Talk Direct Marketing

Founder

Alex Beardsley

Mum, Graduate, Business woman, just a few of the roles adopted by Alex Beardsley owner of freelance marketing management business, Talk Direct Marketing.

Profile

I left school at sixteen to have my daughter and began my working life, folding, stuffing and mail sorting in a direct mailing house. It wasn't until I was at University studying for my BA (Hons) First Class degree in Marketing, that I realised this role had given me the perfect grounding for my career in marketing! As it was here that I learned all about the print and production process required to achieve on time targeted marketing communications.

At University I found I had a real affinity for Marketing as a subject, and absorbed myself in the subject with a great fascination. From Events Management and Advertising to Consumer Behaviour and Strategy, Marketing is involved in all aspects of life and I wanted it to be a big part of mine. 

After my degree I worked for a Full Service Marketing Agency, both at a Government Funded Project and a National UK Retailer. In each role I was disappointed by the lack of understanding of 'marketing' outside the marketing department.  Whilst undertaking a Knowledge Transfer Partnership to embed strategic marketing practices into a local organisation I identified a 'gap in the market' to offer professional marketing services at an affordable level to SME's.

What does my company do?

Talk Direct Marketing provides professional marketing expertise at director and manager level to SME's on a freelance basis.  All organisations require expert marketing advice and support to enable them to successfully achieve their goals and reach out to their customers.  The current options out there for businesses is to employ a marketing agency who often require someone in house with professional expertise to tell them what to do, or a marketing consultant who often charges for their 'ideas'. 

My proposition with Talk Direct Marketing is to not only provide the high level planning and development of a consultant but also stick around and get stuck in to manage the businesses ongoing marketing activity.   I can work on a project by project basis, for example an organisation may require a bank of corporate case studies developing but don't have the internal expertise or resource to undertake such a project, that's where I come in.  Or an organisation may wish to grow to the next level which may involve a strategic review and analysis of their market and customers combined with the development and management of a marketing communications plan which then requires management on a longer term basis.

I basically act as the businesses' marketing manager or director but I am not employed by them, just retained....For small businesses marketing is a necessity that is constantly required but doesn't warrant the cost of a full time employee or large marketing department...Talk Direct Marketing fills the void.

What has TB@B done to help me to develop?

Think Business is the only reason I actually took the leap and went into business on my own, without the help the team provided I would never have had the confidence to go ahead and do it.

I came to Think Business via the FAST TRACK competition; I had been thinking about the idea for a while but never really had the confidence to discuss it with anyone let alone give it a go.  I entered the FAST TRACK competition and got such a fabulous response to my idea it really inspired me to continue. 

At the same time the fact that the team at Think Business question me about my prices, my plans and my approach is great as it makes me work better and improve my level of service to my customers and stops me undervaluing myself.

What is my biggest success?

My biggest success is actually starting my business whilst pregnant, at a time when many women are winding down and looking forward to their maternity leave, I took the opportunity to really grow my client base and continue to be successfully managing my business and customers at 8 ½ months pregnant! 

It's still early days but I am sure there will be a few more success stories to tell in a year or two...Watch this space.

What has been the hardest thing to cope with?

Just the responsibility of having your own business...there¿s no one to fall back on if things go wrong (touch wood everything has been fine up until now!).  It does get easier by the day as your confidence grows and you adapt to the new way of things, I am sure that this will soon be a feeling of the past.

What advice would you give to other businesses?

Go for it!  Give it a try, there is no shame in failure...at least you have had the guts to give it a try which is a lot more than some can say. But the fact that you have given it a go makes you more likely to succeed.

What plans do you have for the future of TDM?

My current plans are to become really established...I want Talk Direct Marketing to become synonymous with 'Marketing Support and Advice' in Bradford.

What would you like to see from TB@B in the future?

It would be great if Think Business could offer enterprise training sessions for students at the University as part of the 'Student Experience'.  Not everyone wants to set up their own business but they need to be made aware that it is always an option. If I can do it anyone can.