Home Business Profile: Blunt Communications

 

Company name
Blunt Communications Ltd
 
Where are you based?
Port Vendres, France
 
What is your name?
Jim Brough
 
 
 
What does your company do?
We are a PR and marketing agency, and work on a ‘no coverage, no fee’ basis whereby if we don’t secure our clients the coverage, then they don’t pay.
 
We also carry out e-marketing (e-newsletters, copy and advice on pay per click advertising), website design, builds and redesigns.
 
When did you start it?
April 2006
 
What were you doing before you started your home business?
I was a corporate lawyer working in the City whilst my wife, CJ, had always worked in PR since we both graduated from St Andrews University, Scotland.
 
What made to make the switch?
Whilst expecting the birth of our son, George (born April 2005), CJ took on some freelance PR consultant work. She managed to find clients quite easily, and my work was becoming more draining and I wasn’t seeing enough of CJ or George.
 
Having seen enough companies in my role as a lawyer I felt that I could offer a practical approach to CJ’s creativity.
 
What made you think of this idea?
We needed to make a lifestyle change, as the City is not a very flexible place when you have a young family.
 
How many people work in the business?
Two, though we have an established team of about 10 freelance website designers, builders and SEO experts we call upon to outsource work to.
 
What’s its annual income?
£55,000
 
How did you finance the start up?
Savings, although not much capital was needed (we just needed computers and a phone line)
 
How do you market the business?
All of our business comes through recommendations from existing or previous clients.
 
What is your customer base?
We take clients from all sectors as long as we want to work with them. We have a very broad spectrum of clients, e.g. the 2008 Charity of the Year (Excellent Development), a British artist (Nick Jeffrey), a French property broker (Totally Riviera), Pugs & Kisses (a pet boutique on the New King’s Road), Face to Face Digital (a high-end technological ‘guardian angel’), HouseSimple.co.uk (an online estate agent).
 
What’s next? What plans do you have for the coming year?
We want to take on more work in France. We are currently in discussions with Only Lyon, a conglomeration of Lyon’s trade and tourist bodies to work with them. This should also protect us against any more downturns in the currency markets.
 
What tip would you pass on to other home business owners?
Think about previous jobs when you worked for someone else – That is all the motivation you need to make your home business a success.
 
What’s your best/ most useful gadget?
VOIP calls (e.g. Skype). Without this technology the cost of phoning the UK to speak to clients and journalists would have been prohibitive.
 
Do you have any anecdotes about home working?
We live on the beach in the south of France so when we take calls from journalists (our clients know where we are) moaning about the weather in the UK, we have to break it to them gently that we’ve got another beautiful sunny day where we are.