Case studies: DB Advertising

DB Advertising
Debbie Bennett
Address: 256 High Street
Glasgow G4 0QT

Tel: 0141 552 7818
Fax: 0141 552 7813

Email: Debbie@dbadvertising.co.uk

Background

Debbie Bennett was lucky enough to find her passion early in life. Working in the creative departments of large advertising agencies in Hong Kong, Edinburgh and London including Saatchi & Saatchi, she thought up creative advertising ideas for big brands. But Debbie’s move into self-employment came when she spotted a gap in the market.

“I saw that small and medium sized businesses wanted creative, successful advertising too. Conventional advertising agencies were perceived by this market as too costly.” Explains Debbie,

“I had the experience of being taught by and working in a dozen of the best agencies around the country. I thought I could take the best bits I learned from those agencies and mould an efficient and effective agency of my own. I’d thought about it for years and a move to Glasgow in 1997 presented the opportunity.”

Setting up with help from Business Gateway

Debbie set up DB Advertising, offering affordable creative advertising to small and medium sized businesses. By keeping her overheads low she was able to keep her fees low, “Our rental costs are reasonable and our staff costs are minimal as we maintain a small in-house team, bringing in additional staff as and when required.” Explains Debbie.

To get her venture off the ground, Debbie worked on her business planning and forecasting with Business Gateway. She also received help from Wellpark Enterprise Centre who gave her £2,000, with which she bought a computer and printer. She recognises that getting help with her business can be ongoing and not just for start-ups,

“I have consistently, over all eight years of DB Advertising, sought advice, grants and support from Business Gateway, Scottish Enterprise and Glasgow City Council.”

She also understands the value of seeking help when it comes to skills, as she explains,

“I have been on more courses than I can remember in areas such as business growth, PR, accounting, IT as well as time management, negotiation, goal setting and visualisation. I love learning and there are always new courses to keep me improving my skills.”

How networking really helped

Networking is another topic she is enthusiastic about, and she has made a point of creating opportunities for herself in this area beyond attending meetings,

“I enjoy networking and attend loads of events from Women into Business, Business Networking International and Wee Entrepreneurs. I also deliver a number of marketing seminars to various networking groups and organisations and I regularly teach school and university students about creativity.”

“Regular contact between other businesswomen and businessmen has and continues to be very important to me. By communicating we can learn, overcome challenges and share ideas and clients.”

A positive outlook

Debbie’s business has gone from strength to strength since she started up in 1997. She puts this down in part to having a very positive and determined outlook.

“When I’ve set my mind to do something, I’ll do it. I’m a people person – I love meeting new people and I like listening to understand their situation. From there I can work out successful solutions. I have a business-like approach and the office is run efficiently.”

She continues, “I truly believe that you should enjoy your work life and I think it is healthy to have a good work life balance. Out of hours I am at yoga, the gym, up a mountain walking or snowboarding or on water windsurfing or sailing. I love travelling and ensure I take a couple of holidays a year. This helps me relax and keeps my mind creative.”

Debbie is enthusiastic about her business and clearly has a passion for providing a service that might not otherwise be available to small companies,

“I love the challenge of a new client. Every business is so different and there are new exciting challenges with every person we see. I always have faith that we will find a way to help them. We have advertised every kind of business imaginable from tile & flooring shops to restaurants & bars, magazines to architects, sandwiches and drinks, even stairlifts… you name it, we can market any business successfully.

“I can bring the principles of big brand advertising to smaller companies. It’s the same, just with smaller budgets, which makes you even more creative. The client gets eye-catching adverts communicating clear, focused messages to their target audience. The ads are memorable and have a consistent brand look. We help clients find the best places to advertise to reach target audiences at the most appropriate times throughout the year.”

Results

And her success certainly speaks for itself.

“We have had great results – we made a significant contribution to one retail client recently who increased their turnover by 15 percent, equating to over a million pounds!”

This success means that Debbie can expand the company in a way that is right for her, as she explains, “We have just employed a new senior designer and may bring in a couple of other creative people and an admin person towards the end of the year. I have built the business slowly yet solidly over the years which I believe is a sensible tactic. Currently larger organisations are also being attracted to DB Advertising – they want the cost savings without compromising on quality of creative work. Our company structure allows us to work flexibly with them, which they like. We fit in with their way of working, rather then them fitting in with an agency’s. We are at an exciting and enjoyable stage of growth just now.”