A GRAPHIC design company has received a business boost from retail entrepreneur and former Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis.

Melanie Downing, owner of The Design Hive at Walrow Industrial Estate in Highbridge, tweeted Theo about the unique qualities of her business during Small Business Sunday (SBS) last week and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet from the entrepreneur.

The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has more than 2000 SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK

Business and retail entrepreneur, Theo retweeted The Design Hive’s message to his 505,000 followers and as a result, the company has seen a surge in traffic to their website as well as a boost to their social media following.

Melanie Downing, owner of The Design Hive, said: "We’ve had an incredible year.

"14 months ago, The Design Hive moved premises and to Walrow Industrial Estate in Highbridge.

"We are located inside a signage company called Quicksign, our services blend perfectly, which allows us to design signage and vehicle liveries and watch them come to life."

The company took on their first member of staff last year and Melanie said the staff are 'completely dedicated' to the business, going 'above and beyond' to provide a good service for their customers.

" Two months ago, we were shortlisted for the Somerset Business Awards, which we are incredibly proud of.

" It is great to have support from Theo as he has recognised our hard work and helped spread the word about what we do to his following.”

Mr Paphitis, who is the chairman of Ryman Stationary, Robery Dyas and Boux Avenue, said he wishes the company success in the future.

“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."

Melanie and her team will be attending the Small Business Sunday networking event on February 23, 2018 to collect their official winners certificate from Theo Paphitis.