Happycry

It was over coffee that Paul Swindell (27) and Will McClellan (24) decided to make a difference in the web and graphic design world for themselves.

As graduates from Liverpool John Moores University in 2008, Paul and Will weren't 100% happy in their current jobs, and a quick flutter with the idea of running their own design studio quickly turned into a fully-fledged plan.

Will says "I'm sure a lot of people, like we did, think you need a huge amount of money and experience to start a business, but that's not strictly true. Experience is a great thing, but it doesn't just come with age, it comes with working in your industry. So, we thought ‘why not give it a shot' while we had the flexibility to do so".

Happycry, a Liverpool based web design and branding studio, was launched in 2009, and helps small businesses and start-ups get noticed by developing their brand, graphic and website design.

Paul tells us "We try to encourage our clients to get involved in the design process and work with us to create ideas. They know their business better than anyone so not being involved isn't really an option."

And the current economic client hasn't prevented Happycry from going from strength to strength. With a well established client base, consistent work load and successful pitches to larger clients, they have been able to build a good reputation and secure a wide variety of projects to add to their portfolio.

Will added "It's always difficult when you're a new business with no track record, but, funnily enough, we think the recession opened up opportunities for us. Clients who previously might have gone for the safety of a bigger, more established company were willing to take a punt on us. More often than not, we let the quality of our work do the talking. And it seems to be working for us.

"Stepclever helped analyse our business plan and we have used their network to identify and resolve vital issues for us, such as suitable office space. They also provided us with additional funding which was used to purchase equipment that in turn benefited the quality of our work and our workflow. We have already recommended Stepclever to businesses in the area and know that the support on offer has helped us to get to where we are today."

For more information about Happycry to www.happycry.co.uk or call 0151 909 4007.