Ian Merricks began his career as a record promoter in 1996. In 2007, he raised private equity for the MBO of Itchy Media, and since then has overseen five acquisitions.

Ian Merricks began his career as a record promoter in 1996. In 2007, he raised private equity for the MBO of Itchy Media, and since then has overseen five acquisitions.

Who is Itchy aimed at?

We publish the annual Itchy City guides, Itchy City magazine and the Itchy City websites. They’re aimed at the UK student and youth audience and are designed to be dynamic and honest.

How does Itchy stay youthful?

Setting the right tone for young consumers is essential. It’s a market that is easy to patronise and tastes and preferences change rapidly. As a result, we make sure we have a young mentality.

What’s your management style?

Treat everyone like grown-ups, have ambitious goals and give a lot of encouragement. You have to make sure there are no passengers on board; people who are just there to take a salary home. You need to monitor staff efficiency because every day of inactivity is a day you’re paying for.

Describe your company’s ethos.

I make certain that we never get caught up in a culture of attending meetings for meetings’ sake. If you can get your team to buy into a common goal, it can really help to unite everyone.

What else have you learnt?

Make sure you get the most appropriate backing when you’re raising finance. You have to remember that private individuals aren’t going to be able to fund you forever. Yet, risk-averse VCs are no good either: you get all of the downside but none of the benefits.