UKBF user name: creacom
Real name: Jacqui MacDougall
Company name: CreaCom Design
Website: www.creacomdesign.com
Contact: [email protected]
1. How did you start your business?
At the start of 2005 I moved back to Scotland after spending five years in France. During my time there I had become friends with Christele and we often found ourselves boring everyone during dinner parties by discussing design related issues as well as generally trying to change the world! We both had one common goal and that was to start up our own agency. My move back coincided with Chris and her boyfriend looking to emigrate and it was either going to be to Canada or the UK. Obviously in the end the UK won! We spent a lot of time going over the ins and outs of business, competition and just generally preparing for the leap. We had both worked for large companies before and it felt like a huge risk to do this ourselves when we could have gone out and found jobs working for other agencies. I always felt that Chris would kill me if we didn’t make a success of it as she left a great job as creative director for an agency in Paris to start CreaCom.
2. What services does your business offer?
We specalise in logo design, website design and promotional material design. Our clients base is quite diverse. We recently designed the website and promo material for The Telegraph's beauty editor Kate Shapland's Sip Drink which is retailed in Selfridges and Eat and today finished a flyer for the local pizza restaurant across on the Black Isle! So we work with organisations of all sizes.
3. What were the main challenges you faced when starting up?
My parents ran businesses for many years so I was brought up in that sort of world and didn't find it too daunting but Christele did. Being in the Highlands meant that we also felt disconnected from the main business hub of Central Scotland and of course England. That's where UKBF helped. Having been out of the country for five years it meant I knew nobody. Christele had just arrived here and had no connections either so it added to the feeling of isolation somewhat.
The first year was such a struggle. We really tried to break into our local market and we kept meeting dead ends and people who just didn't want to spend money on their company image! We met with a business advisor and decided that we needed to break out of the region and through online networking some national magazine advertising and places like UKBF we gained clients out with the Highlands.
4. How would you rate the success you've achieved?
CreaCom has been running for over three years now.
The last 15 months have been hectic. It was like overnight things went from a struggle to good and then successful. In the last six months we have picked up a number of large French contracts as well so this was unexpected but of course fantastic.
The more success you get the scarier it can become because you just imagine what would happen if it all stopped! At the same time the more work you take on then the less time you have to focus on the admin side of things. This is something we are working on now and making sure we keep on top of.
5. How has UK Business Forums benefited your organisation?
I found UKBF before I had even left France. I would browse through the sections and pick up tips and advice from other business owners. I didn't take the jump into introducing myself until October 2005 which was about six months after we started CreaCom. As well as the business side of things it was wonderful to chat with fellow business owners. Maybe being in quite a remote location compared to most meant that UKBF really acted as a breath of fresh air!
Now we have quite a few fellow UKBF members on our client list. We always try to give something back and have worked for free for quite a few people over the years.
6. What are your plans for the future?
We are going to go Ltd this year and once this is done in the final quarter we think we are going to have to recruit another designer. We have been putting this off for the last year as it seems like such a daunting process but our work load is going to force the issue. At the moment we have a number of business projects in the pipeline which will hopefully see us expanding our client base over the next few months.
7. What are your three tips for business success?
1- Never stop marketing yourself and getting your name out there! Even when the going is good, get networking, keep promoting yourself. If you don't have time for it – find time for it because you have to keep the momentum up. Marketing isn't for when you have no clients and a lot of time, it's a continuous process.
2- Get advice. Our local business enterprise office were amazing. They talked us through so much and guided us in the right direction. We are still in contact with them and still ask for advice on certain subjects. We also received a start up grant from them.
3- When starting up you are going to spend the vast majority of your day working and thinking about your business. But sometimes you need to step back for an hour or for a day off and come back with twice as much energy or creativity. You need to work hard but you also need to rest or you will burn out.
Jacqui MacDougall is a moderator on UK Business Forums.
Real name: Jacqui MacDougall
Company name: CreaCom Design
Website: www.creacomdesign.com
Contact: [email protected]
1. How did you start your business?
At the start of 2005 I moved back to Scotland after spending five years in France. During my time there I had become friends with Christele and we often found ourselves boring everyone during dinner parties by discussing design related issues as well as generally trying to change the world! We both had one common goal and that was to start up our own agency. My move back coincided with Chris and her boyfriend looking to emigrate and it was either going to be to Canada or the UK. Obviously in the end the UK won! We spent a lot of time going over the ins and outs of business, competition and just generally preparing for the leap. We had both worked for large companies before and it felt like a huge risk to do this ourselves when we could have gone out and found jobs working for other agencies. I always felt that Chris would kill me if we didn’t make a success of it as she left a great job as creative director for an agency in Paris to start CreaCom.
2. What services does your business offer?
We specalise in logo design, website design and promotional material design. Our clients base is quite diverse. We recently designed the website and promo material for The Telegraph's beauty editor Kate Shapland's Sip Drink which is retailed in Selfridges and Eat and today finished a flyer for the local pizza restaurant across on the Black Isle! So we work with organisations of all sizes.
3. What were the main challenges you faced when starting up?
My parents ran businesses for many years so I was brought up in that sort of world and didn't find it too daunting but Christele did. Being in the Highlands meant that we also felt disconnected from the main business hub of Central Scotland and of course England. That's where UKBF helped. Having been out of the country for five years it meant I knew nobody. Christele had just arrived here and had no connections either so it added to the feeling of isolation somewhat.
The first year was such a struggle. We really tried to break into our local market and we kept meeting dead ends and people who just didn't want to spend money on their company image! We met with a business advisor and decided that we needed to break out of the region and through online networking some national magazine advertising and places like UKBF we gained clients out with the Highlands.
4. How would you rate the success you've achieved?
CreaCom has been running for over three years now.
The last 15 months have been hectic. It was like overnight things went from a struggle to good and then successful. In the last six months we have picked up a number of large French contracts as well so this was unexpected but of course fantastic.
The more success you get the scarier it can become because you just imagine what would happen if it all stopped! At the same time the more work you take on then the less time you have to focus on the admin side of things. This is something we are working on now and making sure we keep on top of.
5. How has UK Business Forums benefited your organisation?
I found UKBF before I had even left France. I would browse through the sections and pick up tips and advice from other business owners. I didn't take the jump into introducing myself until October 2005 which was about six months after we started CreaCom. As well as the business side of things it was wonderful to chat with fellow business owners. Maybe being in quite a remote location compared to most meant that UKBF really acted as a breath of fresh air!
Now we have quite a few fellow UKBF members on our client list. We always try to give something back and have worked for free for quite a few people over the years.
6. What are your plans for the future?
We are going to go Ltd this year and once this is done in the final quarter we think we are going to have to recruit another designer. We have been putting this off for the last year as it seems like such a daunting process but our work load is going to force the issue. At the moment we have a number of business projects in the pipeline which will hopefully see us expanding our client base over the next few months.
7. What are your three tips for business success?
1- Never stop marketing yourself and getting your name out there! Even when the going is good, get networking, keep promoting yourself. If you don't have time for it – find time for it because you have to keep the momentum up. Marketing isn't for when you have no clients and a lot of time, it's a continuous process.
2- Get advice. Our local business enterprise office were amazing. They talked us through so much and guided us in the right direction. We are still in contact with them and still ask for advice on certain subjects. We also received a start up grant from them.
3- When starting up you are going to spend the vast majority of your day working and thinking about your business. But sometimes you need to step back for an hour or for a day off and come back with twice as much energy or creativity. You need to work hard but you also need to rest or you will burn out.
Jacqui MacDougall is a moderator on UK Business Forums.
