With over 20-years’ experience in broadcasting, Jonathan Staples started J motion in 2002 when he saw growing demand for online video content.
After 16 years of running J motion, Jonathan knew it was time to get some advice, to help him develop the company further.
Looking for support, Jonathan remembered that a few years previously, he had attended a Chamber networking event, where he met Business Adviser, Emmanuelle Clements. She told Jonathan about the free business support services offered to businesses, like his, through the Growth Hub.
After talking through what Jonathan was looking to achieve and the type of support he needed, he enrolled on the Velocity ERDF-project and connected to Business Adviser, Gordon Sparke.
Gordon met with Jonathan for a number of 1-to-1 support sessions, where they discussed Jonathan’s business plan, sales funnel, accounts and more. “Through my support with Gordon I was able to get a much better understanding of my business costs and pricing. He helped me to better analyse how much profit I am making on each project, which helped me to provide my clients with more accurate quotes.”
Gordon was able to recommend that Jonathan attended a selection of Growth Hub workshops to help to develop J motion further. These workshops focused on: planning for business grow, pricing and enhancing your brand.
“Following the support from the Growth Hub, I have a much better understanding of the numbers behind my business. We now keep a digital time-sheet for each project, which helps with time management and client communication. This has improved our overall project management.”
Looking to the future, Jonathan hopes to continue to grow and develop his business. He’s excited about the possibilities opened up by better tracking and is looking forward to the New Year.
Any tips for other businesses who may need support?
“You can’t put a price on getting an outside perspective. Someone external can bring in more experience and crucially, they don’t have the same emotional attachment as the business owner. Running a small business, you can often feel alone. Sharing your issues with someone who is impartial and getting their insight can really make a difference.”