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Let's Celebrate Local!
By Danny Matthews who is the creative director of Danny&co. - a company which gives startups and small businesses a competitive advantage in a crowded market using creative design and branding.
How are you feeling about your business?
The chaos of the last six months has really given me an opportunity to press the reset button on some of my market assumptions, to understand where I fit in the creative sector and how I can best serve the clients I love to work with the most.
Despite the challenges that were thrown our way I can see a real need for finding your purpose in business and telling your story, so I am feeling really excited about the future of Danny&co. as we also get to tell stories of our clients to the world.
How are you feeling about business in general?
I have long been a believer in meritocracy and that we have to constantly adapt to the market in order to thrive, not just survive. So I see it very black and white.
It’s likely there will be a lot of emotion; blame, entitlement to come from the spread of COVID-19 and the ones who will be stronger on the other end of it I believe, will be the ones who take responsibility for themselves and adapt the quickest to market behaviours.
I’m really looking forward to the shift I think we will make to a 'support local+buy online' hybrid way of living and the experiences people create as part of it - I’m excited for the people who embrace that way of shopping.
Tell us how you now apply this phrase to your business and/or life ‘buy local supply local’.
Having clients across the globe gives us the chance to transfer global economies into our own communities so I continue to work for clients in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Europe but shopping locally where possible to help the companies and causes I believe in.
It also means that we can bring ideas and expertise from around the world to our local community.
I believe that good businesses get support from their local community and I enjoy supporting small local and independent businesses and seeing the impact a small thing can do.
What has changed for you positively as a result of lockdown?
I have found real balance in work-life balance. Seeing the impact a day can have on my son’s life by me just being around - even if I'm in the home office - is great for him and for me.
What makes a good local business?
A good local business I think is one with the intention to benefit more than just the person consuming - thereby impacting the wider community or organisation.
Can you name a local business which you support around food & drink?
A hidden gem of Swindon that I need to sing about is Bandido Burrito over at Bookers Car Park. I was so happy when they re-openned me and my wife travelled there to pick up a Mexican feast. If you like Mexican food, they are a street food supplier run by an incredibly passionate at Mexican-trained chef, Greg.
I also could not live without my local coffee roaster, Rave Coffee in Cirencester and Lunchbox coffee who have been delivering fresh flat whites to our doorstep every Wednesday throughout lockdown.
https://www.facebook.com/bandidoburritosswindon/
Can you name a local independent business which you support around clothing or accessories?
Decimal Skate Store in Cirencester and the Forum in Swindon are the few places I would recommend for my style. We need more independent fashion in Wiltshire & Gloucestershire.
Can you name a local independent business which you support around health, wellbeing or fitness?
I have a lot of love for what The Core in Old Town have created and can’t wait to go back.
Can you shout out to any local customers you'd like to celebrate?
TECC - The Electrical Compliance Collective: Run by a very passionate Pete McCallum who I have watched become stronger through the coronavirus crisis and who from the very start of lockdown believed that the brand we we’re going to create would be the best investment for the future of his company.
The Lazy Environmentalists - A Facebook community of nearly 70,000 which has been built as a side business by three incredible people, Amy, Adrian and Sam who are launching their first sustainable product very soon - https://www.facebook.com/thelazyenvironmentalists/
CloudHappi - Nigel Jones really cares about education. It has been a pleasure to see his passion in supporting schools with a free service to help schools to retain budget to better spend elsewhere and which also helps teachers gain work-life balance by allowing them to work from home - https://cloudhappi.com
Can you shout out to any local suppliers you wish to celebrate?
Steph Rickaby (or as I like to call her - SuperSteph) from Sunflower Accounts has not only helped me tremendously since the start of the year but I have seen the blood, sweat and tears she sheds for every single client and business who has the pleasure to come into contact with her - https://sunfloweraccounts.co.uk
The Cirencester Growth Hub family have been amazing support for one another throughout the crisis and continue to be a central place of support for small businesses - https://www.thegrowthhub.biz/cirencester
Jo Smyth from Wordworker has been helping me with all manner of things but aside from great copy she’s been a great supporter of my work and has helped expand my network - https://wordworker.co.uk
Can you name someone who has had your back during lockdown?
I took the decision to invest in my mindset at the start of the year so my coach Karen Font-Garcia has been essential in keeping me aligned while battling through an ever changing landscape.
She has not only been there for our usual calls but has been available at all times to answer questions and talk through any blocks as and when they come up. Without her - who knows!?
https://www.facebook.com/KarenFontGarcia.MindsetCoach/
Can you name one person in your life who has really helped you during this time?
I couldn’t have managed any amount of progress during the pandemic without my wife. I have taken the spare room as my office, had her on permanent parcel duty and she even took me into the kitchen one day for an appraisal! I think I speak for most people when I say that our better halves make what we do possible.
What are your business plans for Q4?
I am so excited for the last quarter of the year as I have been working on more ways for leaders, teams and their clients gain brand confidence, starting with a scorecard to audit their brand.
This will also give smaller companies access to the same results as the clients who invest in our trademarked process on a one-to-one basis.
Personally, I am writing a book and planning on something big to give back.
For more information visit www.dannyand.co
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