British Airways

Couture Cardstock Wins British Airways Travel Grant

Back in September, Scrapbook Update told the scrapbook community about a grant program from British Airways to help small businesses with travel expenses to aid them in expanding internationally.

Well, now we’re happy to announce that congratulations are in order for Scrapbook Update friend and advertiser Couture Cardstock! Shortly before CHA Winter took place in Anaheim, British Airways announced that Couture Cardstock was selected as one of the 100 grant winners:

For its Business Opportunity Grant program, British Airways hand selected the winning companies primarily based on how a year’s worth of business travel and face to face meetings, along with other valuable business support, would positively impact each business, its growth and ability to meet objectives for 2010. The grant includes airfare for 10 round-trip Club World business class flights, five free global shipments with British Airways World Cargo, $1,000 toward hotel accommodations at Courtyard by Marriott, five Regus Businessworld Gold Cards offering access to its business lounges worldwide, a Canon MX860 Printer, and three face-to-face business introductions through ExeConnect.

Couture Cardstock is very excited about the opportunities offered by the British Airways Business Opportunity Grant to explore doing business in the European and Australian markets, according to their President, CarrieAnne DeLoach:

Couture Cardstock is thrilled to have been awarded this opportunity to attend trade shows in Europe and Australia. We look forward to sharing Couture Cardstock products, ideas, and techniques directly with our customers in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. We encourage those interested in learning more about the Couture Cardstock products which are available for direct purchase and via wholesale to contact cdeloach@couturecardstock.com.

Scrapbook Update, for our part, is immensely excited to have played even a small role in helping to bring such an opportunity to a member of the scrapbook community. Congratulations to CarrieAnne and the whole Couture team!

Get A Travel Grant To Expand Internationally

Some of the most active and growing markets in scrapbooking are outside the United States. Markets in Europe, and countries like South Africa and Australia, offer many of the best opportunities for companies to grow their market share. But of course, reaching international markets can be expensive.

British Airways is offering to help with those expenses by giving 100 small U.S. companies “Business Opportunity Grants” that will provide them travel and freight expenses during 2010. Companies need to have a valid U.S. tax ID number to be eligible, and fewer than 500 employees.

The 100 winning companies will receive grants for 2010 consisting of:

British Airways airfare for 10 round-trip Club World business class flights.
5 free British Airways World Cargo freight shipments of up to 500 kilos to worldwide destinations
$1000 toward accommodation at Courtyard by Marriott
5 Regus Businessworld Gold Cards providing access to business lounges worldwide
Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer

What could your scrapbook company do with all of that? Travel to international trade shows or conventions? Visit your international clients? Visit suppliers overseas to create fabulous new products? You have until September 30th to figure it out and enter. Part of the entry process (which includes 3 short essays in all) is submitting an essay about what the grant could do for your company.