Handle Your Own PR’ is a Do it Yourself PR alternative for small businesses who can’t afford agency fees.
IPitch: What problem is your business trying to solve?
Handle Your Own PR: We had a PR business that specialised in small businesses, start ups and entrepreneurs. Over the years we realised there were lost of businesses that had a great new product or service, they needed publicity and the media would probably love their idea, but they simply couldn’t afford agency fees. We decided to offer an online DIY PR alternative where we offer free advice as to how to run a PR campaign as well as selling downloadable media contact lists and offering a press release writing service.
IPitch: How long have you been in business for?
Handle Your Own PR: We launched the site www.handleyourownpr.com.au in March 2009 but it was a very simple site at that stage. Over the last 12 months we have reinvested in the site and have had a new design, extensive CMS and a data management system put in place. The site was effectively relaunched in March 2010.
IPitch: Who are the founders and what are their backgrounds?
Handle Your Own PR: HYOPR was created by Simone Heydon and Jules Brooke in Melbourne and later joined by Rod Brandenburg and Larry Hedges. Rod is the ex CFO of Webjet and Atex and Larry Hedges is the ex-Chairman and founding partner of www.brewtopia.com.au.
Jules Brooke
Jules spent ten years in advertising sales (press) before moving into the graphic design industry where she was a founding partner in a successful graphic design company before going on to hold senior management positions in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) and in London.
Now she is an entrepreneur. Jules set up the ‘traditional’ PR agency, Handle Communications in 2003 and was joined by Simone in 2005. After many years working with small clients, the two women set up Handle Your Own PR in 2009 for people who need PR but may not have the funds to employ an agency and are happy to do the hard work themselves.
Simone Heydon
Simone began her career working at DDB Needham on many ‘below the line’ projects including sales promotion, sampling and events for companies like Cadbury Schweppes, Bertolli, Cottees and The Australian Dairy Corporation.
In 1998 Simone joined Communicado Marketing Communications. For four years she managed sales promotions, point of sale and marketing material production and public relations campaigns for blue chip companies. Simone became a partner at Handle Communications in 2005 and works across all clients and facets of the business.
IPitch: How much traction do you have in the market?
Handle Your Own PR: We have definitely made some noise in the market place. Our PR experience has allowed us to ‘PR the DIY PR business’ quite a bit. We’ve had a lot of exposure in business press over the last year.
The site is now live and trading successfully with sales in its first four months ahead of expectations. We have approx 50 lists available with an average of 20 – 25 contacts per list. We are looking to build this inventory. We have minimal fixed costs other than site and list maintenance and have already achieved No 1 Google position on the search term DIY PR and are growing in other key word categories.
The most exciting development has been our launch in the US. The HandleYourOwnPR.com site went live a couple of weeks ago. We have found a great business partner in the States, Jennifer Finke, who is running the US arm. This in turn allows us to sell US media lists to Australians and Aussie lists to Americans. We are very excited about the potential growth of this business. We are looking at expanding to the UK next and are in negotiations with a potential partner.
In 2011 we hope to increase the number of international partners, and we are looking to expand into Canada, South Africa and perhaps India.
IPitch: What’s the end goal / exit strategy for your business?
Handle Your Own PR: Our clear intention is to build up a global business that will be bought out by either a large PR firm (this model picks up those businesses that it is not cost effective to service) or some other business in a media-related field. The HYOPR model provides pretty much passive/hands free income as long as the site is marketed and the media contacts are kept up to date. It would be easy for it to be transferred to another owner.
IPitch: Are you looking to raise money?
Handle Your Own PR: Yes. We need funds to develop the website further, help us with global expansion and pay marketing and social media agency fees.
IPitch: What does an ideal investor look like to you?
Handle Your Own PR: Our investor will ideally love the business concept and offer advice if requested but otherwise they leave us to get on with the job of building the business. Media or IT background would be a positive but is not necessary. The opportunities are extensive as the model is rolled out globally.
IPitch: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt OR ‘one piece of advice’ – you have about running a Startup?
Handle Your Own PR: You need to have a passion and determination for the business that will drive you when things aren’t turning out the way you expect. The journey will often twist and turn in totally unexpected and unpredictable ways but if you have your eye firmly focused on the end goal, you will get there in the end. There may also be people who don’t like your idea or think it won’t work and you have to ignore them and keep persevering!
IPitch: Have you come across any resources that you think are just awesome, and you’d like to share with other Australian Startups. If so, what are they?
Handle Your Own PR: Well, obviously we would like to suggest www.handleyourownpr.com.au for people wanting cost effective marketing! We also LOVE www.sourcebottle.com.au where the media post requests for interview subjects or products to review (and it’s free!). I highly recommend involvement with www.pitchclub.com and www.thehive.org.au for entrepreneurial networking and investor pitching opportunities in the flesh. And of course, ipitch!
IPitch: Is there an opportunity you’re looking for to bring your Startup to the next level?
Handle Your Own PR: We need an investor. We are seeking $150,000 - $250,000 in exchange for 10 – 20% of the business. Based on current forecasts the business has a 5 year NPV of over $7 million based on a 20% return and thus the investment is currently discounted significantly. The cash raised is to be used to accelerate off and online marketing and PR of the business, development of further list inventory and costs associated with the completion of the international agreements.
Upon signing an NDA a complete business plan including financial forecasts can be provided to facilitate further discussions.
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