the business, it falls upon our heads.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02Yeah. It's kind of pushing out of our comfort zone for them,
0:53:02 > 0:53:06that's the way we probably need to go to make the business work.
0:53:06 > 0:53:07- Sustainable, really.- Yeah.
0:53:07 > 0:53:12- We haven't really got a major designer.- No.
0:53:12 > 0:53:18So this hopefully will secure more people coming into the store.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21I'm more...
0:53:21 > 0:53:23nervous, I suppose, a little bit,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25cos at the end of the day, she has the power
0:53:25 > 0:53:29to say that she doesn't want us and that we're not good enough for her.
0:53:29 > 0:53:30That's very true.
0:53:30 > 0:53:35This is a make-or-break meeting for the girls' bold new business plan.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38Securing a contract with this award-winning designer
0:53:38 > 0:53:41will make Courtyard Bridal one of only 25 companies in the UK
0:53:41 > 0:53:43to stock the range.
0:53:43 > 0:53:44- Hello.- Good morning.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47And they'll need to work overtime to impress company boss Chenka.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Nice to meet you. I'm Bethan.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52When I look for a new stockist, it's most importantly for the public.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55It's good service. It's the most important thing in the world
0:53:55 > 0:53:58to choose your wedding dress. And also about their personalities,
0:53:58 > 0:54:01so I don't know them yet, so I'd be interested to find out.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05You know, you can feel if people have passion or not.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09So, Rhiannon and Bethan, this is all our dresses.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10- It's lovely.- It's gorgeous.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13We've got loads of them, but what we've done here to help you
0:54:13 > 0:54:15is put things into shape. So behind you, my darling,
0:54:15 > 0:54:18they're more column shape or they're a gentle mermaid,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20so they slightly kick out at the bottom.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22And then you have A-lines for days,
0:54:22 > 0:54:24right the way through here and into the other room.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26- OK.- Beautiful.- So I'll let you loose
0:54:26 > 0:54:28- and then we'll put some on a dummy and show you.- Fabulous.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31- OK?- Thank you so much. - I'll leave you for a moment to look.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36- That's lovely.- I like the high neck.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38To have a collection like this
0:54:38 > 0:54:40in our shop would be absolutely amazing.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42- Oh, I love that one. That's the Gatsbys.- Yeah.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46And to have someone so highly renowned within the industry
0:54:46 > 0:54:48would just be fabulous for us,
0:54:48 > 0:54:52so really this is, you know, this is a big deal to us.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56- Look.- Awww, that's gorgeous. - Can I stroke it?- Yes!
0:54:56 > 0:54:58- You may stroke it.- Is it fabric?
0:54:58 > 0:55:00- Feathers, not endangered. - No, that's fine.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05I really love the dress, but I have a feeling it might be a little bit
0:55:05 > 0:55:08over the top price that we're looking at.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12It's a beautiful dress, but it's just whether or not
0:55:12 > 0:55:15it's in the parameters we've set.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17If it's slightly over, it'll be fine, but if it's way over,
0:55:17 > 0:55:18I think we'd have to say no,
0:55:18 > 0:55:21even though it is the most beautiful gown ever.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23THEY LAUGH
0:55:23 > 0:55:27It's reassuring to see Bethan not let her sister get carried away,
0:55:27 > 0:55:29and that they are sticking to the budget.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33- That's gorgeous.- That is lovely.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36- So these are the ones that would be definite...- Yeah.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38- If it's viable.- Yeah.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40The girls may have picked their dresses,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42but will Chenka feel confident
0:55:42 > 0:55:45that her collection and reputation are in safe hands?
0:55:47 > 0:55:50I really hope that Chenka has got the right impression of us.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54I really hope that we come across as serious businesswomen.
0:55:54 > 0:55:59The main question is, we love your designs, they're amazing,
0:55:59 > 0:56:01but it's whether or not we would actually
0:56:01 > 0:56:03be allowed to stock you at all.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05Oh, darlings. Erm...
0:56:10 > 0:56:12I looked at the catchment area,
0:56:12 > 0:56:15and I think the distance for exclusivity for you
0:56:15 > 0:56:19and for any other of my stockists is perfectly fine,
0:56:19 > 0:56:20so therefore I'd like to say yes.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22- Oh, that's amazing!- Thank you!
0:56:22 > 0:56:25No, seriously, if you'd really like to go, of course.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29- I will back you up as much as I can, OK?- That's amazing.
0:56:29 > 0:56:30- Can I have a...?- Oh, bless you.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32- Oh, you're sweet.- Thank you so much.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35- And you.- No, you're more than welcome, seriously.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37But thank you for choosing us, more than anything.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39It's really great.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43- Hi, Mum. It's Bethan.- And Rhiannon!
0:56:43 > 0:56:45We've just been to see Ritva Westenius
0:56:45 > 0:56:49and her dresses are amazing, and they're beautiful.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53- And she said yes!- So we have taken on the label. We're very excited,
0:56:53 > 0:56:56and we hope you're proud of us that we've done that.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58- Love you lots. - BOTH: See you soon. Bye!
0:56:58 > 0:56:59OK.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03Success! And that's not all
0:57:03 > 0:57:07the ladies of Courtyard Bridal Boutique have to celebrate.
0:57:07 > 0:57:1010 years ago, I opened the shop. So we always promised ourselves
0:57:10 > 0:57:13that when it was 10 years, we were going to have a party.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16Today, we are here to celebrate 10 years
0:57:16 > 0:57:21in a dream business, so thank you to all our brides for trusting us
0:57:21 > 0:57:24to be part of a very special time of your lives.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28Rhiannon and Bethan have taken the step to become partners,
0:57:28 > 0:57:30but not with me.
0:57:30 > 0:57:34So hence this evening, I'm officially passing the business
0:57:34 > 0:57:36of Courtyard Bridal Boutique
0:57:36 > 0:57:41over to the capable, but still caring, hands of my daughters.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44APPLAUSE
0:57:45 > 0:57:50'This is our business. Mum is not retaining any part of it.'
0:57:50 > 0:57:53It kind of feels surreal that it's our shop now.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56- It feels like it really hasn't happened.- No.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58It feels kind of like your wedding day.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01It's kind of a big change, but really it doesn't feel...
0:58:01 > 0:58:02- Any different.- Yeah.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05So here's to a lovely retirement.
0:58:05 > 0:58:06- Thank you.- Have a lovely time.
0:58:06 > 0:58:11I will, if you two don't ask me to do too much.
0:58:11 > 0:58:12No!
0:58:12 > 0:58:13What an amazing turnaround.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15And it doesn't stop there.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18The shop has been named the best wedding dress retailer
0:58:18 > 0:58:22of the East Midlands in the 2013 Wedding Industry Awards,
0:58:22 > 0:58:25and they were shortlisted for the national award.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27The future looks bright for these girls.
0:58:50 > 0:58:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd