After an inauspicious and rather messy start to his career as a company boss, Phil Harvey has built his business - Fluid Ideas - into a multi-million pound concern. Business Live’s Robin Johnson reports.
Phil Harvey is unlikely to forget his first day as founder and managing director of Fluid Ideas.
On day one, he found himself in a windowless basement in the middle of Derby on his hands and knees dealing with fluids of a very unsavoury kind.
The year was 2004, and after deciding to go it alone and set up his own creative agency, Phil had been looking forward to getting his new business off the ground.
On the first morning of the new business, he recalled feeling full of pride as he strode confidently towards Fluid’s first office in Iron Gate - a damp, windowless basement beneath a beauty salon.
However, his demeanour soon changed when he opened the door to his new office.
“Instead of opening the door to the sweet smell of success, I was greeted by the not-so-sweet stench of sewage,” said Phil.
“So, my first few hours as founder and managing director was spent on my knees with my arm down a drain!
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“Not as glamorous as I’d imagined, but I guess that’s lesson number one. Be prepared to get your hands dirty. It is something myself and my team do to this day.”
Fifteen years on from that fateful - and rather messy first day - Fluid Ideas has become one of Derby’s most successful creative agencies.
It has swapped that dank basement in Iron Gate for stylish offices at Darley Abbey Mills, which is part of a World Heritage site.
And Phil has been joined by joint managing director Ed Bowler and 35 other staff, who this year have all worked together to help the company achieve a turnover of more than £2.5 million.
But how did the company get to this point? According to Phil, it has been a case of learning six valuable lessons along the way - the first of which came on his first day as boss of his own business.
He admits that he started Fluid Ideas out of frustration more than anything else. As a designer, he was tired of creative directors taking credit for the best ideas and account managers misunderstanding briefs.
He decided to take control and create an agency where “every idea counts and everyone collaborates directly with clients”.
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From a standing start, during that first year, Fluid Ideas achieved a turnover of £85,000. It led to Phil taking on his first member of staff - Ben Thompson.
Phil said: “Ben and I still sit next to each other today and he’s still at the heart of everything Fluid does.
“So, I guess that must be lesson number two. Surround yourself with genuine, talented people who you can trust.”
Pretty soon, due to its early success, Fluid started to outgrow its basement office and the decision was taken to relocate to a three-story townhouse in Friar Gate.
“We were struggling for space and, to be honest, we felt like we deserved a window,” said Phil. “Our new Friar Gate office just happened to be opposite one of my favourite pubs, although I can assure you the move was a strategic decision!”
At the time, as well as trying to grow a business, Phil accepted a role as lecturer with Derby College.
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He said: “Over the years I gave career opportunities to two talented design students from those lecturing days.
“They’ve been by my side ever since and I’m proud that they are now directors and equity partners at Fluid.
“The business just wouldn’t be the same without them - and we certainly wouldn’t have had the success that we’ve seen.
“That must be lesson number three. Give talent and ambition the space it needs to flourish. The patience will pay you back one day.”
Despite the recession of the late 2000s, Fluid managed to retain its clients and grew its expertise, particularly in the retirement sector.
In 2009, Phil was given an opportunity to form a partnership with client Keith Cockell and a team of retirement living experts.
Together they formed English Care Villages, an organisation that would connect land owners, care operators, construction companies and investors to create a new model of retirement village.
Phil said: “It was a defining decision and one that has allowed me to spend time with eccentric entrepreneurs and inspiring business leaders. It’s also born a number of amazing opportunities for Fluid.
“For me that’s lesson four. Leave a legacy in everything you do. People will see what you’ve done and they’ll hear how you behave.
“So, make sure you give everything your absolute best because positive legacies lead to future opportunities.”
Pretty soon, Fluid Ideas was on the move again - this time to its current location at Darley Abbey’s North Mill, which overlooks the River Derwent, on the edge of Darley Park.
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Phil said: “Our Friar Gate office had been a brilliant base. But it was a squeeze with seven people and it felt like we weren’t finished growing.
“So, we said goodbye to our home of five years (and the pub over the road) and moved.
“We were then joined by Ed Bowler, who brought new energy, passion and strategic thinking that changed the dynamics of the company.
“He’s now an equity partner and helps me lead the business as joint managing director.”
Fluid Ideas still has clients that have been with the company since it first started.
But following the move to Darley Abbey, its portfolio of clients evolved, with the company working with some major organisations such as Saga Healthcare and the Royal College of Nursing.
More recently, it has been working with brands like Tyrrells Crisps, Sainsbury’s, YHA and Legal & General - and its latest contract win, The Cambridge Building Society.
Phil said: “The profile of clients has changed, but those foundations at the heart of Fluid are still the same. And I guess that’s lesson number five. Stay honest. Stay hungry. Stay humble.”
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Phil is also mindful of the importance of giving something back to the community and inspiring young minds.
He said: “We’ve always wanted to have a positive impact on the people around us.
“This has resulted in hundreds of thousands raised for charity and we’re one of very few agencies that offers opportunities to aspiring school pupils too.
“We provide eight placements or internships every year, and I still get a thrill seeing the ideas and confidence of future generations grow.”
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Phil can also look back on a number of personal achievements - not least raising a young family while trying to run a business.
He said: “Working with my beloved Derby County has also been a highlight, as well as managing to run the London Marathon in aid of the Arrhythmia Alliance.
“I’m proud to say that I faced my personal demons too, and after years of denial in the face of stress-related balding, I shaved my head and bought a few hats!
“We’ll call that lesson number six. The world is changing. Markets, trends, technologies and hairlines.
“Businesses need a culture that anticipates, accepts and adapts to that change. It’s a good thing. And if you don’t then you’ll quickly become irrelevant.”
Now, Phil and his team are looking forward to another 15 years of Fluid Ideas - and going forward he has vowed to stay true to the six key business lessons he has learned so far.
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Phil said: “My role has changed over the years. I have the unusual and exciting task of blending creative inspiration with managing clients and running the business with Ed.
“We tend to act as guides for ideas, bringing the right people together to create something great and fostering an environment in which creative work can thrive.
“Today, we have a team of 36 amazing people, and a new steering team of five. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far, but I’m much prouder to have built a team of so many interesting, fun, intelligent and creative people, who I have the privilege of spending time with every day.”