A GRASSINGTON business owner has received a boost from retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis when he endorsed her product through social media.

Charlotte Walsh, owner of The Silicone Straw Company, tweeted Theo recently about her business during ‘Small Business Sunday’ and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet by Theo to his near half a million Twitter followers.

The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has over 3,000 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.

Business guru and self-confessed shopkeeper, Theo, who is also well known as one of the stars of hit TV show Dragon's Den, re‐tweeted The Silicone Straw Company's message to his almost 500,000 followers and as a result, www.thesiliconestrawcompany.co.uk has gained more followers and extra orders for their handy reusable straws in travel tins.

They are also profiled on the #SBS website (www.theopaphitissbs.com) that is exclusive to all Small Business Sunday winners. Following on from this success Charlotte gifted Theo and the Team some straws which he later posted about on his social media platforms.

Charlotte said: “I’ve only been in business two years and I still work out of my spare bedroom. It is great to have support from Theo because it’s been tough trying to raise our profile during the pandemic and Theo has recognised my hard work and helped spread the word about high quality reusable straws which are made in the UK.”

Small business champion and Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue Chairman, Theo Paphitis, said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK. My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings. The website will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish The Silicone Straw Company every success.”

Anyone looking for a re‐tweet from Theo should tweet him about their business on Sunday between 5 PM and 7.30 PM and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8 PM and then invited to enter their profile on the new website, attend the annual #SBS networking event and take advantage of the networking opportunities.

Further information about Small Business Sunday please visit www.theopaphitissbs.com

The Silicone Straw Company: hello@thesiliconestrawcompany.co.uk