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How you can follow into the footsteps of PR entrepreneurs by flying solo

Tony Stevens, the founder of Effective PR says he wasn’t sure of the exact moment when he knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur. The sole trader says: “I was made redundant as a purchasing manager from a big international company at the age of 50. After about 1,000 job rejections, I started my own company.” Over 5,000 PR agencies exist in the UK, according to Mischief PR. What are the secrets behind starting a shop and keeping the tills ringing?

Hilary Collins has taken care of clients such as Carlsberg.

Eddie Gershon’s agency turns 18 this year and has retained J D Wetherspoon as a client for over 10 years. The former Morning Advertiser journalist says: “I knew that I wanted to run my own business from my early 20s. I had worked on a newspaper as a reporter and was experienced at working on my own to tight deadlines. I simply put that practice into good use with my PR agency.” Other agency stars always had that feeling that being their own boss was their path. Angie Moxham from 3 Monkeys knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur from the age of 5. Hilary Collins from Big Wave PR, says: “I was 13, I used to sell vintage clothes to get a little more pocket money. I always knew I wanted my own business.” PR businesses need clients to survive. Keep reading after the leap to learn more about turning clients into gold.

Finding clients

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) 2005 figures estimate that PR agencies had an annual turnover of £1.2bn. How do agencies find clients who contribute to positive balance sheets? Some entrepreneurs found clients straight off the bat. “We launched in 2007 and on day three we had our first client, who was an old client of mine from a previous agency”, says Hilary Collins. Angie Moxham says: “I started the business with a client so I was profitable from day one.  All I needed was my attic, phone and a PC.”

Vicki Snow started Snow PR around six months ago and attributes creating her clients list through establishing networks. “I’ve made lots of friends and contacts and therefore, have not had to go out and find clients”, she says. Not even a year old, the agency already represents clients such as Nicky Hambleton-Jones, the stylist who shot to fame presenting 10 Years Younger on Channel 4. Johnny Pitt started Launch Group the week of that the attack  on the Twin Towers in September 2001. Johnny says: “Prospecting is a bit like fishing – the more you do, the more you get �" and you never know what you’ll end up with. In other words, putting a huge amount of work in, and never really accepting ‘no’.” Launch Group has done campaigns for a diverse set of clients such as Moët & Chandon Champagne, and the Zeus of all price slashing, Tesco.

The selling nature of securing clients is important to recognise. Edwina Wynyard of Amazing PR tells vox-pop: “A lot of the job is selling. If you are starting up solo, 90 per cent is getting new businesses and then you’ve got to service it.” Edwina started Amazing PR in 2005. The agency’s clients include The Luxury Network and freshMinerals. Noble PR’s beginnings were started by Peter Noble in 1994 in Hampstead. The agency has since represented high profile names in entertainment like Icon Home Entertainment. “If you don’t get concrete results and move fast, people will not take your expertise seriously”, the Canadian-born entrepreneur says. Aspiring entrepreneurs should be prepared for changing feelings from clients. “Losing your first client – it really does cut you to the quick, but you become stronger as a result”, says Kimberley Gray, a freelance consultant, who has more than 12 years experience working in PR.

Overcoming obstacles

The challenges facing would-be entrepreneurs are also of an emotional nature.  Fighting loneliness is one of them. “The hardest thing for me though has been feeling alone”, Vicki Snow says. Tony Stevens agrees: “Going it alone is quite lonely in the early days.” Vicki Snow explains: “There are some very insecure moments – when you have to make decisions based on no previous knowledge. You can’t ‘phone a friend’ at 3am! Also hard is dealing with those close to you who want to help but can’t because they don’t and probably never will go through or understand what you’re going through. Acceptance of this is a huge challenge for me.” Other obstacles include the pressure of a heavy workload. “I didn’t take any holiday for two years, which was a mistake”, Johnny Pitt says because of the huge amounts of work. “The job often involves long hours. Will you family support you?” Tony Stevens asks.

Employing discipline to get things done is crucial. Adrienne Lowing of Words Worth PR: “You need huge self discipline and good organisation skills. When you work for someone else, discipline is imposed from above.  If you previously worked for a large organisation it is a shock to find that a lot of what you did was bolstered by the perception of that huge presence behind you. There is no such thing as a 9-5 existence.”

Figuring out how to work well with your partner in PR is also important. The fruit of Sandy Lindsay and Sarah Halton’s labour is Tangerine PR, a 7 year old agency based in Manchester. Sarah reveals to vox-pop: “We also hadn’t worked together before �" or even knew each other very well �" so we had to discover each other’s strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, quickly.”

Isn’t age just a number?
“I don’t think age is a barrier, but you have to learn the skills first, and build up a strong network of connections”, Hilary Collins of Big Wave PR says. After landing household name clients such as Carlsberg, Hilary says that talent and business acumen matter.  Working for someone else first might be a good way to prepare for an entrepreneurial life. Kate Warwick started PR Savvy in 2001 and has featured her clients’ work in publications such as Condé Nast Traveller and GQ. Kate Warwick explains:  “Maybe try and run a division or set up a new practice within an existing agency first.  This gives you the experience of a new venture with the safety net of colleagues’ experience and a financial and business structure already in place.”

Kate Johns of Nudge PR agrees: “I’d recommend that graduates work in an agency. I didn’t and feel I would have got me where I was going quicker and faster if I had.” Angie Moxham emphasises the importance of being realistic in your quest: “Realistically to have the years in the saddle required to be fully rounded and competent, you probably need to be in your late twenties/early thirties to be safely credible.” Creating a name for yourself is also something to consider. Harry Cymbler of Hot Cherry PR advises:  “You need to build up experience and reputation. Freelance for agencies for a year or two and absorb everything. If you’re still passionate, set up your own.”

Central perk

The perks of entertainment PR certainly look glamorous �" but are they really? John Jones started Calan Communications in London in 1994. When asked about the best experiences so far since starting the agency, the 45 year old Welshman says: “Meeting the composer Stephen Sondheim and Jeremy Irons”. The rewarding feeling is also linked to a client’s success. “I always get a buzz out of getting a good piece of coverage for a client”, says Kate Johns of Nudge PR. Kate’s agency specialises in lifestyle and food. Kate says: “I’ve worked with Paul A Young Fine Chocolates since before he opened his first shop in Islington in 2006 and it’s wonderful to see him now being included in features on the best chocolatiers in the world. To work with a client on their journey as they build their business is a really rewarding experience.”

The freedom of choosing what you are able to do also matters. Steven Williams, co-founder of Midas PR discloses: “My most rewarding moments are when I can take time off when the business is running smoothly without having to ask my boss because I don’t have one.” Rewards also come in the form of awards. Sarah Halton from Tangerine PR says: “Being shortlisted for CIPR Excellence Awards as Best Consultancy and being the only agency outside London to be nominated which happened this year was also a major milestone and a great achievement.”

‘Hate on me, hater’

Despite the good times of being an entrepreneur, negativity can come out of the woodwork. Soul singer Jill Scott’s song ‘Hate on me’ touched on the prickly issue of negative people. Unfortunately, just as celebrities like Scott suffer from backbiting, PR stars are not immune to it either. Debbie Hindle co-founded travel PR agency bgb with Bronwyn Gold Blyth. Bronwyn’s sudden death was a hard time for the agency. Debbie says: “Some people and competitors were outstandingly and unexpectedly supportive. But there we some comments from a few people saying that we’d fail as an agency or lose clients.” What can aspiring entrepreneurs do to overcome negative people like this? Debbie explains: “You can’t really deal directly with comments like that. We just ignored them and made sure, staff, clients and media knew how we were and what we were doing.”

The colour of money

What is it really like dealing with finance when your neck is on the line by your own choice? Adrienne Lowing is a third of the team behind Words Worth PR, a 19 year old PR company in Essex. Adrienne remembers being excited at the first cheque she received but there was a downside. Adrienne tells vox-pop: “I was so financially naive I did not take into account the costs I needed to set against what I earned.” Dealing with lack of initial knowledge can be dealt externally. Angie Moxham advises: “Get sound financial advice behind you.”

How important is cash flow in the initial stages of starting up? Debbie says: “We started with clients and payments up front so we always had cash in the bank to fund things. We’ve never had to borrow. PR should be able to generate cash. It’s always a question of making sure costs don’t go too high, or you commit to higher costs  on the assumption of new business which may or may not come in.” It is possible to start up on your own without looking for funding. Amanda Burgess is the mind behind Amanda Jane PR. Amanda says: “I funded setting up Amanda Jane myself. The key thing is that my overheads are low, and technology is such that I can work flexibly and remotely �" and when I need to employ people, I employ freelancers and generally work with them remotely as well.” Overheads were also kept low for Tangerine PR. “A PR consultancy should not require masses of funding up front so keep debts to the lowest you can. We got small loans from family, grants and a small bank overdraft and that was more than enough to get started”, Lancaster-bred Sarah Halton explains.

Thinking digital

Harry Cymbler started online PR agency, Hot Cherry PR, whose clients include e4 and MySpace. Harry says: “We realised that the future of PR was online and that not many traditional agencies were embracing this, so we did it ourselves.” Karen Ainley who co-founded Mosaic Publicity says podcasting is a key trend to look out for. Karen says: “Keep on top of new media and understand search engine optimisation”.

Famous last words?

The Insolvency Service has revealed an 11.9 per cent increase in company liquidations in the last quarter of 2008 in England and Wales. Liquidations are hitting PR as well: May 2009 saw the closure of Making Waves Communications after 18 years. Should this be a worry for anyone who wants to set up an agency? Eddie Gershon who started his agency in 1991 says: “Do it and don’t think about it too hard. If you think about it, you will probably decide against it”. And there are intimidating statistics that put people off starting their own businesses: Entrepreneur magazine says 95 per cent of businesses fail in five years. Is there a silver lining anywhere? “In reality, setting up your own business and being in control is a great feeling”, Eddie maintains. Launch Group was named as a top 50 independent agency by PR Week in 2008, only seven years after it was born. When vox-pop asked Vicki Snow what was the most exciting thing that happened since the agency started,  Vicki Snow said: “Opening the office on the first day”. Here’s to the keys of your shop on your first day.

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