When a friendship leads to a business partnership, great things can happen! Kennedy Mort Consultancy Ltd, independent media consultancy, take 5 minutes out of their busy schedule to talk to Mallusk Enterprise Park about how it all began………
Did you always want to be self employed?
Yes! We have both always wanted to be self employed however bringing up children and busy lifestyles in general seemed to get in the way of making that leap. Thankfully, last year timing was right for both of us and we were able to bring our ideas and passion for advertising to life by launching Kennedy Mort Consultancy Ltd. We haven’t looked back.
How long did you have the idea before meeting with a Business Adviser to discuss?
We initially talked about starting our own company about a year before we took the plunge. We put together our own version of a business plan and got our finances in order before approaching Mallusk Enterprise Park’s Go For It programme. We were delighted with the support and advice we received.
What does your business do?
At Kennedy Mort Consultancy, we are predominately a media planning & buying advertising agency. We consult with our clients on their marketing brief so we can tailor make a media plan which can include TV, Radio, Outdoor, Press and social media. We aim to get the best possible value for their budget. We have developed a fantastic portfolio of client’s during our first 10 months in business to include Harry Corry, Kia N.Ireland, Winemark, CFC Interiors and many more. In addition to creating media plans, we also guide our clients on clearance and compliance, script writing and production, sponsorship, events and website design and development. We pride ourselves on a completely non-biased approach to every individual client’s needs, which we work on with insight, flexibility, passion, creativity and lots of local contacts and knowledge.
How long have you been trading?
We have been trading since October 2018
Are you happy that you chose self-employment?
We are delighted that we have taken the leap into self employment. It has totally changed our work/life balance and as both of us are mothers, being self-employed has allowed us to balance the daily demands of life in a much less stressful manner. The freedom to work at any time of the day, or night as it can often be, means we can put so much more into our business.
If you were to give one piece of advice to someone starting up what would it be?
Be realistic about your hopes and targets for the first year. Make sure your business plan is up to scratch and accept all advice from people who have taken the same journey. It’s also important to network. Surround yourself with people who can be of benefit to your business and if possible, find a mentor who you can trust and sound off to when times get stressful. As partners, we communicate about absolutely everything – nothing is too small or big to discuss. Communication within a partnership is key.
Was the Go For It Programme beneficial to you? If so, how?
Absolutely! We received some very sound and insightful advice from the Go For It Programme advisers and appreciate the regular emails and updates that we still get! The advice we received gave us the opportunity to change some parts of our business plan and also gave us a boost when we got positive feedback and praise for our own ideas.
What was the best part of the program?
The mentoring we received was invaluable.
How did you finance your business?
It was a mixture of personal investment and a loan. Cashflow was a big stumbling block for us as being new, we didn’t receive credit from our suppliers. However, we had planned for that and have now overcome this as a problem.
Where do you see your business in 5 years time?
We would like to grow our business to a certain manageable level. In 5 years time, we may have moved to permanent premises and be in a position to employ some more staff. We are also looking at partnering up with other businesses within other areas of our industry like creative and video production.
To visit Kennedy & Mort click here
If you have a business idea which you would like to explore please contact the team in Mallusk Enterprise Park.
