One year on from starting a small business, nobody said it was going to be easy and I am so glad they didn’t. From accidentally under charging for postage, to trying to advertise during a global pandemic, it has been challenging but also the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced.

Give a brief Introduction to you and what it is you do.  Who is involved in the business? We are a husband and wife team (Sarah & Wayne) running a small batch speciality coffee roastery in Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire. Speciality coffee has to be graded 80+ points and above on the Speciality Coffee Association’s grading […]

Castaway Cottage is a family-run business offering beautiful hand-crafted products for the bath and home. From colourful bath bombs and crumbles to a range of natural wax melts and soaps; all made with care for skin and the environment using essential oils or carefully selected fragrances.   The packaging is compostable, recyclable or upcycled. We […]

by Sarah Cooke Right now we are obviously going through some strange & uncertain times, but I don’t believe that means you have to compromise your business – it IS possible to have a business that you love and that works for you on your terms. Even if you’ve had to temporarily close your doors […]

“You have two choices: You can make a living, or you can design a life” (Jim Rohn)    I’d love to write about the mindset for success, without mentioning #COVID-19. However, I fear that if l ignored such a large elephant in the room, that has no doubt impacted most of our lives in some […]

KIN Training debunk myths surrounding HIIT and yoga and provide tips on overcoming your fitness fears. Persistence. Patience. Strength. Adaptability. Kindness. If the last three months have taught us anything, it’s certainly recognising the importance of these qualities in ourselves when overcoming uncomfortable and uncertain situations. What if we could use these skills and qualities […]

It seems everyone (in the skincare world!) these days is talking about the importance of the skin barrier, which whilst a good thing, many brands have jumped on this in terms of products which promise to repair the skin barrier. It’s a classic case of treat rather than prevent – the same conundrum seen in […]

I’ve heard talk of 4th July parties and planning of big days out to mark the occasion.  Whilst many businesses are still not able to open and others are open with adjustments, there is no denying that seeing hairdressers, pubs, cafes and restaurants will bring both excitement and a greater sense of normality to our […]

The last few months have been “challenging” to say the least, whether you’ve been home schooling, full-time parenting little ones, or juggling a bit of everything. I think we can all agree it’s certainly taken its toll. For many of you (myself included), this probably means your business has taken a back seat. With the […]

by Amanda Badger ‘This is the Royal Free Hospital, you recently came in for a chest x-ray’ said the voice on the phone. ‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘Can you come back in right away? We think you may have TB.’ I began to see stars as the information sunk in. What do I tell my fiancé? […]

This week sees the re-opening of many of our favourite high street and retail businesses.  Whilst many businesses have adapted to offer online, postal, or adapted services, re-opening of physical stores is probably the biggest step towards normality we’ve seen since lockdown started. We are thrilled at the boost it will give these businesses and […]

Meet Hannah and Oli from Home County Candle Co. and hear about their passion for making their beautiful UK inspired scented candles and reed diffusers.   MEET OLI WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU STARTED THE HOME COUNTY CANDLE CO.? My background is in sales management and just before we started the business I was […]

by Natalie Halliwell-Jennings With many Ashridge House staff working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked Ashridge House Events Sales & Marketing Manager Natalie Halliwell-Jennings how she has adapted to working from home… “Ashridge House is a former royal palace to Kings and Queens, a grade II listed stately home with 190 acres of beautiful […]

by Lisa Pantling of Clutter Free Living All of a sudden we are spending an awful lot more time at home, some of us are also working at home, possibly while also entertaining (teaching?!) our children. For many, this set of circumstances has highlighted an issue they hadn’t really acknowledged before…… stuff! And far too […]

  I saw a meme this week that showed a lockdown budget where all items in the budget were £0, but food was about £2k a month. It’s a pretty fair assessment of lockdown life, isn’t it?  Suddenly our main preoccupation is getting food and what to have for our next meal…and actually constantly feeling […]

I’ve been asked a few times about local delivery services for food to support those in self-isolation, so here is a  quickly put together list, which I hope helps those in need. I’ve tried to capture as many as possible, but if we’ve forgotten your business, please let us know as we will keep the […]

You know that time between lunch and dinner when you don’t quite know what to do with yourself? It’s too early for one but too late for the other, but actually it’s the perfect time to just chill out, relax and take in the world. Well, it turns out we know the perfect place to […]

By Olivia Church It’s amazing to think that OPEN Hairdressing Hemel Hempstead has only been in business for just over a year. It may be the baby of the family, but it has a loyal and ever-growing clientele.  For those of you who haven’t heard of this business, OPEN Hairdressing is a chain of independent […]

How lucky are we to have been invited for a sneak peak of the lovely new Rosanna’s bar and restaurant in Berkhamsted? It’s another venue to open in Berkhamsted that brings Hertfordshire up a notch with exquisite decor and oh so yummy food. Alessia and Rosanna (sisters no less) have poured their heart and soul […]

Earlier this year we were blown away by the arrival of the Copper House to the Berkhamsted High Street.  Taking over the beautiful old listed building previously occupied by Carluccio’s, the champagne, cocktail & fine dining bar were a much longed for addition to the cosmopolitan community of Berko. From the moment we saw the […]

It’s always a tough gig when a high street favourite disappears and is replaced.  Jack & Alice was a highly popular Tring venue for it’s casual dining, laid back vibe and vintage inspired décor.  We were so sad to hear of it’s closure….but news of it’s immediate transformation to “Coluco” meant that we didn’t have […]

I have a few soft spots, and definitely among those are Peterley Manor Farm and foodie pop-ups by talented local chefs. Of course it was a no brainer when I saw Native Feasts were back at Peterley for a Spring Supper Club – we were right there!  We’ve been keen to get back to doing […]

by Ruth Buckingham from Kandu Marketing This is partly a blog about networking and partly about presenting as I feel the same way about both.  I recently had a birthday party for my “big” birthday. It came to the time when one might be expected to make a speech.  I have to admit it, I […]

What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than by chatting to a local female Entrepreneur – Sarah Cooke.  Sarah did what many of us dream of doing and found inspiration in her motherhood for a business that helps mothers look and feel great.  Halia Rose has achieved both local and national recognition and has […]

Yes I know it’s been a while!  Sorry guys the summer of work has taken it’s toll but I promise to get back to some great inspirational blogs and reviews!   We’ve had this lady’s story for a little while and I’m super keen to get it out there.  I genuinely feel privileged to meet so […]

Just a couple of weeks now until we’re back at the Autumnal foodie extravaganza that is Feast on the Farm. Excited? Just a bit! We loved this event last year, so we were thrilled to hear it was coming back for a second helping at it’s Peterley Manor Farm home. Of course we’re a nosey […]

This month we will have been living in Tring for 2 years.  In some ways it feels like it has flown by, in other ways it feels like we have always been here. I’d been in South London for the past 15+ years and loved every part of it….the buzz, the people, the fashion, the […]

Do you find there aren’t enough hours in the day and you‘re becoming increasingly stressed with your long to do list?  Me too! Since becoming a mum, I have put a lot of pressure on myself to tick everything on my to do list off and I have sacrificed time for myself to get this […]

Continuing our theme of inspiring small businesses in 2018, this week we’re chatting to Fiona Faber who recently opened the most beautiful floristry and homewares store in Wendover.  We love Fiona’s story as not only was she one of our very first Directory members but she waited many years to fulfil her dreams. Since opening […]

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions – partly because they lend themselves too easily to being broken but mostly I hate routine so the idea of imposing rules on yourself routinely is a big no for me.  That said I have vowed to give up caffeine this year, so I guess sometimes you’ve […]

Through the course of Tring Buzz I’ve become aware of a fairly large and growing type of freelancers in our local area — the creative businesses. With more routes to market such as Etsy and Not on the High Street than ever before and with social media making it easier for businesses to reach the individual, this […]

Hello Tring and welcome to Tring Buzz. It’s been 7 years since we left the Smoke with the hope of a better life in Tring. If we’re honest we took a risk moving to this tiny town as we knew little of it; there was a posh dancing school, a Champneys (surely that shows it’s […]