SCOTTISH FEMALE LED PHARMACEUTICAL BUSINESS GETS SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL GROWTH

Scottish pharmaceutical business Cheemia is continually growing after receiving support from Business Gateway.  

The business works with Pharmaceutical clients looking to supply the NHS. It provides knowledge and facilitates connections, to create relationships that generate efficiency savings for the NHS while increasing patient access to quality medicines.  

Established in 2017 after founder Mehrnaz Campbell – a former nurse who has worked within the pharmaceuticals industry for 28 years – had an idea to channel her medical expertise into an independent consultancy service.  

She contacted Business Gateway for advice and support where she was able to refine her business strategy, get advice on funding and access the ‘Gateway to Investment’ programme, which focuses on equity funding and investment and helps build the skills and confidence required to pitch and negotiate with investors. 

Business Gateway also facilitated several introductions for Mehrnaz including access to the Women in Business programme, allowing her to meet other business owners and field experts, which have been critical for developing and expanding her network.  

Cheemia has grown from an independent start-up to a successful multi-award-winning business and Mehrnaz, who now operates the business remotely from the United States, plans to expand the business globally.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mehrnaz created and launched a remote sales engagement training platform, Cheemia ReSET to help pharmaceutical sales teams to adapt to remote working and gain confidence in using digital channels.    

She worked closely with Business Gateway accessing support through Digital Boost, Scotland’s national digital upskilling programme delivered by Business Gateway, to get 1:1 support from a digital specialist to develop the website, design and digital marketing. 

This has already resulted in significant growth for the business, allowing Mehrnaz to grow her team and sell the training platform globally.  Mehrnaz has since reached the finals of the Scottish AccelerateHer Awards 2022, and Cheemia ReSET was awarded a #SMEstage winner at the ‘Can Do Innovation Summit’ 2022, recognising the impact of its innovative approach in the industry.  

Mehrnaz Campbell, Founder and CEO of Cheemia, said: “After a long career in the pharma industry, I spotted an opportunity to build connections and help multiple businesses succeed by operating independently. Starting on your own can be daunting with so much to consider, so the support of Business Gateway has been vital.  

I was always keen to keep expanding Cheemia and lockdown provided an opportunity to diversify our offering, launching Cheemia ReSET to meet the needs of the Pharmaceutical Sales teams and support them with adoption of digital channels. The cloud-based system has been a great success, winning ‘Top Remote Work Tech Solution Provider’ at the CIO Applications Europe Awards 2021, and has been an important tool for our global growth.” 

Lindsey Sibbald, Business Gateway adviser, said: “It is fantastic to be able to work with a unique business that identified a gap in the market and to have witnessed its growth. I’m pleased to see how far Cheemia has come over the years and we look forward to working with them for many more. 

For anyone looking to start up on their own, Business Gateway boasts a range of services, such as 1:1 business advice, access to market reports and a research service, specifically designed to help you get on your way, giving you the skills and tools required for a successful business model.”