Gracie & Sophie Tyrrell are sisters and founders of Squirrel Sisters, an award-winning, no added sugar snacking brand. They founded the company in 2015 after Sophie was diagnosed with a heart condition that needed surgery. After the procedure Sophie started reacting really badly to sugar and processed foods, so Gracie made it her mission to create delicious snacks that she could enjoy and also ticked all the health credentials she needed.
The Squirrel Sisters
Five years on and they are now a well-known snacking brand with products in major retailers like Holland & Barrett, Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods and many more.
This January 2021 they launched the UK’s first no added sugar snacking brand for snacks and kitchen essentials.
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In February 2021 they also launched into Sainsbury’s on the ‘future brands trial bay’. A huge milestone for their business. The sisters have got three months to make it work and prove that their snacks are loved by everyone. If they can do this then they will get a permanent listing, but the ladies really need your help and support with this.
Gracie said: 'Did you know that women led businesses contribute £85 billion to the UK’s economy every year!? As female business owners we are so proud knowing that we are contributing to this statistic. Having launched our business over five years ago we’ve certainly experienced a mix of highs and lows, it’s not easy being a business owner, let alone a female business owner, so we wanted to share our top tips on how you can support female led businesses.'
The Squirrel Sisters' top tips for helping female led businesses in 2021
Like, Share, Comment: It might sound obvious but engaging with posts on social media can make a huge difference.
Be a cheerleader: Word of mouth is essential for small businesses so if you like the brand and product shout about it… tell your friends and family and everyone you know.
Women supporting women: The saying goes ‘when women support women incredible things can happen’… and it’s true! Don’t see each other as competition see each other as team members. Support and encourage each other.
Buy from them: If you can, purchasing products from these female owned businesses is one of the best ways to support. Not only will you be adding to the business' income you will also be helping them achieve sales targets that retailers expect.
Request them: Ask your most frequented shops to start stocking your favourite products that are made by female business owners, if you ask as the customer- they will listen.
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Respect & Support- running a business is extremely difficult, there will be plenty of up’s and down’s. When you’re facing more of a stressful time it’s important to keep the respect and support each other. We are only 2 years apart in age and know each other inside out so we know when the other one isn’t 100% and we know how to react to each other when in those situations. The most important thing is to remember that we are in this together and that’s what makes it so special... to read more click HERE
