The boss of a PR and communications agency started during the pandemic has launched a new service to help other start-ups with their publicity.
George Oliver launched 1284 two years ago after leaving his role as editor at the Leicester Mercury and Leicestershire Live.
He had never run his own business before but decided to go it alone after 15 years as a journalist – and has specialised in corporate communications in the Innovation sector.
He launched 1284 from the incubator hub on the Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP) enterprise zone while completing an MSc in strategic leadership at the university’s business school.
Since then Mr Oliver – who still works with LeicestershireLive and BusinessLive and is helping with next years’ Leicestershire Innovation Festival – has won the public tender to provide media releases for the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).
He has also won clients and contracts in the public and private sector and has worked with a number of Loughborough University spin-offs. He has become a chartered PR practitioner and, helped by a grant from the county’s Business Gateway Growth Hub, has just launched a spin-off company called 1284START aimed at helping other Leicester and Leicestershire start-ups get off the ground.
Grant funding allowed him to formalise that work as a niche PR service at affordable rates for emerging East Midlands entrepreneurs.
The funding helped pay for technology to improve the efficiency and monitoring of PR campaigns and is already being used by early-stage businesses in the region.
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It has already provided copywriting for med-tech start-up ACT Medical, which is developing a life-saving device to stem blood loss from knife wounds. The business is in talks with two other start-ups about supporting them with press releases, media relations, and other communications.
Mr Oliver said: “I had never run my own business before 1284 and needed to learn a lot quickly about process, accounting, sales and more.
“The incubator was helping with that and I also learned quite quickly that the Growth Hub provided sessions with experts who were offering a lot of specialist insight at no cost.
“When I saw on Twitter a couple of years later that the Growth Hub was inviting applications for growth grants I began to think about how it could be a chance to formalise what I was trying to achieve with really purposeful start-ups. Three months later, I had funding and kit in place, a new website live and clients on the books.
“I think we are at a point many growing businesses will experience in that 1284 is close to having made all realistic measures to increase productivity and now needs to think seriously about on-boarding new people.
“I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, but the support I have received gave me the confidence to invest in the IT I needed to improve my service offer, increase efficiency and compete with larger agencies.”
Along the way 1284 has been shortlisted for the CIPR’s Midlands Independent Practitioner of the Year and the East Midlands Chamber's Leicestershire Entrepreneur of the Year.
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The Growth Hub is part-European funded and delivered by a partnership including Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, East Midlands Chamber and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).
Business Gateway adviser Paul Bennett said: “1284 has been growing significantly over the last few years and George’s passion for supporting start-ups through affordable PR is commendable.
“He put an excellent case forward to the grant panel, not only to prove his project was viable but also how much it was really needed in the start-up community. It’s been a pleasure supporting George and seeing his ideas become a reality.
“He listened to my advice and feedback and has even taken away ideas to help his own clients with funding and award applications. I wish him well for the future.”