Full Transcript for From Creativity to Connection: Helen Clarke on Bright Red Digital, WIBN and Building Businesses That Get Seen

00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.160 I always knew that that wasn't what I wanted to do. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:50.720 I'm more interested in sort of working for myself. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:52.480 I've never been very good at being told what to do. 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:54.319 You could ask either of my parents about that. 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:57.040 Um, and I always knew that I sort of wanted to work for myself. 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:08.560 So I decided to move back north and carried on sort of making and producing my online up here in the north, still sold to a few places in Birmingham because that's where I studied, London, but mostly here. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:13.839 And then I made some would say a crazy, I say it was fun decision. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:19.360 Myself and my then boyfriend at the time, now my husband, were offered the opportunity to take over a pub. 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:21.759 Rob was 19 and I was 21. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:26.800 And uh because we were young and probably a bit stupid, we just did it. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:29.120 It was a it was a bit of a crazy journey. 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:35.839 Uh Rob was actually too young at the time to have his own license, so his mum had to do it for him because she had to be 21. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:41.279 Um, and we basically switched it from a pretty bog standard pub into a music venue. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:44.319 Um, and we ran that for two years, and that was in Preston. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:45.600 That was a lot of fun. 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:52.079 Uh, during that time, I did a lot of sort of finding bands, putting events on, loads of different stuff. 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.399 We had loads of brilliant bands come through the venue. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:06:01.040 It was fantastic, and that's sort of where my love for putting events on and working with people sort of start. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:05.920 Very shortly after that, I was approached to apply for a job in Oxfam. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:10.319 We're opening their very first vintage boutique and they were having it in Preston. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:14.319 So I was sort of approached to come for interview to manage that. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:17.439 So I did and got that job, and it was fabulous. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:18.720 I was there for a couple of years. 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:23.759 I helped them to sort of create this range of vintage shops that were up and down the country. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:25.360 So I did that for a couple of years. 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:29.040 I had uh a massive team of 70 volunteers. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:36.480 Work we worked with the university quite a lot with their fashion students, again, put fundraisers on, put different events on and things like that. 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:40.639 But at the same time, I was still making my own line and selling it. 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:46.959 Um and then after that came to an end, I stopped working for them as a shop manager.

00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:51.839 I just kind of, you know, when things just come to a bit of a natural end, I was just a little bit over it. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:57.360 Um, but I carried on working with them um by creating like a sustainable range for them. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:01.600 So I basically went to their place, it's called Waste Saver in Yorkshire. 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:07.439 And basically, you know, when you donate things to the charity um containers that are on like supermarkets. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:08.240 Yeah, yeah. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:20.160 Um and then any stock that hadn't sold in the shops all goes to this massive sorting centre in Yorkshire, and they basically have a big conveyor belt and all the clothes are going round, and then they pick them off. 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:35.680 So they'll say, Oh, we could sell these because they're good enough, or these are not as good quality, so we'll bail them up and sell them by weight, but also things like the leather jackets would come through stock, so like 1970s bedding that had never been used, scarves, all sorts. 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:37.600 So I made a range for them. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:50.560 They were opening up some sustainable boutiques in London, so I made a range of handbags made out of uh recycled leather jackets, uh dresses made out of bedding, uh tops and skirts made out of silk scarves. 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:52.560 So I did that for a year or so after that. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:54.160 I did a big range. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:10.160 Um, and then that sort of led me on to I got involved with some of the sort of arts and design uh that we had like a group of us that were all sort of came together and it was under Preston Council, and I received a grant to get my own studio, which was great. 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:11.680 So that was funded for two years. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:34.159 So I had my own little like manufacturing centre at the watermark in Preston, and then I opened a little boutique on Guildhall Street in Preston, and I was there for a while, so yeah, I worked sort of it was a all sort of style, fashion, events, all sort of a melee of different things, but all very creative at the same time. 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:35.919 Do you still make clothing? 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.480 Yeah, so not as much as I'd like to. 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:41.440 I used to make my little girl quite a lot of outfits. 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:49.840 So my great-grandma was one of the first female managers at a textiles factory in Crosden. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:55.759 So she had loads and loads and loads of vintage fabric, all that had come from that factory. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:57.759 They used to make things for Marks and Spencer's. 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:05.919 So she had um a storage thing at her house that had like fabrics from like the 1930s, loads. 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:08.879 And when she passed away, I inherited it all. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:16.320 So I made quite a lot of little outfits for my little girl B when she was, particularly when she was small, out of my grandpa's fabric. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:19.759 And it was just a really nice sort of tie because she never got to meet her. 00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:26.480 And I used to love making her things and dressing her in little rompers and things that I've made out of that fabric. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:27.600 Wow. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:34.240 Like I say, your journey's been very creative with your pub thrown in the middle, yeah. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:52.720 And on top of bright regital, like we said at the beginning, you also own the Northern franchise for women in business. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:56.960 Yeah, it was a sort of strange journey into networking, really. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:09.200 So I'd I had, like I said, I had my shop, um, and then just before I was due to get married in 2009, I had a really bad car accident, and all of the left-hand side of my body got damped. 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:13.840 The nerves in that in my left hand side got damaged, um, and I became quite poorly. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:21.600 And no one really realizes this, but actually running a shop retail and also manufacturing clothes, it's quite um a physical job. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:21.919 Yeah. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.159 And I started to really struggle with it. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:24.559 Yeah. 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:35.919 I was really struggling to sew, I was really still struggling with like I used to go when it was my shop that I had, I had a big vintage range, and I used to go to wholesalers and go and buy, and everything was just becoming difficult. 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:43.200 So I made the quite tough decision to close up and just went back to sort of doing it a little bit more low-key. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:48.000 At the same time, I was about to get married, and I also had in my head that I wanted to start a family. 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:56.320 So I sort of deliberately took a bit of a step back from everything and just sort of said, right, I'm just gonna put everything on hold, be a mum, have have some children. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:01.759 So in that period of time, because my children are five years apart, didn't really do a lot work-wise. 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:08.559 I played a little bit, I did a little accessories range that I used to sell in my friend's shop, but yeah, I didn't do a great deal. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:16.080 And then, like I said, I was I want to say persuaded, partly bullied into coming to work at Bright Red. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:21.600 And I'd always kind of done marketing because I've always run my own business from for years. 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:23.200 So you are a marketer. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:26.480 Yeah, I'd also been promoting events and things like that. 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:33.039 So I went back and I studied and I got my Chartered Institute of Marketing and trained in SEO and all of those

things. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:42.480 Um and at the same time that I started that role, I was informed that I was now the business development manager and that I was tasked with going out and getting new business. 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:48.320 And I thought that was news to me because you didn't ask, you didn't tell me that in the, you know, what you made me come and work here. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:55.039 Uh but in within that was the world of networking, which I had never had anything to do with up till then. 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:59.279 You know, you're working in retail and things, you don't you don't have a need to go and do networking. 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:03.519 So I started looking round and thinking, oh my goodness, where am I going to go? 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:10.159 And when I started sort of researching it, the first network that I came across was the Women in Business Network. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:15.039 And it was a group in Preston, it was run by a wonderful woman called Anne-Marie Swift. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:18.639 And I booked and then I rang her and said, I'm really nervous. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:20.559 I've never been to a networking event before. 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:22.320 Like, be nice to me, help. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:31.440 And I I went along to that meeting, and it was literally like being enveloped in a in a warm hug by this wonderful, wonderful group of women. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:46.399 And the confidence that I grew from that and just the world of basically B2B, you know, because I've never really been involved in it, and just how much I learn uh both for business and like personally as well, was just amazing. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:47.759 And I loved it. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:49.840 But then we went into lockdown. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:53.840 And during that period of lockdown, the owner of WIBN. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:13:03.759 So for those people that might be listening that don't know, WIBN groups all over the country, the owner of the whole network was looking for someone to help them with their online marketing. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:09.440 I was put forward by my group leader and I started working with the owner, Helen Fletcher. 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:12.320 Over a period of time, we formed a really good relationship. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:15.759 I started working on all of their digital marketing for them. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:22.000 But during that time, all of our within groups went online because obviously no one was allowed to leave the house. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:26.799 A lot of the women that were in those groups actually didn't like networking online. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:28.399 They wanted to do it in person. 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:31.600 So naturally, a lot of the groups kind of disbanded. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.919 Um and the those that have that were left, we all sort of stayed online for a while. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:41.039 So, long story short, when we popped back out of lockdown, my nearest whibbin was in Chester. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:41.279 Oh. 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:45.679 And it had then been taken over by another incredible human being, Rosie Diver. 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:53.279 And I stayed at that Chester group for a year after we came out of Lockdown because I loved it so much. 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:55.840 I couldn't bear the thought of not doing it anymore. 00:13:55.919 --> 00:14:00.879 So I used to go and stay at a hotel in Chester just to go networking, and I adored it. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:06.399 But I did feel like I wasn't giving as much as I as I wanted to because I lived so far away. 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:09.120 I was struggling to bring visitors and you know, things like that. 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:09.759 Yeah. 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:15.120 And again, another another situation where I was a gently persuaded slash bullied. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:22.399 It was basically presented to me that wouldn't it be a great idea if I went and opened some uh some of the whipping groups where I lived. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:32.559 And so I kind of reluctantly, but did open my first group, which was in Penworthum, literally around the corner from where I live, because I really wanted to carry on. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:35.279 And I thought, you know what, it helped me so much. 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:39.519 And the women of Preston need to access this as well. 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:46.960 And because we are a professional exclusivity group, so if you've got one podcast agency, you can't have another join. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:50.399 If you've got um a family lawyer, there can only be one family lawyer in the group. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:53.919 I really quickly got a waiting list because my group became full. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:15:00.080 I met a lot of women that I knew were in the Ribble Valley area, and they said, please will you open one in Ribble Valley? 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:00.879 We want it as well. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:01.519 So I did. 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:04.879 That one became full, and before I knew it, I had a waiting list. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:14.720 So I opened two, two groups in Penblatham, two groups in Ribble Valley, and then the same thing happened in Lancaster where someone wanted women in Lancaster. 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:18.720 So I said, okay, if the basically if the people wanted it, that's where I go. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:22.799 So I am an accidental networking business owner. 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:27.279 It's literally come from me wanting it and other people asking me. 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:29.120 Um, and it's the love of my life. 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:30.799 I absolutely adore running bright red. 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:36.159 And then but the reason that I love it is because we work really, really closely with business owners. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:40.000 We get to know them, we get to know their teams, I know their kids' names. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:44.000

You know, I really we really get under their skin and work out what makes them tick. 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:50.720 And that's the bit I love, which naturally is why I love networking as well, because you really get to know people. 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:54.480 I've got members that have been with me from the start, like my group's now. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:56.879 It was three years ago that I opened the first one. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.600 Some of my members have been there with me right from the beginning. 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:03.440 Um, and even the ones that don't, you know, because people's lives change. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:17.279 Um, it's always a loving goodbye if anyone doesn't decide to carry on with me, because people's people change, and I always see myself as I don't know, just someone that I'll be there for you when you when you need me to be. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:34.559 And you know, I just see so the evolution of so many people uh that have been through so many different people from different walks of life, like people that own huge businesses with with massive teams, right down to people that work solo and will always work solo. 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:38.879 It's it's a brilliant little melting pot of people. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:42.320 People can come back, do you know what I mean? 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:53.840 They might might be great at that point in time and then move on and think, I need to do that again, or they might end up in another role where they they can come back in that role, yeah. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:17:05.279 So the nice end is keep it positive, but also over and above that, you can re they can recommend to other people all the time, anybody who wants. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:09.200 So, why do you think women's networking works so well? 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:11.920 I think we're just wired differently. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:15.759 So people say this to me all the time what's the need for women's only networking? 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:23.920 It's a bit sexist, and I always say it's it's not about we don't sit in these meetings talking rubbish about men. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:25.599 We like it. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:32.480 This sounds awful, but we don't talk about them at all or interested in helping each other. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:36.799 I just think that women network in a different way, they really do. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:52.000 I think they're a slower burn, I think they like to make relationships, I think they're less transactional, I think it can be quite overwhelming work walking into a room sometimes and being faced with quite a businessy atmosphere, you know. 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:56.319 And I kind of pride myself on the fact that everyone's welcome. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:18:01.759 If you're an introvert, you'll enjoy my groups, if you're an extrovert, you'll enjoy the space for everybody. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:07.279 And we keep it fairly small on purpose so that everyone gets a chance to speak. 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:18.240 I think sometimes when you end up in a great big room, if especially if you are an introvert, and people don't believe me when I say this, but I I am a natural introvert, and that's why I was so worried about going in the first place. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:24.400 But because there's there's not too many people, everyone gets their own chance to speak. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:29.440 And so if you are a bit of a quiet personality, you get just as much chance as everybody else. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:32.160 Um and yeah, I love listening to people. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:48.799 There's the amount of people that have come to me after coming to Wibin, and it's not just my groups, we've got over a hundred groups in the country, and we get the same feedback from everybody, which is I used to hate networking until I came here, or I hate other types of networking, but that this just works for me. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:51.440 And I'm a big believer that everyone needs an option. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:59.039 There's loads of networking groups out there, and I tell everyone, go to all of them, go to them all because you will find exactly. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:07.279 I'm not I'm not would never be scared of saying that to anybody, you know, go and see what fits because what you like someone else would hate, and vice versa. 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:12.000 Um there's a space for everything, there's a space for everybody. 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:14.720 That's that I'm like a big believer in that. 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:20.880 So so yeah, that that's the reason that women's networking works, because I do I just think we do it differently. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:31.519 Now, some people would say that running all those networking groups would be enough for a full-time job in itself, and running a family and two children, etc. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:37.839 So, how do you get time to do stuff at Bright Red Digital, or is that what the guys at Bright Red Digital say? 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:39.519 That might be what they said. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:44.799 I think there is probably a lesson really learned in biting off more than you can chew, because you're right. 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:50.880 I have my kids are a little bit older now, but I've got a 10 and a 14-year-old, so they definitely do still need me. 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:59.359 Uh my groups are, you know, I think because I love it so much, I do do some of that in my spare time. 00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:04.640 You know, if my members message me at nine o'clock at night, I'm replying because I love it. 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:09.119 Bright red tends to take up my sort of nine to five sort of time. 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:14.000 And then as you mentioned at the beginning, I am still very involved in PHQ as well. 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:22.000 So I am sort of I used to do a lot of the our agency used to do a lot of the day-to-day, but we've now got a fabulous in-house

marketeer. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:24.960 Since I sort of got involved in women, we've grown quite a lot. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:31.119 So we've now got in-house team, but I sort of work on the strategy um and the growth. 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.519 Um, so I do still do that as well. 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:41.920 I guess if it all, if you love it all and it's all connected, if it if it all makes you tick, I think it works. 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:42.480 Yeah. 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:46.559 We did have a bit of like I'm gonna be really honest, we did have a bit of a situation. 00:20:46.720 --> 00:21:02.000 We launched another business two years ago, uh, which was called Bolt Guitars, and it was making high-end guitar kits, and we loved it, but it was a real lesson in biting off more than you can chew. 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:06.480 Yeah, uh it was just one step too far for us all to juggle. 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:09.680 It it was pushing us outside of our skill set quite a lot. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:13.039 We did brilliantly all the online stuff, as you can imagine. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:24.319 Yeah, the website was fabulous, all the sales went brilliantly, but it was um a whole new skill set that we'd had to learn from a sort of manufacturing point of view, and we just didn't have the time to put in it. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:31.920 Yeah, so we sold out and again made a quite a tough decision to say we're gonna have to close it down for now. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:38.720 I mean, I'm not saying it's forever, maybe we'll do it again, maybe we won't, but it was just one thing, one thing too much. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:44.319 You can't do everything as much as you'd want to, you've only got so many hours in the day. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:58.640 Yeah, and the thing is with bright red and with women in business, with both of them, you're working with lots of diverse businesses that could overlap, that might not overlap, but they're all different businesses. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:02.400 So it's Similar in a way, it's not completely different. 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:05.200 Like your guitars was completely different. 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:07.039 Yeah, completely different business. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:10.480 Like I said, the the manufacturing bit was where we really fell over. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:12.640 And it was just, yeah, it was just not tenable. 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:14.000 But you're completely right. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:24.480 Like Bright Red and Within for me were really symbiotically because my role at Bright Red is a lot of looking after what we call our we call it develop and grow. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:29.359 So basically it's our retainer clients, people that we work with on an ongoing basis. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:34.799 And that's all about communication, regular meetups, all of that sort of stuff. 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:36.480 And that's that's what I love. 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:38.559 And it like you said, it's really similar. 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:40.960 So it's a very similar role for me. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:53.359 So if you wanted to come to Bright Red Digital uh and have them as an agency for you, yeah, what tips would you give to somebody looking for someone? 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:54.799 And I'll tell you why I ask. 00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:58.480 I saw a big post on LinkedIn the other day. 00:22:58.640 --> 00:23:02.480 This guy had given£13,000 to an agency. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:12.160 He didn't he didn't really know what he'd got from it at the end of the year, he didn't know what he should have got, he didn't know what he really wanted. 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:16.559 And I thought a lot of that is probably down to you and not the agency. 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:25.599 You need to, you should have known in advance what are you looking for, not just leads, what are you looking for, etc. 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:26.079 etc. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:28.880 Because he was saying, what do I need to do? 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:32.400 What should I be asking when I'm looking for my next agency? 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:32.880 Yeah. 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:38.240 So if people are coming to you, I'm guessing, what should they be looking for? 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:41.839 And what should they be asking an agency like you in the first place? 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:45.519 And what sort of businesses would come to you then for that? 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:48.160 I think a lot of it is exactly what you've just said. 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:50.319 What is it that you're wanting to get out of it? 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:51.599 That's really important. 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:54.720 Every single business that we meet is different. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:24:00.079 Even if they're doing the same thing as each other, they will have different priorities. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:03.920 They'll have some things that are really working for them and some things that aren't. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:07.839 A lot of the businesses that come to us will say we're doing brilliantly offline. 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:10.000 How can we replicate that online? 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:16.400 And how can we put things in place to sort of almost replicate the success that we're having in person? 00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:18.240 How can we make that happen online? 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:21.920 And so we always start with, who are you? 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:25.519 What is it that you do and what do you want to achieve? 00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:31.680 Then we will usually look at what they're already doing and we will measure the efficacy of that. 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:32.960 So, what are you already doing? 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:34.640 Are you already doing email marketing? 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:36.319 Are you already doing social media? 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:38.640 What's working, what's not? 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:45.519 And then we will basically do a big audit of everything that they're doing, and then we

will say, right, let's have a look, what's really working. 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:46.559 What else could we do? 00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:51.200 What can we learn from that to put that in place in other areas of your business? 00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:56.480 We will listen to them and what they want, and then we will tell them what we would also suggest. 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:00.559 Because quite often they're not aware of the different things that they could do. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:04.319 They might think it everyone comes to us and says, I need to do social media. 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:06.640 And honestly, it's not always the case. 00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:11.279 You don't always need to be doing social media, or not in the way that you think you are. 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:13.440 It's not all about posts. 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:24.400 And you know, I think I think a lot of people just don't know what it is that they should be doing, or they're spending a lot of money on doing something and they're not measuring whether it's actually working. 00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:32.480 And just because everyone's doing four posts a week on social media, it doesn't mean that you have to if it doesn't work for your business. 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:32.880 Yeah. 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:39.839 So yeah, really, I would say measuring what you're already doing and then continuing to measure. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:43.599 So don't blindly give somebody 13,000 pounds. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:50.319 And I would say at what at what point were they measuring and not um hadn't realized that it wasn't working? 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:58.640 You know, it should be happening earlier that they realize that that's not working for them and maybe think, well, like you said, what did you ask for? 00:25:58.720 --> 00:25:58.799 Yeah. 00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:00.079 And what were the results? 00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:04.160 Because it could well be that what they'd asked for had been delivered. 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:09.519 They just hadn't realized that it wasn't going to give them the end result that they wanted. 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:10.000 Yeah. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:20.400 And that it kind of looks like as well that in the very beginning they didn't have that conversation about the what, the why, what do you want to achieve, and all of that. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:29.039 And then it looks like they didn't have a proper audit because it just sounds like to me they were just throwing water, uh, money at the wall. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:30.720 Water that'd been good. 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:37.519 Money, money at the wall, and and hoping something sticks, but also you don't know what you don't know. 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:50.240 So some of it is on the agency to be talking to them and saying, Have do you know about oh, I didn't know about email marketing, or I didn't know about e-commerce, or I didn't know about this, I didn't know about that. 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:55.440 Because sometimes our SEO and things like that, yeah, people don't know what they don't know. 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:56.880 Do you know what I mean? 00:26:57.359 --> 00:26:58.160 And you don't. 00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:00.799 And when you say, Have you thought about this? 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:02.720 You go, Oh, I don't know anything about that. 00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:07.839 We we know with working with other businesses similar to yours that this might work for you. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:08.640 Do you know what I mean? 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:10.960 Exactly, exactly that. 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:14.160 So, yeah, people don't know what they don't know, and they're not expected to. 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:24.000 We always say to people, when we enter into working with someone, whether that's on a project or if it's a long-term basis, this is like almost like the coming together of two experts. 00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:30.559 You're the expert in your business, you've got all of this knowledge, and we're the experts in the digital world. 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:32.720 And the idea is that we will work together. 00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:39.359 We're not expecting our clients to be experts in web design or SEO or funnels or anything like that. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:40.319 Why would they be? 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:40.799 Yeah. 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:42.559 That that's not what their business is. 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:44.559 That's why that's why they're working with us. 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:51.359 And I would also say if you are looking to go and work with an agency, go and speak to a few, actually talk to them. 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:54.720 And I don't mean just getting a quote, I mean have a conversation. 00:27:54.799 --> 00:28:00.319 Yeah, we won't work with anybody unless they'll give us an hour of their time because it's really important. 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:06.079 And we don't charge for that, you know, it's an initial, so almost like a fact-finding session. 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:10.000 Because if they're not willing to give us that, it's never going to work. 00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:12.640 Because we we can't work with nothing. 00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:15.279 We need we need them to work with us. 00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:19.359 So, you know, that that first hour is almost like the litmus test. 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:20.240 Is this going to work? 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:21.200 Do we get on? 00:28:21.359 --> 00:28:22.799 Do our personalities match? 00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:24.880 Do us do our work styles match? 00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:30.480 Are their expectations uh possible within the budget that they want to spend? 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:34.960 You know, all those things that that sort of initial hour is where we figure that stuff out. 00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:38.319 And then at that point, you go, yeah, we can go ahead. 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:40.960 Um, but do that with two or three. 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:45.519 Yeah, and like you said about the networking groups, go and find the one that fits with you. 00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:57.359 And if you're not willing to put in the time finding a digital agency like you, or you're not willing to find the time, you can't then complain about about the networking group. 00:28:57.519 --> 00:29:01.680 You can't then complain about the agency because you need to put in that time as well. 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:06.079 So if anyone did want to work with you, where do they find you? 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:09.119 How do they contact you for bright red digital? 00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:16.160 So I'm on LinkedIn, so you can find me on LinkedIn, or you can go to our website, which is just brightred.digital. 00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:16.880 It's really easy. 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:21.519 Um, and you'll be able to find all the different things that we do and get in touch with us via the contact form. 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:24.079 And yeah, we just it all starts with a conversation. 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:24.720 Yeah. 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:33.039 And for Women in Business Network in the Northwest or or anywhere, I guess, because people see all over the UK. 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:39.440 If they wanted to find a local women in business, is there a main website for that as well? 00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:40.400 Yep. 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:51.759 So if you just go to wibn.co.uk and you'll be able to find a page on there which is find a local meeting, and that'll show you every single group that's in the UK. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:30:08.079 Well, thank you very much for telling us about your story from creating garments to pubs, we've had guitars, we've had digital, we've had shops, everything all come nicely together to where you are now. 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:09.519 So thank you so much, Helen. 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:10.799 Thank you. 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:13.279 Thank you for listening to It's Your Business. 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:23.920 If you want help with podcast training, podcast production, or support with your show, visit www.fairypodmother.co.uk. 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:29.519 And if you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, and leave a review. 00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:35.039 It makes a huge difference and helps other businesses just like you find it. 00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:36.880 See you next time.