Founder(s): Joseph Housley and Connor Watt
Started: June 2018
Degree/University: BSc Business & Politics & BSc Business Computing & IT (Aston University, 2018)
Sector: Digital Media Production // B2B
Highlights So Far: Getting their first subscription client and quitting part time jobs.

Injecting a shot of adrenaline into your marketing

Narce Media is a specialist B2B video production company, providing powerful, high quality videos that help businesses to come to life online.

During their final year at Aston University, Connor and Joe started to get the start-up bug. They started up a podcast to dive into creating their own content and get experience of starting something up from scratch, and went on to be awarded Runner Up in Aston’s annual Pitching Competition. Not only did the competition win give them their first £250 to invest into the business, but also fast tracked them onto the BSEEN programme.

And so – Narce Media was born. The company was officially launched in September 2018 and by Christmas they had their first three major clients.

Being digital-savvy millennials, Joe and Connor have a deep understanding of the power of new media channels. With Narce, they spotted an opportunity to help B2B businesses create more imaginative, creative video content with a difference –and crucially, to use this content strategically and consistently. To make this happen, they’ve hit on an alternative way of working with businesses –flexible, annual subscription models.

Joining the BSEEN programme in June 2018 was a pivotal moment, and kick started a journey that has seen the duo take that initial £250 investment to a turnover of over £200,000 and a team of 6 in just two years.

“When you are starting in business you need to know everything from marketing, sales and financials to how to put a legal contract in place. BSEEN was there for all of this and the funding came along just when we were dangerously poor, enabling us to buy the first few pieces of equipment.”

Now with their own offices in the Jewellery Quarter, the company can count the likes of Aston Villa, Santander and the World Cancer Research Fund as their satisfied clients. Their goals are to become the leading video production company in Birmingham in the next two years, and a nationally recognised leader in five.

“Just start. You don’t have to have the final idea, a new idea or come up with the next Facebook or Amazon. People find it very easy to talk themselves out of getting a business going because it feels overwhelming and difficult. The truth is, starting a business isn’t a big difficult task; it’s doing lots of little tasks consistently”.