Richard Stobart founded web and software development consultancy Unboxed Consulting four years ago. The company now has a turnover of £1.6 million

Richard Stobart founded web and software development consultancy Unboxed Consulting four years ago. The company now has a turnover of £1.6 million

Where did you get the idea?
When I was the customer of outside ‘consultants’, the experience made me frustrated and I thought I could offer a better service myself. I’d always wanted to start my own business, so I decided to set up Unboxed Consulting.

How did you get funding?
I started the business with next to nothing. I ploughed everything we made back into it and it very quickly became self-funding. Later, when we started to expand, I borrowed £50,000 – which we paid back within a year.

How have you marketed the company?
We do a lot of guerrilla marketing, sponsored events, drinks evenings and targeted emailing. We also benefit
from  customer recommendations. Traditional marketing doesn’t work very well with the types of clients we look to attract.

What have you learned?
A huge amount about myself. I always thought I was an introvert and couldn’t sell things. Now I’m confident at leading presentations to clients. Perhaps that’s something I’ve always had in me, but with practice it’s something I’ve become very good at.

Where next?
We’re actually going for a staff weekend away to decide. We like to think of ourselves as a federation of intelligent people, rather than a top-down structure. That way, we can ensure we are always coming up with innovative new ideas.