“We are planning to build a new facility that's going to be completely game-changing for the UK media industry. It will compete with the biggest and best in London and encourage more post-production work to come to northern England.”
Tameside based audio post production company, 344 Audio, was founded by Alex Gregson, an entrepreneur who has been crafting sound and music for over 12 years. What started in his bedroom is now a growing business working on high-profile projects from the UK and beyond.
Although the business sits in a niche sector, its reputation in the UK and overseas is growing rapidly. 344 Audio works with industry leading content creators in the Film, TV and Video Game industries while training the next and best generation of Sound Designers.
We spoke to Alex Gregson, Founder and CEO of 344 Audio about how GM Business Growth Hub has been with him throughout the company’s growth.
Working with GM Business Growth Hub
Alex began working with a digital and creative advisor who supported his business development from the ground up. He received support on workforce development, helping him with recruitment and HR policies. After that, Alex had support to help the firm become investment and grant-ready. He then went on the Innovate UK Create Growth programme, securing a £30,000 grant to kickstart plans for their next business expansion.
Finding the ‘right fit’
Alex’s experience with GM Business Growth Hub has always been one that he is able to be himself, and says he always got a lot out of each meeting. He feels that advisors have been always working in his company’s best interest.
“I'll always mention my advisor, Neil. He did a lot for me, I believe it was transformational, he supported the business from when I was running it from home through to the first and second expansion and then through to this one. Being from a working-class background with no family experience in business and the creative industries, this support was instrumental.”
Alex enjoyed and appreciated that his adviser challenged him. He was introduced to the power of social media early on and is has had a large impact.
“We don’t have a massive following on socials, but we have built a strong brand, focused on nurturing relationships. Whenever I needed advice, Neil always found a solution to a problem.”
Developing expert knowledge
Alex also worked with the Tameside Stakeholder Account Manager, Kelly Gray, has been very helpful.
“Whenever I've had a question about anything, she's been like the fairy godmother of the business. She always gets me an answer or finds someone who can.”
One of those connections was the Innovation team which started working with Alex on trademarks and given feedback on our new website design. Here again Alex stressed that every person he encountered from GM Business Growth Hub is focussed on getting results for the business.
Expanding into new markets
“Following the Create Growth programme, we received a £30,000 grant from Innovate UK to help plan our next business expansion and upscale our current Dolby Atmos setup. The money helped us fund the designs for our next facility expansion. We were also on the Global Business Innovation Programme and went to South by Southwest to pitch our business to potential US partners.”
“I would encourage anyone to get involved with GM Business Growth Hub regardless of the kind of business they run. Whether it's a mechanic or you’re inventing something new, they want to help you grow.”
What’s next? - The Future
"We've just built a new brand strategy with our long-time collaborator Ventur Agency. Our goal is not to be the biggest or have the highest turnover, it's to create the most unique and personalised audio post-production company in the world.
We want to create more opportunities to enter the creative sound industry for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and as we grow, we’re finding better ways to achieve this.”
“We are planning to build a new facility that's going to be completely game-changing for the UK media industry. It will compete with the biggest and best in London and encourage more post-production work to come to northern England. It's going to be revolutionary in our field because there's a perception that London is the default location for working in the film/games industry. We're going all in and it's going to be incredible.”
Current projects
“We've been working on some incredible projects recently including some major British TV shows and AAA video games. We just received our first 6 figure services contract and can trace a lot of our success back to various conversations we’ve had with GM Business Growth Hub advisors. As we approach our following expansion we are searching for investment and would encourage any interested parties to get in touch.”
Don’t delay getting support
“I started working with Business Growth Hub many years ago when I saw a promotional campaign online. My business was me, a computer and some speakers in a bedroom yet they took me very seriously and trusted in my vision. Don't let your current business progression deter you from securing support. It could be the difference between you struggling for years or you achieving your business goals. While they prioritise businesses that have already started, their intentions are to build the local economy through individual action. This is exactly what Greater Manchester needs to grow its economy.”
If you would like to know how we can help you in your business journey, get in touch here.
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