What I’ve learned: PR and digital marketing agency founder shares memories of 20 years in business

Well, happy birthday to us! It’s 20 years since Cartwright was born.  

Day one. 6 April 2006. Just me, sitting in front of a computer at home, wondering if I had time to put on a dark wash before starting on a new press release. 

No Twitter. No Instagram. No Teams. No influencers. No SEO. Just a laptop, a Blackberry (remember them?), me and the written word. Simple times. 

Having been in journalism for the previous 20 years, setting up on my own as a freelance journalist and PR at the age of 41 was surprising and terrifying. So much freedom was epic.  

Setting up back then, I never imagined that we would be where we are now: a 42-strong full-service marketing agency with offices in Nottingham, London and Birmingham.  

This last 20 years has gone in a heartbeat. In that time, there have been two global recessions and a pandemic. And within my business, there have been the usual ups and downs, the popping of corks as well as the “oh sh*tting hell’ moments. But it’s been two decades of adventure and constant learning.  

As we’ve grown, running the business has become ever more challenging but my energy and excitement have remained the same. Along the way, I have learned many lessons and here are my top 20 learnings from the past two decades. 

1. Life can begin at 40! 

I left it quite late to set up a business, but it was the right time for me and my family. I would urge anyone wanting to take the plunge and work for themselves not to be put off by their age – you have experience and enthusiasm on your side.  

2. Networking, networking, networking.

Wanting to grow my business and get myself in the right rooms with the right people was hugely important – and it paid off. My interest in the built environment sector from day one meant I needed to understand the market, the key players and the industry news. I built a strong network of contacts to find new opportunities and introduce myself. Building relationships at networking events is essential – and cannot be replaced with social media.  

3. Learn from your mistakes.

I’ve always been willing to take a risk – sometimes it worked out, and sometimes, I had egg on my face. No-one gets it right all the time and I have made a fair few blunders. Whether it’s appointing the wrong person for a particular role or taking on a client without checking out their full financials, it’s all happened on my watch. But the mistakes I have made have taught me lasting lessons.  

4. Customer satisfaction is the be-all and end-all. 

You simply can’t maintain a profitable business for two decades without keeping clients happy and satisfied with the work you do. We take it so seriously that we constantly measure client satisfaction and this now stands at 97% - well over the average of 60%. We have always taken our clients’ feedback on board since day one. It’s not only vital for maintaining long-term successful relationships – but it leads to referrals and recommendations that are worth their weight in gold. 

5. Always persevere. 

Keep the ability to keep going when things get tough. Faced with a global pandemic and inevitable client concerns, plus the very real fact of young colleagues feeling isolated at home, meant that I had to have the tenacity to not only keep going, but lead from the front. There’s always a successful way through the hard times – but you have to dig deep, keep your head and constantly think of new ways to keep everyone going. 

6. Surround yourself with the best people. 

No-one builds a business on their own. There is real power in teamwork and Cartwright endeavours to find the right people who fit our culture and take personal delight in our successes. We have brilliant, talented people at Cartwright – who bring different expertise and energy.  

7. Take on great business advisors. 

Our accountants UHY have been with us for many years. Having a long-term relationship with them means that they know our business inside and out. Early doors, I took on every scrap of free government-funded advice going and read every ‘how to’ guide on building a business. Our IT advice is from Mason Infotech – another great team that gives amazing support, not just kickstarting a lazy laptop, but with all the new cybersecurity rules that a business needs to have.  

8. Maintain your ‘little black book’ to cross refer clients. 

One of the key aspects of running a business like ours is to ensure that clients are part of your recommendation and referral system. One of the favourite parts of the job for me is cross referring clients and connections to help them win work, find the best business advisors, or recommend the best events and networking opportunities for them to go to. My aim has always been to build mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with clients, associates and suppliers and for that you need great communication. 

9. Keep to deadlines. 

Manage your time to meet deadlines, or even beat the deadlines! As a former journalist, deadlines weren’t a ‘nice to have’, they were part of the working day and I have taken that ethos into my business. These days, I’ve noticed that in general people can be ‘easy-osy’ about deadlines – but in a marketing setting they are vital.  

10. Build yourself a mentor network. 

Being a sole trader for many years and then running a business alone can be a lonely place. Find yourself a support network of clients, associates – and even competitors - to bounce ideas off, find out what is happening in the industry, and understand how they do things to give you new perspectives. 

11. Trust and honesty are essential in any business relationship. 

Building trust with clients and suppliers is vital - but be bold in giving advice. If a client has a fixed idea, and you don’t think it will fly, then they need to be told. It’s all part of our ‘consultative approach’.

12. Don’t just focus on profit. 

Two decades ago, businesses were all about maximising profit. Today, an organisation’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is vital to a brand’s reputation. We’ve invested in time and effort to charities and social enterprises, whether that’s doing work free of charge – or physically supporting their endeavours, allowing our team members to roll up their sleeves. 

13. Focus on your strengths. 

Not everyone is good at everything – it’s impossible. So, focus on where your strengths lie – as others will be better than you at other tasks. As our business has grown, we have created specialisms in our senior team – each suited to their area of expertise. 

14. Be prepared to adapt and flex quickly. 

The beauty of running an SME is that you don’t have to go through reams of approvals to change ways of working. If we have an idea on Monday, it can be rolled out on Tuesday. Being able to pivot to changing circumstances is crucial to meet changing challenges. The pandemic needed new ways of thinking and new types of work. Within a couple of days of lockdown, we launched a weekly webinar called Cartwright Live – and it was a huge success. Fag packet thinking that turned to gold. 

15. Always review your business plan, mission, vision and values. 

A business plan doesn’t need to be 50 pages long. Make it short and snappy so everyone in the team can digest it. It is what will guide your decision-making day in, day out. Review this at least once a year.  

16. Be adaptable. 

You may be a creature of habit and routine but you must get into new ways of doing things. (I love a paper diary so getting rid of the big office diary full of scribbled staff meetings in 2008 was a big wrench – but I survived!) 

17. Reward great performance from the team. 

We take time to reward new client wins and great performance – in a variety of ways. We have our ‘Cartwrighter of the Month’ award, our Locker of Joy (prizes people can pick out when they’ve done brilliant work), our Fri-Yay (where colleagues can congratulate others on their successes) and a bonus structure for great work. 

18. Expect to be ‘always on.’ 

Running a business means you must be available for your team and your clients. While you shouldn’t expect your colleagues to be working 24/7, a business owner must accept that the out of office reply always includes a mobile number so you are available – always. 

19. Learn to delegate. 

Easier said than done – especially when you set up as a sole trader doing everything from sorting the finances to licking the stamps. As you grow, trust your team to handle specific roles and support them as they learn. 

20. Confide in friends and family. 

I couldn’t have survived the last 20 years without the support of my husband and friends and family. Income is not always consistent and the challenging times in business mean that your moods often spill over at home. I have always had people there to cheer me on, hand me a glass of Sauvy Blanc, and for that I am truly grateful. 

And finally, celebrate success! 

After we sent a press release out about a big award win, a journalist once told me that ‘PRs are in the background, so you should stay there’. After that punch on the nose, we desisted from doing it again – but colleagues persuaded me otherwise. We now go for awards – and make a noise when we win. Scooping the CMA Marketing Agency of the Year in 2025 was a huge win. Being the best in the UK for marketing in the built environment was truly incredible and a huge source of pride, proving that all the hard work does pay off.