Council helps Bay Tree Cottage grow to new heights

When COVID-19 forced Bay Tree Boutique B&B to close for three months, Susan McCague realised her business needed to adapt.
SuSan McGague from Bay Tree Cottahe in HillsboroughSuSan McGague from Bay Tree Cottahe in Hillsborough
SuSan McGague from Bay Tree Cottahe in Hillsborough

However,with support from Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC), Susan was able to reassess and reinvent her business and Bay Tree Self Catering Cottage emerged.

The luxury cottage, located outside Hillsborough, opened in 2017 and was a great success with local and global residents. However, the impact of the global pandemic meant that it had to make changes in order to survive.

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The Digi Growth Programme helped Susan improve her business website and SEO. It also guided her through the introduction of email marketing, which was invaluable in communicating with guests and also in promoting her business. She said, “I would certainly recommend the Digi Growth Programme for any business out there looking for help during this difficult time.”

The bespoke business support programme focuses on helping Lisburn & Castlereagh businesses improve their digital skills. It aims to enhance their ecommerce capabilities and integrate digital technologies within their businesses to improve engagement.

It provides support with their website, digital strategy, ecommerce set up, content, SEO strategy, social media, video creation and many more areas. This digital transformation support is part of the programme delivery to up skill local businesses with digital skills.

Chair of the council’s Development Committee, Alderman Jim Dillon MBE, said: “It has never been more important to focus on ‘digital’. The COVID-19 pandemic has completely reshaped how we do business, and I’m delighted that Susan has benefitted from the council’s Digi-Growth Programme. Indeed it has been instrumental in helping many other local businesses improve their digital skills, remain competitive, grow sales and expand their markets.”

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To find out more about the Digi-Growth Programme and other business support available, go to www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/business . To apply for this programme, email [email protected] for an expression of interest form.

This project is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.

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