KuKu Connect, a business membership service which connects businesses and entrepreneurs from across the East Midlands, has posted its sixtieth business-focussed daily update video bulletin whilst simultaneously helping thousands of businesses from across the East Midlands stay in touch during COVID-19.
Stephen Goddard and Philip Brooks-Stephenson, KuKu Connect Co-Founders, commented on the milestone saying, “During COVID-19 businesses have clearly not been able to physically meet up and network but at KuKu Connect we felt that it was vital to keep businesses talking and connecting. To that end we immediately began offering free support to any business, not just our members, using the power of digital connecting and our audience platforms to help all businesses during this time of crisis.
“To date we have connected approximately 5,000 businesses together during COVID-19 and whist our own business is on pause and we made the decision to stop Members payments to support those experiencing financial hardship, we are delighted to be able to help other businesses still do business, make connections and develop relationships. Part of our activity has been our Carry on KuKu daily video bulletins and we are thrilled to announce that we have now passed the sixty mark with our daily episodes. These have been hugely well received and the feedback has been phenomenal.”
The Carry on KuKu daily video bulletin offers viewers business tips and advice as well as promotes different businesses whilst giving shout-outs for businesses and charities who are supporting each other and / or the NHS during COVID-19. Added Philip, “We do have some fun with it too, of course. We choose a daily song with which to keep up motivation and positivity and our catch phrase for the Carry on KuKu bulletins is ‘Carry on Going, Carry on Smiling and Carry on Connecting’. I think it’s fair to say that we’ve taken our inspiration from both the Great British spirit of pulling together and the Carry On films so a little bit of humour mixed into our bulletins seemed only right.”
Using this shout-out service KuKu Connect has also helped to raise over £1,500 for the NHS which was used to donate over 1500 PPE visors to nursing and care homes. Stephen added, “Dean from DW Signature Designs contacted us after hearing about our Carry on KuKu daily video bulletins and asked if we would help him fundraise for the NHS. Of course we said ‘yes’ immediately and set about sharing his fundraising idea across our membership and non-members alike. The response was phenomenal and we are very, very grateful to everyone who took part.”
Dean Williams from DW Signature Designs in Leicestershire added, “If it wasn’t for going on the free KuKu Connect networking event which was set-up for businesses to help them through the pandemic I wouldn’t have had my orders grow. Through KuKu Connect I met Harmi from Pathway Group and I have now been able to manufacture over 1,500 visors for NHS staff, care homes and key workers which have gone out across the Midlands. I’ve now raised over £1,500 pounds in less than a month on my Go Fund page with donations being made direct to the NHS and a local hospice. As a further result it looks like I could be manufacturing a new visor design which will turn into a small business venture by supplying the NHS frontline staff as I can now manufacture over 1,500 visors per week and I am now looking into buying more machines to double my manufacturing. A massive thank you to KuKu Connect. They have enabled me to help the NHS, care homes and key workers, start a new business venture and a new division of my own existing business.”
Dean is not on his own when it comes to praising KuKu Connect and Carry on KuKu. David Pearson, Director at East Midlands Chamber of Commerce added, “Business support organisations need to come together for the benefit of the wider business communities of the East Midlands and Kuku Connect have been doing a great job working alongside the Chamber to raise opportunities for business people to continue to network and introduce themselves to other like-minded people.”
“Businesses of all shapes and sizes have had to be extremely creative during this time,” say Stephen and Philip. “KuKu Connect continues to respond by offering online business networking with a difference – the KuKu Cocktail Hour – which is live broadcast over Facebook and where we dress up in Black Tie, cocktail in hand and connect, introduce and promote businesses who join the live feed, as well as promote some of the positive news, tips, advice and support offers that have come through from businesses. These take place twice monthly on Wednesday’s at 5pm, the next one being held on the 24th June and they are totally free and open to any business or community organisation from across the region.
“We have also been sharing news submitted to us by businesses across our social media channels and have set up new channels to support businesses through this time including a new Facebook group called KuKu Connect Corona and LinkedIn group called KuKu Connect. We are genuinely here to help and invite any business to join us without charge. We’re here to help all businesses keep doing business and one thing I will absolutely promise you is that our activity, however you engage with it, will definitely have our very distinctive KuKu Connect flavour to it!”
