James Moore
JAMES Moore is managing director of creativejuice an award-winning, creative agency based in Guiseley. The firm specialises in direct marketing, digital, and creative and strategic planning and boasts clients including Halifax Sharedealing, Joe Browns and the Financial Times.
What aspects of your job/profession do you enjoy the most?
There are three areas of my job that give me the most satisfaction. Firstly, meeting new people/clients and trying to tackle their marketing challenges. Secondly, building a successful, motivated and happy team, and thirdly seeing the tangible results of our hard work delivered back through our clients’ marketing campaigns.
What key challenges do you anticipate will affect your sector/profession over the next six months?
Clearly the ‘crunch’ is having an adverse affect on all sectors, some more quickly than others and I think this will continue to be the case. Unfortunately there is a domino effect building and the advertising and marketing sector is certainly not immune. It’s time to batten down the hatches and watch those costs.
What key skills do you think every entrepreneur should have?
Simple – the ability to quickly size up a situation, absorbing as many of the contributory factors as possible, and to then make a decision, plot a course of action and follow it through. The great advantage entrepreneurs have is the ability and agility to spot opportunity and to go for it.
Why do you think Yorkshire is a good place to start up/operate a business?
The financial services sector is very strong in Yorkshire and there is opportunity to tap into this market. The infrastructure is excellent and the transport links mean the UK is open for business from here.
If you could improve anything in the region what would it be?
The image of Yorkshire as a world class place to do business.
Do you think that red tape is hindering business growth in the UK?
Perhaps at the higher ends of the corporate echelons, but I prefer to operate in areas where decisions can be made quickly and plans are delivered quickly and effectively.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Tied for first place are: ‘the only thing holding you back is yourself’ and from a former employer helping me start in business ‘the only thing that matters is cash in the bank’. Both invaluable in their own different ways.
And the worst?
Don’t eat yellow snow!
What barriers have you had to overcome in growing your business/developing your career and if any, can you explain how you overcame them?
The biggest barrier to our growth was getting clients to believe that a start up marketing agency could deliver the quality and service of an established one. However, our first real business win was the Financial Times. Once you have that sort of credibility, it does make life easier.
What was your first job and what did you spend your first wage packet on?
My first (real) job was working for Freemans Mail Order catalogue in London. After much persistence I was finally allowed on an underwear shoot – only to find it was a mens undies shoot when I got there! Damn! My first wages were spent on a very expensive pair of designer shoes. I’ve been paying for them ever since!
If you could choose to start your career over again, would you do anything different and if so, what?
My career has been good so far, but if I were to do anything differently, I would have taken a more vocational degree course (American Studies was great for the three months in the States). But then I might not be where I am now.
