Youth marketing firm that is turning convention on its head

Phil Batty, Alumnus

Phil Batty founded his company ‘Force-7’ in May 2006, as part of a Young Enterprise program with twelve other pupils at Hymers College in Hull.

It is a marketing company that has turned convention on its head. It is staffed entirely by 16-24 year-olds and yet it provides a full-service marketing, research and digital agency, specialising in youth communication.

Now the company, which won the HSBC Innovation Awards in 2007, is a successful business with 11 full-time and 21 part time-employees. The company has continually grown, now holding several high-profile clients including the British Red Cross, British Heart Foundation and PDSA. Phil expects the business will turn over £1 million in 2011. Here we interview Phil about progress so far:

What was the biggest challenge you faced while setting up your company?

‘There were several challenges I faced while trying to setting up Force-7 ltd’ says Philip.

‘Firstly, the transition from a young enterprise company to one that could be viewed as a successful company in its own right was tricky and the balancing of friendships with the ambition to drive the company forward added an extra dimension to the challenge.’

‘Secondly, when I started taking Force-7 on following the end of school, I persuaded my parents to let me take a gap-year by telling them that I had got a job at a different marketing firm. In reality though what I was doing was continuing to develop Force-7. I didn’t end up telling them for the better part of the year, until my dad thought he was going to meet with who he thought was my boss!!’

What skills do you feel you developed through the YE programme? Did feel that you were more prepared to enter the world of work, having participated in Young Enterprise?

 ‘When I started Young Enterprise, I had never studied business, economics or anything of the sort and I was doubtful whether I would end up in the business world, but the hands-on, style of learning that YE provided, furnished me the skills that allowed me to take Force-7 from concept to profitable company. I learnt to pitch, to sell, the essentials of communications and managing a team and most of all it inspired me and gave me the drive to become an entrepreneur’

Are you still Involved with Young Enterprise?

 ‘I am still a business mentor with Young Enterprise and I really enjoy getting involved and helping new generations of Young Enterprise kids set up and run their, often exciting and inspiring, new businesses.’

 ‘In a professional regard, I also see Young Enterprise as a brilliant experience to have listed on a CV, which especially in these hard times is invaluable. We have several employees that have been through the program and we feel it helps them come through with the right skills and attitude to succeed in business.

How do you anticipate the company developing in the future? Force-7  will continue to grow in the coming years, further establishing itself as a leader in yout marketing, but the key dogma of Force-7 is that it is based on youth and as I am getting older I will hopefully pass on the reins to someone younger coming through.