The value of celebrity endorsements

The glamorous world of celebrities can seem a very long way away if you are a small business in the East Midlands with just four members of staff.

So you can understand why Daniel Thomas, founder of Nottingham-based Danz Spas, was somewhat surprised three years ago when he was approached by a representative for pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor. 

The singer was said to be looking to buy a hot tub, and was wondering if she and Danz Spas could come to a business relationship - she would be happy to endorse and promote the company, if it could offer her a good deal.

Mr Thomas, 26, was quick to realise that he had just been offered a fantastic opportunity."We knew that having someone like that associated with the name would do good things," he says.

Read more: "We're effectively a business nobody has ever heard of, and we're trying to convince people to spend £5,000 without ever seeing us. That's an incredibly hard thing to do.