Number Twenty wins Small Business of the year 2007
(November 2007)

Sarah Cotes (centre) at the Number Twenty shop in Berkhamsted.Photographed with Lin Underwood of Hospice Retail, left, and staff member Nicola Harvey,
right.

Attracting a diverse range of customers has been the secret to Number Twenty's success since it opened in November last year.

The charity shop on Lower King's Road, Berkhamsted, gives all of its profits to the Hospice of St Francis. It has marketed itself as a gift shop selling quality merchandise and is well on its way to achieving its target of making £170,000 from sales.
Sarah Coles, manager of the shop, said: "We have managed to attract new supporters for the hospice, a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise go through charity shops.
"I'm absolutely delighted we have won. It was a bold step for the hospice and it has been vindicated."

A detailed marketing plan was drawn up and presented to the Hospice Trustees prior to opening, which focused on attracting a young clientele and selling high quality, exclusive hand made goods.
This has resulted in 95% of the shop's customers being "new"— those who would otherwise not usually shop in a traditional charity shop.

Sarah said: "Product selection, originality, quality of service and value for money are all vital components in appealing to as broad a customer base as possible."
Number Twenty is run by two paid members of staff and a team of 35 volunteers, who have all been instrumental in the shop's success.

It is the skills of the management team that have been reflected in the look of the shop, and the volunteers' people skills that have resulted in such a high level of customer service.
The shop's future plans include adding to the number of locally sourced goods stocked, increasing its number of fundraising activities and extending opening hours.