Captured provides clear thinking for Clear Editorial

For Tim Deakin, putting his business, Clear Editorial, under the microscope by taking part in Captured felt a little uncomfortable, but has ultimately given him the structure and drive needed to double the size of the firm over the next five years. 

Clear Editorial, which was formed in 2014 and is based in Whitley Bay in North Tyneside, offers digital marketing solutions for organisations that want a no-fuss approach to their online activity.  

Marketing is Tim’s second career, having graduated with a Masters in English Literature from Newcastle University, after which he worked as a children’s book editor in London before returning to the North East to start a family.  

Initially, Tim worked as a sole trader, proofreading, editing and copywriting. Over about three years, he began to focus on content marketing and eventually started Clear Editorial as a Limited Company. 

Having read about the Captured programme in an alumni email, Tim enrolled in March 2019. 

He said: “It sounded interesting because I’ve worked with business and enterprise agencies in the past but had never taken them up on their respective offers. The business was doing well so it seemed like the right time and a good chance to consolidate growth and plan for the future. Captured felt like it offered a good level of contact while asking for the right level of commitment.  

As part of the course, Tim was paired with mentor Richard Snell from technology giant IBM, who has been involved with the programme for several years and is Chair of the Captured Steering Group. 

Tim continued: “Richard was great in asking the right questions – you know, the ones that should have been obvious but somehow make you stop and feel a little bit stupid.” 

One of the most crucial questions Richard asked Tim was around whether he had a marketing budget for Clear Editorial. Like many who run young businesses, Tim found through Captured that he’d been so focused on carrying out work for his growing client list that his own marketing efforts were taking a back seat. 

He explained: “We’ve been incredibly lucky that our client base has grown rapidly through referrals in recent years. But as Richard and I discussed, taking this success to the next level required me to look past client delivery towards business development." 

“It can be uncomfortable to put yourself under a microscope, especially as the sole director of a company. But it was good to be asked those tricky questions.” 

In addition to the supportive scrutiny provided by Richard, Tim found that Captured gave him valuable networking opportunities.  

He said: “Bouncing ideas around with others in business has been useful. Some businesses you’re on the course with are further along than you are and vice versa. The workshops were also very useful. It wasn’t brand new information but rather an appraisal of what’s already in your subconscious." 

“I still feel like a start-up but the course reminded me how well we’ve done. So many don’t make it to three years and we’ve been growing steadily for six.” 

Tim now leads a team of three and uses a pool of talented freelancers and partner businesses to enable him to deliver as a full-service marketing agency.  

He said: “It was never my aim to grow into a flabby big agency. Being a boutique agency with quite an agile model was always the intention. I believe that partnering with experienced website developers, videographers, search engine experts and pay-per-click specialists provides clients with a better quality of service. Every member of the team has extensive experience in their field, which helps us to be more accurate and efficient in our delivery.” 

This approach enabled Tim to grow the services offered by Clear Editorial without needing to grow the headcount, and this means that, project to project, the team is able to flex both up and down as needed. 

He went on: “We have a real mix of clients, from property developers and online pharmacies to a mattress brand, cybersecurity providers, physiotherapists and chiropractors.” 

A year on from completing Captured and Tim has a clear strategy with specific steps to help him reach his goal, including areas for development. 

Tim is now producing more content for his own business blog, website and social media channels, as well as investing in paid marketing and seeking out networking and PR opportunities. Not only that, but Tim has altered his management style to focus more on staff development. However, he feels he still has more to do. 

He said: “We’ve been very fortunate to have grown organically each year, but of course being in business can be precarious, so we’re giving a bit more love to our own business and the marketing we’re doing." 

“The course also made me realise I can be a bottle-neck, and while I still quality and sense-check everything that goes out the door, I now hand further responsibility to the team and we take the time to celebrate our successes more too. I’ve also put a lot of focus on staff development which forms a big part of our retention plans."  

“It’s still a work in progress and I’m not hitting where I’d like too yet regarding business development, but what’s great is that I now have clarity on what’s been holding us back."

“For example, it can be really difficult to say no, but as we grow, I need to be more conscious of the type of organisations we want to work with. You can sometimes say yes to every opportunity rather than committing to the right opportunities."  

In addition, Tim is working to formalise his referral arrangements and is beginning to develop avenues to diversify and bring in more passive income. 

He added: “I’m more mindful of my three-to-five-year plan and Captured has made me realise there’s no real limit on that. The only barriers are those in my own head and not dedicating enough time to focus on the areas that will make a real difference.”   

If you would like to take part in the Captured programme you can apply here or email captured@ncl.ac.uk for more information. 

Last modified: Wed, 09 Dec 2020 13:35:39 GMT