Gareth Waters of Alliance Marketing Agency.
Tell us about yourself?
My career in design started in 2003 when I graduated from UWCN (University of Wales College, Newport) with a degree in 3D design.
Within my time studying, I picked up a passion for graphic design and branding and that love for working with businesses, helping define their brand values is very much apparent today.
Since 2011, I have been working in various agencies as a creative designer before taking the step to form an Alliance with my business partner Matt Trevett.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and finding ways to entertain our kids (between myself and my wife there’s 5 of them!)
What do you think is the single biggest misconception people have when it comes to startups?
One of the biggest misconceptions with new start up businesses is that many people, and this includes friends and family, automatically assume that the business will fail soon after starting.
Although statistically it is proven that 20% of businesses will fail within the first year, with the correct set up, many new businesses can become successful very quickly.
Fortunately, many of the start up business that I have worked with in our marketing agency have been successful and have continued to grow year on year.
If you could go back in time to any moment from your journey, and give yourself one tip, what would it be?
If I could give myself one tip from my journey as an entrepreneur and a business owner, it would be to stop doubting yourself and strive to make things happen! I think having doubts over your ability to succeed, provide a quality service or whether you have the skills or not is one of the biggest factors to why a business might not grow or land their dream clients.
What makes you stand out as an entrepreneur?
My creativity is unique to me, it’s the skill that no one else has, so If I can apply it successfully to the clients that I work with, I believe this is my own USP.
What are some of the best working habits you’ve gained over the past couple of years?
I’ve picked up many habits over the course of running my own business, but I would say the most successful is to clearly define my to-do list on a daily basis.
Making a note of what I need to do and the priorities helps me understand what I need to do.
There’s also a satisfaction in being able to tick tasks off your list and have it all done by the end of the working day!
Give us a bit of an insight into the influences behind the company?
We have helped founders of startups realise their ambitions of creating a brand and helping them to position it correctly to find and engage with new customers.
We have breathed life back into businesses that have needed marketing assistance to get back on track and start reaching out to existing and new customers and we have also helped established businesses push on and get to the next level of their development.
Our mission is to dream big, work hard, stay focused and surround ourselves with good people to form an Alliance.
Where do you see your business in five years?
In five years, our aim as a business is to been seen as the ‘go-to’ company within our geographical area for businesses that want the best creative marketing and design services.
What do you think the biggest challenge will be for you in getting there?
The biggest challenge that we see is the arrival of new start-ups on the scene that may be more familiar with emerging trends in digital marketing that we may be unfamiliar with, or have limited experience in.
Talk to us about your biggest success story so far?
Our biggest success story to date is being able to work with start up businesses that have grown to a size where they are now established on a global level.
One example of this is our client Solar Buddies (www.solarbuddies.co.uk) which is a patented, award-winning sunscreen applicator.
We worked with the business owners when they first started the company, and we helped them with the branding, website design and marketing for the business.
They’ve achieved fantastic growth since starting in 2015 and are now selling their product across the world.
How do clients and customers find you? Are you much of a salesperson for yourself?
The majority of our clients come from word-of-mouth, which has always worked well for us.
We are members of a number of local business networking groups, so reputation is important to us as it helps generate new business.
What one tip would you give to fellow startup founders?
Never doubt yourself or your ability to succeed. If you truly believe in something, then you’ll find a way to achieve it.
And finally, what do you hope the future brings both you personally, and your business?
Personally, I would like ensure I have achieved the goals that I have set out recently to ensure that myself and my family have a comfortable future.
For the business, I am sure that as a team we can maintain our values and our mission to ensure we achieve our goal of being the ‘go-to’ marketing agency in our area.
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