- Please tell us about yourself and your business background.
After starting out as a freelancer and building a small profile of clients (predominately in the construction industry), 2014 was when Imaginaire Digital was incorporated. I wanted to build a business which has loyalty at heart, this goes for both employees and customers. When starting my journey in digital marketing, I spent many years gathering a stable, close-knit group of clients with who I put all my expertise and time. Although Imaginaire has grown since then, my vision for a small-scale yet successful business has remained the same. I employed my first member of staff in 2018 (who is still with us today) and have been growing ever since. Now, with 5 members of staff, we’ve taken the plunge and are awaiting our new office which will give us room to grow, offer more accessibility and a modern workplace environment.
- What is the most common problem faced by inexperienced business people and how can this be overcome?
I think when people want or have created their own business, they’re looking for success straight away. A successful business takes years to achieve and a lack of patience is a huge sign of inexperience. Occasionally, when people don’t see the benefits straight away, they either backtrack or try to make drastic changes. But this can only lead to more mistakes. Not jumping straight into the deep end is crucial when starting any business in any industry. Instead, taking smaller steps will keep things flowing efficiently and avoid any rash decisions being made. This all boils down to directors or CEO’s not understanding the timeline of their own business.
- What are the most important things to consider before starting your own business?
When starting your own business, you need to be 100% sure about your future plans and what exactly you want to gain from it. Whilst some business setups are easier than others, if it’s a large business plan, this is probably going to require a bit of money and a lot of planning. So this would be my number one top, have a solid business plan. You can’t create a business name and strategy without a plan to follow, and although this plan could change along the way, at least the next steps will always be in sight. Creating this plan will also help you to see if it’s really something you want to do. Often, people can forget about all the smaller details and important parts of a business, so the plan will ensure you know exactly what to expect. Lastly, a plan will ensure you know what you need, what paperwork to organise, where you should be located, who to employ and what outcomes to expect.
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One of the other most important things when starting a business is to choose something you have sound knowledge of. Whether you have a degree or recent work experience, knowing the basics of the industry is crucial. The business will need to be something you not only feel passionate about but also are happy to do for years to come.
- What is the best way to recruit/hire members of your team? For example, should you recruit based on their attitude or experience?
When it comes to recruitment and employees, different employers will have different priorities. Whilst some companies ask for years of experience and a degree under your belt, others see the potential in those who may not have qualifications but have passion for the industry. The personality and presence of a person is also a huge factor when recruiting. Not only do you have to consider questions such as will this person fit into the team or can this person hold a conversation? They also have to have a personality which is easy to work with. This is highly linked to jobs related to customer care or client work, where the personality of a person holds greater importance over their experience. Although the interviewee may not have expert knowledge, their ability to talk, communicate and be approachable is highly important.
When recruiting for more complex, knowledge-based jobs, experience and skills are still key. In contrast to the last point, you shouldn’t employ someone just because you like them as they could end up not doing their job correctly. Finding the balance between the two really is key in this instance and is something I’ve focused on from the beginning.
- How has the pandemic changed business?
No matter the industry, the pandemic has shifted the way people work and the way people want to work moving forward. As for my business and the marketing industry as a whole, I would say the pandemic has actually had a positive impact. As this line of work is prominently online and accessible through digital platforms, the only real difference was face-to-face meetings and the effects on client success. Before the pandemic began, Imaginaire already had a hybrid model in place as I’ve always felt a work-life balance is important. Since coming out the end, this has of course stayed in place. As many companies and industries worked through hybrid or remote work, there is currently the issue of employers not wanting to go back to the office full time. As staff have enjoyed home comforts, cut out their commute and saved their weekly petrol spend, many now consider hybrid or remote work as a huge benefit when looking for new jobs. It appears that the classic 5-day office week is coming to an end.
- What is the most important lesson you have learnt as a result of your business? This may also be advice you can offer to budding game-changing business professionals.
Due to the nature of my business and the marketing world, I’ve learnt just how much technology changes. Since starting my agency, there have been endless updates, platforms and software become available, but these all help with the success and creativity of a company. No matter what industry your business is in, you have to be prepared to change that plan and adapt to the world around you. What might have worked 5 years ago, might not be efficient today so keeping on top of trends, ideas and solutions is key. This has resulted in experimenting with strategies such as social media, blog writing, webinars and video marketing, all of which have come from advances in technology.
Sebastian Dean, Director of Imaginaire,
About the Author
Sebastian Dean, Director and CEO of the digital marketing agency Imaginaire. Imaginaire is an agency based in Nottingham, UK, offering services in web design, SEO, social media marketing, PPC and digital marketing. Sebastian enjoys playing golf, keeping on top of the latest marketing trends and going on vacation! Since forming Imaginaire, Sebastian has been dedicated to delivering clients with expert knowledge and a personalised experience.
