21-Year-Old Entrepreneur Takes Over National Business!

Izzy Weatherall, Founder of Gloucestershire Virtual Shopping Mall recently began her next big Entrepreneurial challenge of taking over Support Small UK, an online marketplace supporting and promoting independent businesses from across the UK, with over 100 Members currently featured!

Discovering her passion for supporting independent businesses during the Pandemic. Izzy says “My plan pre-pandemic was to have a gap year, train to swim the English Channel and then head off to university, however during the pandemic, plans changed! I really enjoyed supporting independent businesses which then lead in to founding my first business. I have since supported many businesses in reaching an audience who love to support independent from events, to showcases & workshops! I went on to complete some qualifications to support me in this endeavour and then discovered an incredible opportunity to takeover Support Small UK!”

The mission of Izzy’s work at Support Small UK, is to support businesses in their growth, get them the visibility they deserve and break down the barriers to supporting independent. Izzy says, “It’s been a whirlwind few months getting to know all of the incredible members of Support Small UK, understanding the processes as well as planning for the future of both businesses.”

In 2023, Izzy has been nominated for 6 awards including Young Entrepreneur, Rising Star & Community Champion at the Female Business Awards and Young Businesswoman of the year at the Women’s Business Awards. Results for these nominations will be announced towards the end of the year.

Izzy says “It is becoming increasingly highlighted that there are so many small businesses out there shutting their doors which is absolutely devastating, if we can do something to support them which is affordable and opens so many opportunities then hopefully, we can make a difference. Members of the community want to shop local whether it is from a sustainability, support, or exclusivity point of view, it’s just all about making these opportunities more accessible”.

In regard to plans for the future, Izzy plans to host many events for Entrepreneurs and connect with others to spread the word about Support Small UK with the hopes of being able to travel around the UK visiting all of the incredible businesses that are part of the community. The overall plan is to support many more independent businesses with their visibility in the near future!