Rachel Collinson’s company, Rechord, is an innovative agency which develops, designs, and markets web-sites for various organisations and businesses. Read more about Rechord in everywoman's Marketplace...

Getting Started

Upon obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree at University, Rachel worked for a variety of signage companies during the summer months. She also volunteered as a forum moderator for the BBC. Rachel’s Graphic Design expertise allowed her to become a part-time webmaster for Image.net. while she was attending school. Rachel said, “I set up Rechord before I’d really had a proper job…”

While studying for her Master’s Degree, Rachel received a phone call that would change her life forever. A former classmate, Stefan, rang her up one evening and asked, “Do you want to go into business together?” Rachel replied “…errr, yes” out of politeness. 

Rachel is an independent, opinionated woman who holds strong ethical principles. Knowing that she was likely to face adversity at money-hungry companies by refusing to work for certain agencies, she actually took Stefan up on his offer.

The newly-formed team were prepared with the proper equipment and software to upstart Rechord. At first money was not an issue. Rachel said, “It’s always been a double-edged sword for us – the fact that you don’t really need a lot of money to start a web agency is great but it means competitors are everywhere.”

The team was “living like monks,” sacrificing food for the sake of their business. In the early days Rachel recalls her breakfast meal stating “I used to eat wild blackberries from the bushes … no joke!” Also, the team worked from home to cut costs.

It was not long before Rachel and Stefan’s project took off. The company was gaining head-way and needed more expensive equipment and office space. Luckily, Rechord received a lot of support. Business Link helped the team obtain a big grant for their company and the University of Westminster offered them cheap office space. Rachel said, “This really enabled the business to be a serious proposition.”

Stefan was experienced in the business world, and Rachel learned a lot in the initial months. They soon brought in another partner, Louise, a former classmate of theirs.

Their internet talent was an instant hit! “We were successful almost immediately and things got very exciting.” Their creativity and expertise in Graphic Design won them recognition as they were awarded the Creative Review’s Creative Futures prize, placing them as one of the top 10 designers in the UK. Rachel said, “We were on top of the world.”

Highs, Lows, and Obstacles

The team suffered two hard blows in the coming months. They were swimming in a huge pool of online competitors when the “tech bubble burst,” causing a serious decline in business.

If that wasn’t enough, Louise severely injured her back to the point where she could not sit up. Her limited mobility forced her to leave work and move back home with her parents until she healed. “All our work was in disarray,” said Rachel.

When she thought things couldn’t get any worse, Stefan decided to move to Bristol to avoid the pressure of London life.

With two down, Rachel autonomously ran Rechord. It was a long way to fall, so quickly, from getting interviews in magazines like Design Week, a penthouse office in trendy Hoxton Square and clients like Greenpeace, to rock bottom like that in the space of a year,” said Rachel.

Feeling quite low, Rachel was ready to give it all up and join the corporate world when she had what she called a “spiritual vision,” renewing her strength and motivating her to trek through the ruins and continue with the business. Rachel soon found herself “back at the blackberry bush.”

Badly in debt and struggling to make ends meet, Rachel’s strength and perseverance finally paid off. She single-handedly pulled in a huge contract with a renowned non-profit organization. Rachel successfully rejuvenated Rechord, and more incredible clients jumped on board. The company triumphed! “…I was back in business and ‘in my flame’ once again,” said Rachel.

In 2004, disaster struck once again when Rachel was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. “I was so ill that I barely had the energy to lift a cup of water to my mouth,” said Rachel. Rechord had to be put on hold immediately. With the assistance of various friends and colleagues, she was able to maintain the majority of her clientele. In four months time, Rachel overcame her illness and soon led Rechord to unprecedented success.

Tripling the company’s revenue, Rachel was able to enlist big names such as Scope, ActionAid, and the BBC. Rachel expanded her staff and now is employing four people. “I never expected I would employ 4 people. Now my expectations for the business have expanded beyond anything I could have dreamed of before,” Rachel.

In the early stages, Rachel's creativity and determination were crucial in Rechord's success. Knowing little about running a business in the beginning, Rachel has grown and learned so much.

Now she is enjoying the entrepreneurial aspect of it all. “In the beginning that was just part of the process, and I just wanted to get stuck into designing and programming things, but now the marketing really gives me a thrill,” said Rachel. This incredible woman has risen above poverty and created a prospering company. Rachel expects a bright future for Rechord and plans to use her talent as a designer and “…be as creative as I want – for the rest of my life!”

Wise Words 

Right from the start, she had an incredible “willingness to learn from others and from your mistakes.” And, that has made all the difference. Although Rachel ran the business alone at one point in time, she has also learned that “you can’t do everything.” Not being afraid to ask for help has been vital in Rechord’s success. “Listen to the experts and follow their advice.”

Earning the initial grant was Rachel’s first major success as a business-woman. Drawing up a business plan is a crucial step when starting up a new business. “Make sure you plan properly,” and “Getting things in writing really matters.”

Rachel’s personality has proved o be just what one needs in the business world. “Being a people person certainly helps, because it’s the people that will make or break your success, whether that’s employees or clients.”

Juggling her work and persevering even when she was without food has proved to be well worth-it. “Just do it!” said Rachel. “You don’t need to go the whole hog straight away. In fact it’s better if you start slowly, and combine the business with a part-time job at first so that you don’t make silly decisions based on being desperate for cash.”

Rachel stresses that branding is crucial for any business. “Don’t scrimp on the marketing and design, because how people see your company is very important and amateur design means an amateur company.”

Also, Rachel notes that in the business world marketing is everything. You need to get your name out there and let people know what your company is all about. “It’s now possible to test one design against another using Google AdWords, and all these tests consistently bear out that getting a professional involved with your marketing can double or triple your sales at the very least.”

Rechord
020 7993 2870
http://www.rechord.com

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