Announcing Grá Group, a New Kind of Marketing Agency: A Social Enterprise Serving Small Business in the UK & Ireland

After two decades creating myriad PR programmes for top brands across a wide range of sectors and international geographies, veteran marketer, lecturer and small business advocate Tim Hart decided it was time to give something back. Announcing his new agency: Grá Group, a social enterprise serving small business in the United Kingdom and Ireland (www.lovesmallbizmarketing.com).

Grá Group have a mission: to provide small businesses not only with the marketing services they need to drive sales and build customer loyalty, but also with the education and guidance they need to make informed decisions that can build strong local businesses – and ultimately strong local communities. This is accomplished through workshops, mentoring and marketing services for hire.

“We do what we love to help small firms do what they love. In fact our name, Grá, (pronounced ‘graw’) literally means ‘love’ in Irish,” said American expat Hart, who started his career in San Francisco and has served clients big and small across the globe in food and wine, music, tourism, healthcare, science, technology, green energy, charities and more. He recently was appointed an Associate Lecturer at the London College of Communication.

“I believe that armed with the right knowledge, skills, strategy and resources, even the smallest startups can use the same industry-standard best practices as global companies to reach the audiences that are most meaningful to them,” he said. “Throughout our process, we provide tools, templates, tricks, ideas and inspiration necessary to help our clients get their marketing moving effectively and even enjoyably.”
Entrepreneurs can access and purchase Grá Group services easily via two local-country websites: UK: www.lovesmallbizbritain.com and Ireland: www.lovesmallbizireland.com.

GRÁ’S APPROACH: WORKSHOPS, MENTORING & SERVICES FOR HIRE

Grá Group offer affordable and convenient Workshops, Mentoring and Services for Hire:
•    Workshops are affordably priced at £29 / €39 each, and will be scheduled monthly in the UK and Ireland. The first workshops will be held 28 October in Dublin and 5 November in Sheffield.
•    Mentoring packages are offered in simple one-, two-, and three-month, flat-fee commitments based on a client’s budget and/or level of business complexity: Startup (£199 / €279), Trader (£349 / €499), and Entrepreneur (£749 / €999). Mentoring includes weekly phone of Skype check-ins, and help with strategy, planning, budgeting and project management.
•    Marketing Services for Hire are organised into three small-business relevant segments: “In Your Business,” “In the Community” and “On the Web,” and range from local retail makeovers to materials creation, grassroots outreach, Web design and social media campaigns.  
•    Another affordable option is Grá’s Office Hours Advice Line, a weekly conference call that’s a virtual drop-in centre for small business owners to ask questions, test ideas, troubleshoot challenges and get advice in a voluntary and friendly group setting. (£19 / €24 per month).

“After two decades in this industry it has become clear to me that small businesses are the engine of the economy but rarely get the kind of support they need to succeed,” said Hart. “That’s why we’ve worked hard to deconstruct traditional agency methodologies and design new services that fit the real-world challenges small businesses face but that do not cost the Earth.

“In the end it’s all about the grá – the love. The love entrepreneurs have for their big ideas, our love of working with them, and the good we can create together.”

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS – AUTUMN 2015

Currently scheduled workshops for autumn, entitled Small Business Marketing Essentials:

IRELAND
28 October
5:30-8:30 p.m.
Central Hotel
1-5 Exchequer Street
Dublin 2
Tickets (€39): bit.ly/1OznN4y

UK
5 November
8-11 a.m.
Sheffield Workstation
15 Paternoster Row
Sheffield S1 2BX
Tickets (£29): bit.ly/1h2JDij


ABOUT GRÁ GROUP
Grá Group are a new kind of marketing agency. A social enterprise, the firm offer workshops, mentoring and marketing services for hire to small businesses in the UK and Ireland. For more information visit www.lovesmallbizbritain.com or www.lovesmallbizireland.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@GraGroup). Grá Group are a member of Social Enterprise UK. 

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Contact Information

Tim Hart

Principal

Grá Group

(44) +44 114 399 0146

tim@lovesmallbizmarketing.com