'We've tried to cut costs where we can'
Autobrite Direct, based at Festival Park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, was set up by husband and wife Mark and Jill Moss in their garage in 2005.
Despite experiencing huge growth from humble beginnings, the increased cost of living has forced them to adapt.
"We've moved into manufacturing now, we've tried to cut costs where we can. We'll be alright, but it's not nice," Mrs Moss said.
"We're lucky we've got a brand that's been established for 20 years," she added.
When they set up the firm, Mark had been cleaning lorries for a living, but needed to take on something less strenuous after injuring his back.
"Me and Mark are just dead normal people," Mrs Moss said. "We go in the warehouse, we pack orders, we fill bottles."
Despite that, they were "very proud" of what they had built together, she said.
She added that they were also heavily involved in the firm's social media marketing, which has meant people got to know them as well as their products.
Mr Moss said: "We are the business. We deal with a lot of the local community, we get to speak to a lot of people."
Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
'Constantly cleaning' boy becomes celeb car washer
Car wash provides mental health support for staff
Autobrite
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak only wants to join Liverpool
Liverpool have received a big boost in their efforts to sign Newcastle United star Alexander Isak. According to Fabrizio Romano, Isak only wants to join the Merseyside titans this summer despite interest from many other clubs. Newcastle have been adamant that the Swedish footballer is not for sale in this transfer window. But the striker has clearly expressed his desire to leave St James' Park, putting the Magpies in a difficult situation. Liverpool are expected to make a formal approach for Isak in the coming days, despite spending £79m to sign Hugo Ektike from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Premier League champions will likely have to break the British transfer record for the 25-year-old, as he is reportedly valued at £150m by Newcastle. Given their big outlay this summer, doubts were raised about their ability to sign Isak in the current window. But it emerges Arne Slot's side can afford to spend another £200m and remain compliant with Profit and Sustainability Rules. They have been frugal in the previous three transfer windows, and also banked £174.9m in prize money for winning the Premier League last season. Liverpool are also set for a financial boost as they are close to selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. The two clubs have reportedly reached an agreement worth up to £65m, with the Colombian also keen on the move. The Reds are also open to offers for Darwin Nunez, who has been attracting interest from Saudi Arabia.
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Chelsea refuse to sell their 5th choice defender after club decision
Chelsea's ruthless transfer strategy has gone to another gear this summer, with the Blues now past the stage of selling off the players from the previous regime and into the stage of selling players bought within the last two years if the chance for profit is there. Noni Madueke and Djordje Petrovic are gone, Renato Veiga and Joao Felix are likely to be next as the summer of sales rolls on. High player turnover every summer the new reality for Chelsea Tosin and Cole Palmer celebrate Club World Cup win. (Photo by) It's an upsetting of the usual order of things in football – you wouldn't have seen a first team regular like Madueke sold to a league rival in the days of Jose Mourinho. But that's how it is now. Anyone is for sale at the right price. But that doesn't mean there won't be decisions taken for the sake of the group as a whole. Chelsea consider defender 'untouchable' for off the field reasons Curiously, given we're happy to sell first choice players, there's a fifth choice player who is apparently considered 'untouchable.' An exclusive from the Sun over the weekend claimed that Tosin Adarabioyo was not for sale, despite interest from Crystal Palace and West Ham. Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill form Enzo Maresca's favoured partnership and Trevoh Chalobah seems to be established as third choice now. With the impending arrival of Jorrel Hato, Tosin could soon find himself 5th choice centre-back – but he won't be going anywhere. That's because of his dressing room benefits – as one of the senior player who is seen to knit things together behind the scenes despite the endless personnel turnover, plus his close relationship with the team's star player Cole Palmer. That's the best kind of job security of all.
Entrepreneur
7 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
Regulations Eased to Support Retail
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. High streets across the UK could soon see a revival in local culture and commerce, as ministers unveil a package of measures aimed at breathing life back into town centres long plagued by empty shopfronts and dwindling footfall. Under the proposals, a new National Licensing Policy Framework will sweep away what the government describes as "outdated" planning and licensing barriers, in a bid to support the growth of cafes, bars, music venues and outdoor dining. The reforms aim to simplify the process of opening hospitality venues, cutting red tape that small businesses have long cited as prohibitive. Ministers say the changes will allow for swifter conversions of vacant retail units into social spaces, while also offering stronger protections for established pubs, clubs and grassroots music venues - particularly those at risk of being silenced by noise complaints from newer developments. A key element of the plan is the introduction of the 'Agent of Change' principle into national planning policy, meaning developers will bear responsibility for mitigating noise when building near existing venues - a move welcomed by some in the nightlife industry as a long-overdue step. New "hospitality zones" will also be trialled, offering streamlined permissions for outdoor dining, community events and longer opening hours. Officials hope this will help restore a sense of place and vibrancy in town centres that have struggled to recover from the combined blows of online retail, austerity, and the pandemic. The government's pitch is that these reforms will not only reduce bureaucracy, but also foster economic regeneration and social connection. By standardising rules across the country, ministers claim the framework will remove the patchwork of local regulations that often discourage entrepreneurs from taking on high street premises. The initiative ties into the ongoing High Street Rental Auction Scheme, which gives local authorities the power to lease long-vacant commercial properties - a policy designed to tackle chronic underuse of central retail areas by creating space for independent businesses and community-led projects. This push forms part of a broader Small Business Plan, expected to be unveiled later this year, which the government says will provide a roadmap for unlocking the potential of the UK's 5.5m small and medium-sized enterprises. Collectively, they contribute nearly £3t to the economy and employ around 60% of the private sector workforce. While business groups have cautiously welcomed the move, some experts warn that regulatory reform alone may not be enough to revive town centres without parallel investment in transport, housing and public services - the wider ecosystem in which local economies thrive or falter. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: "This Government has a plan to replace shuttered up shops with vibrant places to socialise turning them into thriving cafés or busy bars, which supports local jobs and gives people a place to get together and catch up over a beer or a coffee. "Red tape has stood in the way of people's business ideas for too long. Today we're slashing those barriers to giving small business owners the freedom to flourish. "From faster café openings to easier alfresco dining, our Plan for Change will put the buzz back into our town centres and money back into the pockets of local entrepreneurs, because when small businesses thrive, communities come alive."
