THE Flower Lounge in Didsbury is celebrating five successful years in business this October.

The luxury floral boutique has grown from strength to strength, bringing flowers to a loyal local and national customer base.

Owner Sian Wild, 32, trained as a florist 15 years ago and decided to set up shop on her own, launching The Flower Lounge at the height of the recession in 2009.

The florist, based on Barlow Moor Road, has supplied blooms to more than 500 weddings and events, most recently providing the flowers for a prestigious Royal visit to Manchester and a presentation bouquet for HRH Princess Anne.

Clients also include Manchester corporations, restaurants and hotels including Rosso and Croma, as well as The Eclectic Hotel Collection, which includes Didsbury House Hotel, On The 7th and Great John Street Hotel.

Wild said: “Setting up my business was daunting, and investing during the recession was incredibly nerve-wracking, many some would say risky, but I am extremely committed and passionate about flowers and was determined to make The Flower Lounge a success.

“I have been lucky to have huge support from my family and friends and a great, loyal team of staff, which has all helped me to reach this point. It has been hard work but I’ve enjoyed every minute, even the 5am starts! I’ve worked with some incredible people and hope to continue to provide my flowers for many, many years to come!”

AROUND 16% of SME bosses across the north west say that they are in constant contact with the office while on holiday, according to a recent survey.

A further 27% say that they are in touch with work at least once a day while on annual leave, while over a third check emails but don’t make contact with the office unless it’s urgent.

The figures are drawn from the latest Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly poll of SME owners and managers from a range of sectors across the UK.

Mike Randall, CEO of Close Brothers Asset Finance said: “It’s understandable that leaving work behind can be particularly difficult when you’re responsible for running a small business as there might not be anyone else to pick up tasks while you’re away.

“While two thirds of small and medium sized business owners in the North West told us that they believe that taking a break from work can give their business a boost, in reality over a third of the total respondents take less than two weeks of annual leave each year.

“Our statistics also show that when they do take time out, many bosses in the region find it difficult to completely switch off.”

APOLLO , Manchester United’s official tyre partner, has launched a new branded tyre that is sure to be a big hit with fans of the Old Trafford club.

To keep the deal very much a Manchester affair, locally based mobile tyre fitment specialist, Event Tyres, has secured the exclusive UK supply deal for the all-new Apollo Manchester United branded tyre.

Set up by former Kwikfit Mobile directors Mark Shankland and Garry Moloney, Event Tyres boasts a national customer database of more than 85,000, and specialises in fitting tyres at home or work addresses across the UK.

TRANSFORM Cosmetic Surgery, the provider of non-surgical treatments and cosmetic surgery, has opened its first ever non-surgical clinic on the high street, in Hale, Cheshire. 

The launch event took place with  the Mayor of Trafford, Councillor Ejaz Malik, and Dr Hilary Jones, GP and ITV medical presenter.

 The 1,000 sq ft clinic at Century House, will open seven days a week, with qualified skin specialists, nurse injectors and dermatologists.

 Patricia Dunion, COO, said: “It’s an exciting time for Transform and we are delighted to announce the opening of our new clinic. 

“The market is growing quickly and there is an ever-increasing demand for non-surgical treatments on the high street and we have responded to this with our clinical premises in Hale.”