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Impression is a digital marketing agency that has been based in Nottingham since its inception. In the last 20 months, Impression has grown to a team of 15 talented digital marketing consultants, all but 3 of whom live within walking distance of our city centre office.

My co-founder Tom and I had studied together in Leeds and both took graduate jobs here in Nottingham. In 2012, around the time we were discussing our business venture, the Nottingham growth plan launched. We saw the investment into growth and regeneration and it mirrored what we'd seen in Leeds during their digital boom. All of this solidified our decision to start our business here in Nottingham.

Support in Nottingham

In the last year, 2,138 businesses launched in Nottingham (according to Nottingham-based data company Company Check). This is almost three times the national average, and I believe this is largely down to the amount of support which is available to businesses here.

Nottingham Means Business is a fantastic example of this. Through our partner membership we've been able to promote our business to a highly relevant local audience. We've also been able to attend networking events and have been recognised for our work through the Creative Class, all of which have helped us to develop our profile here.

We've also been very grateful to receive financial support from local city grants and from initiatives such as the Growth 100 scheme at the University of Nottingham, which have helped us to invest in tools and technology which make it easier for us to do our jobs and to attract local talent.

There are so many people willing to help new businesses here too. Being part of the Creative Quarter means we are part of a very close-knit community and we regularly work and partner with other local businesses here. We also have a wide range of clients in Nottingham and the wider East Midlands; with so much investment in business growth, there are more and more companies looking for our services and that's certainly contributing to our success.

We're on track to deliver very positive financial growth again this year too, and we feel much of this is down to the support available to businesses here in Nottingham.

Recruitment

Another huge benefit to being here in Nottingham is the talent right on our doorsteps. With 2 great universities right here in the city, and at least 3 others within commuting distance, the calibre of people starting out on their careers here is very high. We've just taken on 2 graduates ourselves and they are performing exceptionally well already.

We've also found the active networking communities to be highly beneficial in helping us to meet more experienced local talent. It's a bit of a misconception that people in the digital industry tend more to go to London in their careers but we've found Nottingham to have a wealth of talent, in design, development and marketing.

I think as new business growth continues, there will be even more exciting companies to attract local graduates to stay and experienced professionals to move into the area.

Contribution

We're very proud of our Nottingham roots and actively seek to support local growth in any way we can. We partnered with local design agency Rizk McCay to build the Nottingham Means Business website.

Working with local clients is also important to us and we have a growing portfolio of clients right here in the city. Supporting local businesses is something we're very proud of.

I believe strongly in keeping money here in Nottingham so we partner with local businesses and use local suppliers.

What's next for Impression?

We intend to stay in Nottingham. We know the level of support here and we're invested in the local area.

One of our key growth strategies is to continue to build our presence locally, through events and through working with local businesses and associations. Nottingham is on track for an exciting growth period and we intend to be at the forefront of it.

Source www.nottinghammeansbusiness.com