Preston innovation agency sees global expansion

A Preston-based innovation agency is doubling its staff base on the back of a surge in international enquiries, thanks to Boost, Lancashire’s business growth hub.

Geminüs has seen 25 per cent growth in its R&D tax credit claims service and is receiving over 100 international enquiries monthly for its new ‘innovator international’ programme.

The agency plans to increase the team to ten over the next 12 months to further meet demand for its services.

The growth comes after Boost’s Growth Mentoring programme helped the firm’s founders Richard Harrison and Nick Roach reshape their digital marketing strategy and direction for the business.

Richard Harrison worked in business support for nearly 20 years and set up Geminus Training Ltd in 2016 to provide innovation services, including training and consultancy to help people think differently about business. Fellow director Nick Roach joined the firm 18 months later.

Richard was already familiar with Boost and joined its Growth Mentoring programme. He was matched with mentor Peter Dickinson who specialises in creative and digital marketing.

He said: “Peter’s input was fantastic. He took time to listen to our marketing challenges. He made us step back from what we thought we needed to do, to instead focus on core issues.

“We didn’t deal with what we had thought were our problems until the last session. By then, as Peter had addressed the underlying challenges within our digital marketing strategy, the problems pretty much solved themselves!”

Geminüs’ services have become so successful, that it now has a global presence targeting large national and international firms and overseas investors.  This is a result of the company securing a contract with the Home Office that enables overseas investors seek innovative business opportunities in the UK.

Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub and is led by the Lancashire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) and Lancashire County Council and supported by funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Boost’s fully-funded Growth Mentoring programme is designed to support individuals and SMEs in Lancashire. It offers mentoring support to help them to deal with challenges in sales, marketing, finance, business planning and internal processes.

Peter helped Richard and Nick reappraise their digital marketing strategy and recommended they create a new identity for the business.

Peter said: “Richard and Nick have a very dynamic working partnership and are leading experts in their field. It was a real pleasure to work with them. They quickly grasped the business and marketing concepts used in the business tools I introduced them to, in order to formalise their thinking.

“By the end of the mentoring we had developed a strategy and implementation plan to help them grow to the next level.”

Richard said: “Without Peter’s support our R&D offering would not have been the success it is, and we wouldn’t have been able to expand our services across the innovation side of the business and to gain our contract with the Home Office.

“The support we’ve received has been incredible, to the point that it’s almost impossible to measure the impact it’s had.”

Fellow director Nick added: “Before the mentoring, we didn’t know how to create a robust digital marketing strategy. Peter came in with clear direction, resulting in an immediate impact and a stronger online presence.

“I would strongly recommend Boost’s Growth Mentoring programme to anybody who wants to grow their business.”

Operating from its base at Society 1, a co-working space in Preston, Geminüs is now considering opening offices in Manchester and London. If the growth continues, there may even be further plans for a presence in China, the main source of its international enquiries.

Boost has received £3.8m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union, ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.  For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.

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More information on BOOST

Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub. It is led by the Lancashire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) and Lancashire County Council and supported by funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The role of Boost is to help growth-hungry Lancashire businesses realise their potential by providing simple access to a range of leading-edge funded programmes, delivered by specialists with a track record of growing established and innovative start-up businesses. Boost also helps businesses access specialist private sector business support, as well as other nationally funded programmes, where relevant.

Since its inception in July 2013 Boost has provided growth advice and support to over 5,000 businesses across Lancashire, with many benefiting from tailored programmes of consultancy, grants or mentoring to support their growth. Boost has so far helped to create over 2,200 jobs, supported 600 new businesses to start and generated new economic activity valued in excess of £74m.

In December 2018, Boost secured £6m of new funding to run for a further three years from January 2019.

Boost has received £3.8m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union, ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.  For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.

Growth Hubs and the Growth Hub Network – The 38 Local Enterprise Partnership led Growth Hubs across England bring together and simplify access to national and local business support. Supported by Government, Growth Hubs ensure that no matter the size, sector or maturity of a business they provide locally tailored business support and advice to direct businesses to the most appropriate organisations to assist with their specific requests.

Some additional key facts:

• There are 38 Growth Hubs covering the whole of England – one in each Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area
• At the end of 2018/19 financial year, the Government will have invested £56.4 million in Growth Hubs via Local Enterprise Partnerships. The Government has committed a further £12 million to Growth Hubs for 2019-2020.