Flannery launches consultancy targeting design agencies

A CONSULTANCY specifically targeting design agencies has launched in Huddersfield. 

Flannery, set up by Trevor Flannery, aims to work with agencies to help them devise successful new business strategies and formulate robust marketing plans.

Mr Flannery said: “Yorkshire and the Humber boasts nearly 800 design consultancies and in keeping with the UK average almost 85% of these are ten people or fewer.

“This means that although there are many highly creative design companies there can usually be a deficiency of business acumen.  Marketing, financial planning, human resources and development can usually suffer.”

He added: “To compound the issue agencies are usually time-starved and have to concentrate on plying their skills to generate fee-income.  Because of this new business development is usually switched off when the studio is busy and turned back on when fee paying work dries up. 

“The net result is no new business development strategy, no marketing plan and no calendar to support and maximise business development.  The idea is to try and make the job of business development as easy as possible and this is achieved by having marketing support in place.”

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Prior to setting up the consultancy Flannery worked for a number of design agencies in a business development role for nearly 20 years. 

He believes the key factor to success is to combine business development plans with marketing activity. 

Mr Flannery said: “At one agency we produced a formal marketing plan, devised a strategy and we populated the marketing calendar with the new business activity. 

“Not only did it result in the most successful and profitable year of the agency’s 16 year history but it also won a business award for sales and marketing.”