A Menter Môn Project
Hub Member: Nicola & Aled Griffiths - Coed Y Ddraig
4 November
2020
Inspired by a moment of boredom during lockdown, Coed y Ddraig was born. The company creates bespoke wooden items including seating and decorations, and was able to secure Arfor grant funding through the Enterprise Hub in order to ensure they had the right tools for the job. Coed y Ddraig has seen a shift from creating items for family and friends, to selling to strangers via their online shops, and the business is growing from strength to strength.
Coed y Ddraig is run by husband and wife team, Nicola and Aled Griffiths. They create wooden homeware including chopping boards, candle holders, and benches. The business, like many others this year, began during the March lockdown period. Aled is a carpenter by trade, and was bored around the house, so one day he went to the workshop and created a bench. Nicola put a photo of the bench on Facebook, and people immediately started asking if it was for sale. “That made us think, perhaps we could make things to sell! We had already heard of the Enterprise Hub, we were particularly interested in hearing more about the Ffiws Makerspaces and saw a chance to apply for a business grant with the Hub’s support. Arfor grant funding helped us purchase new tools in order to create better quality, more competitive items!”
Nicola noted that Covid-19 created a time where it was an advantage for a business such as Coed y Ddraig, as people had more time to brows social media – where the items were advertised. People were also much more aware of supporting local businesses, and Nicola feels the Welsh name and bilingual marketing of Coed y Ddraig has helped in this respect also. Also, the couple would never have had the time to start a business where it not for lockdown!
Their proudest business moment came when a stranger, rather than a friend, bought one of their items. Nicola says “I would advise others to do some research when you start out, to find out what your competitors are charging. Also, the images you use are so important, so maybe invest in some simple lighting kits and so on. Finally, don’t rely on friends and family to buy from you – your target audience is really important.”
Sara, Enterprise Hub Coordinator, said “It’s great to see so many businesses developing during the lockdown period. We had concerns regarding how Covid19 would impact the start-up environment, but we’ve seen people be more innovative than ever, and it’s great to see companies such as Coed y Ddraig become part of the Hub Club. Our Business Advisors love working with a range of different companies, to provide advice and support that is bespoke and flexible to their needs.”
The Enterprise Hub is part Funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.
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