Meet Rosie Davies-Smith, founder of PR Dispatch
I am Rosie Davies-Smith, the director of UK's first affordable PR platform, PR Dispatch, which is dedicated to supporting independent brands do their own PR. The platform was launched in 2017 and gives product-based businesses the tools, guidance and contacts needed to DIY their own PR from just £53 per month. My aim is to make PR accessible and affordable to thousands of independent brands.
What inspired you to launch your business and what is the end goal?
I would say my father. I was very young when my dad started his business. In the beginning it was just him and my mum, running the show from our lounge. Over the years, it grew into multiple warehouses and a bigger team. However, it wasn’t the size of the business that I was drawn to but the fact that he had created something from ground zero and the independence that came with doing your own thing. So as a child I knew that I wanted to run my own business when I grew up.
After finishing a textile degree at university, I tried my hand at a few fashion businesses that never took off.Truth be told, I wasn’t very good at designing.
PR happened by accident during an internship with an independent brand, Lowie, in 2011. I was given the task of pitching their products to the press. After weeks of cold calling, I got results and Lowie got coverage in the press. So, I convinced them to pay me for one day of the week to carry on doing their PR. They started to recommend me to other independent brands. Two years later, I founded LFA and PR Dispatch was born in 2017.
I got into PR without any experience and now almost 11 years later, my team and I are teaching over 300 small businesses how to do their own PR.
The end goal is to make PR affordable and accessible for independent brands and product-based businesses around the world that want to pitch to the UK Press. We already have over 300 monthly members and have supported thousands of brands with PR over the past 4 years.
How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?
We really were the first business to make PR affordable. PR Agencies normally charge upwards of £1000 to do PR for you. But as a business owner, it excludes you from the process. We charge £59 per month and give the tools and contacts businesses need to do their own PR. But we are also giving them life-long learning and skills so they can fly solo and make decisions that work best for their business.
Although we were the first to make PR affordable, it’s important not to get complacent. We’ve recently had our business model, process, wording and more copied by another PR membership business. At first I panicked as it’s taken us years to get to where we are as a leader in the product PR space. But then I realised what sets us apart is that we never stand still, we are constantly evolving and improving and these decisions are made based on what our customers tell us.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
Sometimes you have to say no, in order to keep going. I know it sounds counterintuitive but saying no to ‘bigger clients’ whose values don’t align with you, or saying no to more money for quick, short-term projects will give you the time and focus needed to develop products and services for the longer haul. It is important to not just look at immediate gains as those are short-lived. Rather, focus on the bigger picture and work towards creating something stable and sustainable. And for that, you will have to turn a few things down.
What are your thoughts on failure?
Failures are absolutelynecessary. Without failing you can never learn. It’s how you deal with failure that matters. Where did we go wrong? What could we have done differently
If you could be in a room with 4 entrepreneurs, who would they be and why?
Sharmadean Reid, the founder of Wah Nail, Beauty Stack and The Stack world. I did a workshop with her before on PR a few years ago and she was a powerhouse on stage and really inspiring to be around.
Amanda Perry, founder of Soup Agency and The Ecom Growth Hub – I’ve worked with Amanda for over a year and she is an absolute expert in the ecommerce field. We’ve never actually met in person so I would love to have a wine with her and she’d get on with Shar really well.
Whitney Wolf, founder of Bumble. She’s built an incredible business despite having all the odds against her when leaving Tinder.
Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. If you haven’t listened to her ‘How I built this’ podcast, you should. She’s hard not to love.
What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?
You can’t please everyone so, it’s important to say no!
Secondly, be original. It’s alright to be inspired by an existing idea or model but you have to put your unique spin on it. Else, why would anyone put their money on you instead of sticking to that existing idea? Think about what is your USP, what sets you apart?
Lastly, success doesn’t come overnight but if you believe in yourself and your idea, put in the hard work and take failures on your chin, it will happen.
What’s the single most important decision that you made, that contributed to your business?
To switch from an ‘agency’ model with LFA, to a ‘subscription-based’ model with PR Dispatch. I knew the benefits of subscription models but it took me years to take the plunge. At the time I was still running the agency with clients paying a couple of thousand pounds every month for our services. PR Dispatch sells that information, secrets and more on ‘how to do PR’ to smaller businesses for just £59 per month. When I launched PR Dispatch and put the power in the hands of the brands everything fell into place. The business was easier to run, the cash flow was stable, the team were less stressed, I was less stressed as losing a member who paid £59 per month versus someone who paid £3000 was easier to deal with, especially when we have over 300 members at PR Dispatch.
I could go on holiday without taking my laptop as clients didn’t need me at all hours; I even took maternity leave and read books. Launching a subscription business not only doubled our turnover and profit but instantly we all found work and life much more enjoyable.
How did you conquer those moments of doubt that so often affect entrepreneurs or stop many with great ideas – what pushes you through?
Self belief is of utmost importance. If you don’t believe in yourself and your idea, why should someone else? I am dyslexic—as a kid I struggled at school. But I had a curious mind and knew from a young age that I wanted to work for myself. Sure, running a business comes with its share of ups and downs despite doing it for several years. Like all of us, I also panic in the face of a setback but I pick myself up and get hustling again. In moments of doubt, it helps to look at our members who are happy with the service we provide, and my team that comes to work every day with all the motivation they can muster. Just that tells me that I am on the right path.
What’s the most important question entrepreneurs should be asking themselves?
What product or service people need? If your business is a vanity or passion project then you won’t be able to sustain it. You need to see if there is a gap in the market and whether you are capable of filling that gap.
What are your responsibilities as a business owner?
I want to create an original product or service that is needed, and do it with as much integrity as possible. I want to look after my team as it is my backbone. I am able to juggle work and motherhood because of the support I receive from them. We have a very relaxed work environment – work from, flexible hours and half day on Fridays. I spend a good deal of time in sharing feedback and setting goals. We have regular socials and brand development days.
Lastly, I want to be constantly innovating and evolving. The world doesn’t stand still so neither should a business.
What do you think gives a brand longevity?
You need to listen to your customers, even the ones that don’t say charitable things. That will give you new ideas to implement and offer a better service.
