Member Article

North East festive focus: Sparkle Communications

Jen Robson and Nicola Little, owners of Newcastle-based comms agency Sparkle Communications, join in with our quickfire December interview series.

Your Business

If you had to choose one thing - what are you most proud of your company achieving this year, why?

Jen: There’s been loads this year! Too many to count, but I am particularly proud that I helped secure a client’s place at an event with President Obama!

Nicola: Winning the tender to deliver training for NBSL. There’s fierce competition from brilliant companies in the North East!

What was the single biggest challenge faced by your firm in 2016?

Jen: I think it’s been about properly understanding who we are, what Sparkle offers and finding the ‘right fit’ not just with suppliers but with clients as well. Learning to say no has also been challenging, but very empowering.

Nicola: Learning to say NO.

Can you tell us one thing your business is doing in 2017 that really excites you?

Jen: More of the same but in a really focussed way so we can grow the business. While we specialise in digital, our strength is very much in business development and supporting our clients to realise their ambitions through developing a strategic content plan as well as providing one-to-one and group training.

Nicola: Working on a super sparkly collaboration with another company to deliver new and not-done-before training.

Your Region

Which North East firm has impressed you the most this year, why?

Jen: Oh, that’s a difficult one! We see so many wonderful businesses run by passionate and knowledge people every week! I don’t often get impressed with numbers or money but it’s awesome that waste and reuse firm, Warp It, has raised a whopping £1million worth of assets for charities up and down the land.

Nicola: The Derwentside Business Network. it’s awesome; super friendly and welcoming and truly passionate boutique developing business talent in an often overlooked are of the North East.

Are there any emerging businesses in the region that’ve caught your eye this year that you’ve been previously unaware of?

Jen: Another tricky question! This time I’ll say SoilFixer. Tony Callaghan (the brains behind HotBins) set up this company earlier in the year and has invented a number of products that help improve soil. Although I’m not particularly green-fingered, I’ve learned loads working with him and am excited for the future of his business.

Nicola: Got to agree with Jen; Soilfixer. working with Tony has opened our eyes to the process from conception to delivery of a newly-invented product. Wow.

Is there an industry or sector of the North East business community which you expect to really take off next year?

Jen: I think the digital sector will continue to grow and incorporate more and more clever technologies to improve our communications.

Nicola: The digital sector of which we’re proud to be part.

Yourselves

What was your first job?

Jen: I had all sorts of jobs before and during my university days, from washing dishes, stacking shelves and pouring pints, but my first ‘professional’ job was editing the Students’ Union newspaper.

Nicola: Working with my dad in his shops serving customers. It’s where I learned how to listen to customers.

If you weren’t doing what you do, is there a job you’d love to have?

Jen: Something that involves travelling and writing!

Nicola: I’d still be working for myself in some capacity helping businesses. Or running a cafe. I’ve always wanted to do that. A cafe where you can buy shoes too!

What do you do on Christmas day?

Jen: My Christmases these days are very different to days gone by and each year I tend to do something different – I’ve been abroad, cooked, been out for dinner. This year I’ll be spending time with a very good friend and will probably end up in a pub!

Nicola: I’ll be spending Christmas with my family in a barn in Yorkshire. Can’t wait.

Thanks ladies, enjoy.

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