Be more cat.
And avoid the pigeon shit.
By Paul McGann
Founder at Cat Among The Pigeons
It’s been a couple of months since Cat Among the Pigeons was created.
Our new promotional marketing agency was put together in a hurry when our former employer went into administration. Three long-standing colleagues with the gumption to dust themselves off and try again. Investing their redundancy money and savings to get things going.
Within a few days, we had a plan of sorts. We had a name. We’d even bought a URL. It was an adventure into the unknown, a bit scary, but more exciting for that.
Looking back, it’s exceeded my expectations so far. The kindness and generosity of family, friends, former colleagues, past clients and connections has astounded me. We’ve had so many offers of help and support that my faith in humankind is well and truly renewed.
What have I learnt so far that might be of use to someone else looking to start their own business in today’s turbulent climate?
Choose your new home carefully. I can’t underestimate how much the buzz at our city centre co-working offices helps inspire and motivate us.
Work hard on building the culture from day one. Make sure everyone in the team can define what your business is all about and what makes it different.
Embrace flexibility – this is your chance to reset the rules. Start later to drop the kids at school or miss rush hour? Work from home… or indeed the gym?! Give it a go.
Get your business foundations right, quickly. Set a budget and stick to it. We furnished our office on a shoestring with salvaged treasures and a bit of quirky art.
Be spontaneous. Celebrate all the little wins as your agency grows to build the bonds that hold you together when things get tricky. And thank those that help you.
Say “Yes”. A lot. But don’t be afraid to say no.
The contacts you expect to support you, just might not. Don’t count on it.
Be open to new ideas. Seek out new people. New technology. We’ve met some amazing freelancers and media partners over the last few weeks that are now helping us deliver campaigns quicker, better and with more value.
Don’t waste too much time seeking out start-up grants. There is help available but the form-filling will kill your soul. A 50% rebate on a laptop won’t mask a business that ultimately isn’t profitable.
Avoid bureaucracy. Get a good accountant and lawyer to help set the company up properly, whilst you focus on where you add most value.
We enter our tenth week at Cat Among the Pigeons with a mix of fun, excitement and trepidation. We’ve a 100% pitch success record so far and five fantastic new brands that are a pleasure to work with. We re-joined the Institute of Promotional Marketing and we’re now starting to look at growing the team.
But with the FTSE in freefall and the world going into Co-Vid 19 lockdown I suspect the next ten weeks will be even more eventful!
