Write a blog ‘they’ say (being our social team). It should really encapsulate the last ten years, charting the development of the Clark business and celebrating how far we’ve come, ‘they’ say.

I write for a living, and this brief is possibly one of the hardest tasks I’ve been set.

Pithy or enlightening comment on establishing and running a business is hard, because it’s such a personal thing. When I started Clark in 2012, I had no grand plans to build a business (or I might have taken longer to come up with a name). In fact, I worked alone for three years – but the kernels of growth came from the people around me. The clients that were keen to do more work with us, the early team members that I brought on board to help me deliver, my ambition that was reignited by the momentum that had begun. We’re a textbook example of organic growth – we were driven to grow. Much of this was out of a desire to draw great people – we had to be bigger to attract the best.

All the superb people that have worked with the business since that first hire, and those that are with us today, are what has shaped the business. We tune in to their talents, experiences and ambitions and have allowed these to gently steer us towards new paths. It was this approach that led us to launch a specialist tech boutique in 2020, which now accounts for over 25% of our business. We use our ears a lot at Clark – listening to the needs to our clients of course, and those of our team.

We’ve just instigated a new bonus scheme and salary approach that means we now have some of the best rewards in the business. And, we’re rolling out a new training programme that represents a significant investment in our people. The success we’ve had, particularly over the last couple of years, is being shared, and that’s something to be proud of.

Today we’re a team of 16, with thriving B2B, tech and public sector strands to the business. This is the other secret to our success. We stick to our knitting. We don’t pursue work that isn’t in our repertoire, or close to it. Through this, we have built a great reputation and we build on our knowledge every day.

We’re a human business. We know work doesn’t come first for the average person – family, health and relationships are all more important, and recognising this has freed us to be decent, honest and considerate. For me, this makes every day worthwhile. Working in highly toxic environments in the past made me determined to do things differently – and it doesn’t hurt that this approach results in great work! We aim to be great at what we do AND happy AND profitable. We have a policy of ‘yes’ and a culture of celebration, individuality, curiosity, and acceptance. Some may say we can be a little nerdy. Layer this with a passion for quality and attention to detail – and for us, it’s a winning combination.

So instead of trumpeting our achievements, awards, new business wins and financial accomplishments in written form, I prefer to offer simple thanks. To the clients we work with, and have worked with. To our supporters, who cheerfully recommend us to their peers. To the team we will celebrate with soon, and those that have moved on to conquer new challenges. Thanks for trusting us with something vitally important to you – whether that be your time, your business or project, your reputation, or your career. We don’t take it lightly and hope that our differences have added to your success over the last 10 years.