Top tips from 11 years in business
When we hit our first decade of trading in 2021, it was some cause for celebration. We think clocking up 11 years is just as exciting, so to commemorate another year in double digits, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to think about what’s helped us get to where we are today… and turned these into tips that will hopefully be some inspiration for growing businesses and budding entrepreneurs.
So, what have we learned since opening the TMPR doors back in 2011? Louise Morgan, our founder and director, shares some insights from the past decade (plus 1)!
1. Trust is key
First and foremost, trust is the enabling factor to build long term relationships, and we believe that it’s no different for professional relationships.
Foundations must be built on trust for both the team and our clients. Having trust in the team’s judgement and for our clients to trust in our ability to deliver, is crucial to ongoing success. In our experience, trust enables creative independence plus breeds mutual respect and loyalty.
2. Right people, right place, right attitude
I’ve always been passionate about recruiting the right people with the right attitude.
Over the years we’ve stayed true to hiring people who share our values and are equally driven, something which I believe to be a contributing factor to our success. It’s important we’re all striving to do our very best and genuinely care about what we do. This has translated into consistently exceptional client experiences and the highest quality standards.
3. Training & TMPR go hand in hand
Since TMPR began 11 years ago, the world of marketing and PR has evolved. In many ways it’s unrecognisable, and in others it’s still the same. To keep pace with change and ensure new talent can grow, developing best practice is essential. That’s why we consistently invest in training programmes.
Most recently, we commissioned social selling specialist and bestselling author, Sam Rathling to deliver a bespoke in-house LinkedIn masterclass. This has ignited a new level of passion for LinkedIn in the team and equipped everyone with fresh skills and ideas to implement for their clients.
4. Let your hair down
While we’re serious about what we do, we also know the importance of having fun along the way. If you’re not having a laugh while doing what you love, what’s the point?
Whether it’s having fun with the team or our clients, a happy and positive workplace is one of the foundations for excellent service. We have a regular programme of team building in place, and some of the activities we have to look forward to include testing our team skills at white water rafting and letting out our competitive side at this year’s Rugby Autumn Internationals (thank you for organising Charlene!).
5. Google Drive is a game changer
Since switching to Google Drive several years ago, we’ve never looked back. The move to Google Drive has acted as a catalyst for growth within the business for several reasons.
Firstly, Google Drive increases security. The robust infrastructure has given us even greater data protection and makes manual back-ups a thing of the past.
The flexibility it provides via the cloud-based operations makes it easier to support remote and hybrid working environments – while all working seamlessly on the same systems.
Google Drive has also enabled us to integrate long term freelancers into our operations, all of which has helped drive sustainable growth while maintaining quality.
6. Agencies need agility
Working across multiple clients means our priorities are constantly changing, often daily. Agility is key as it enables us to respond and adapt quickly.
The fast-paced environment can be challenging, but the secret to success is a client-first mentality. Our priority is to make every client feel the most important in the world, because they are.
Whatever size the client, whatever the brief, we value them all equally. Balancing the workload is our challenge to solve, it’s down to us to always deliver… and we have always delivered.
7. Strength of partnership
We have long standing clients that have worked with us since the very first day we formed. There are combined elements to our success that sets us apart when it comes to our strong relationships, the TMPR blend, as I like to call it.
8. Stick in your own swim lane
Specialising in technical marketing is our priority and passion, something which is non-negotiable for the future.
We have got B2B running through our veins and truly technical is where we will stay. There are some excellent marketing and PR companies out there covering hospitality, professional services, and leisure sectors – but that’s not for us. We’ve carved a niche in construction, engineering, manufacturing, and tech, and this is where we will stay.
9. Balance work and life
When TMPR was just starting out, I was working seven days a week and more than 12 hours a day to get the agency up and running. Over time, TMPR has developed into a trusted team with shared values – which includes a proper work life balance.
The balance is crucial to the team’s wellbeing and the agency’s effectiveness. That’s why we have flexi-time, hybrid working, birthdays off, Christmas shopping days, and a new healthcare scheme.
10. You can’t know everything
At our very core, we are writers. We pride ourselves on delivering outstanding written content, but the agency’s broad briefs mean we often get involved with wider projects. We never try to be a jack of all trades, we’re a master of marketing communications and anything outside of that we bring in the specialists.
We’ve built a network of trusted partners over the years, which means we can rapidly deploy experts in SEO, video, design, SoMe, and much more, to deliver on specific client briefs when needed.
11. Gratitude is salient
Being grateful for all successes – big or small – is a crucial takeaway for anyone in business. I’m fully aware that the last 18 months have been tough on industry and at TMPR we feel very fortunate to have navigated through those times.
We’re now equally grateful to be going from strength to strength, and I’m particularly excited for the future, while never forgetting where we started.
One thing is for certain, our passion to deliver exceptional experiences – for our colleagues and our clients – is here to stay.
Massive thank you to all our clients, supply partners and team for another successful year of business. Here’s to a dozen!