In our ‘Inspiring small businesses’ series, we share and celebrate great stories from small business owners who started and run their own business. By bringing you closer to these inspiring businesses we hope that you find motivation, tips, and ideas for building yours. In our next interview, we spoke to Seb Dean, Managing Director of Imaginaire, a web design agency in Nottingham.

What is it that you do?

We are a digital marketing and web design agency in the heart of the UK. We offer high-end solutions to online marketing needs, from SEO to PPC, bespoke website and web app development. Our focus is to work with ambitious people and businesses so that we can help them become market leaders.  

What's the story behind your business?

After working in sales and marketing for years, I decided that I didn't want to offer an average service anymore and so I left my job and started Imaginaire. After working alone for some time I took on an apprentice who is now a fulltime member of the team. Now we have a team, sister companies and a loyal client base. 

What inspired you to start your own business? 

The inspiration came from my own willingness to learn and develop our offerings. For a while, I was stuck in a job that didn't fulfill my potential and I could tell that this was the case. I wanted to offer something more and further my creativity. 

What is the most difficult aspect of running your own business?

The most difficult thing for me is the fact that we interact with a number of different businesses that aren't ambitious enough to push themselves. I can see the potential that they have and where they could go/ what they could become, but often they aren't interested in growth or development. This is tricky for me because I just really want to help other companies get off the ground and become successful. But of course, we listen to our clients so that we know exactly what they would like from us rather than telling them what to do. that's not to say that we don't offer advice here and there.

What is the best thing about running your own business?

The best thing about having a business is that I can create an environment that I would want as an employee. Having worked in all sorts of industries you find that there can be a lot of tension in the air, especially in sales. Everyone is competing for the top spot, within Imaginaire, I try to make sure that we're all happy and comfortable in the workplace. I've found that this makes it easier for my team to work to their fullest. This might mean that they need to work from home one day or come in an hour late or leave an hour early, staying laid back and flexible is the best way to build a good team. 

To find out more about Imaginaire, visit their website or follow them on LinkedIn and Instagram.