How Samantha ‘Tailor-made’ her business
She beat Google and Facebook to win award
Businesswoman Samantha Ware talks about her awardwinning enterprise:
Please tell me about yourself
I am a Scarborough girl born and bred. I was brought up in the hospitality industry in the town as my parents owned a hotel in Queen’s Parade, before expanding the business to include a bar and restaurant in Esplanade.
I went to Friarage Primary, Scarborough College, Scarborough Sixth Form College and Hull University Scarborough Campus.
I now live and work in York but enjoy regular visits back to my home town.
Tell me about the business
I founded and launched my digital marketing agency, Tailor-Made Media, in 2017 and I now employ 14 people. It has consistently doubled its turnover, year-on-year, since launch.
My team and I help brands to achieve a competitive edge through creative marketing strategies, graphic design, powerful social media content and digital campaigns. We work with a whole range of local, national and international clients, and are as comfortable delivering global strategies for vitamin brands, as we are in helping local recycling companies to educate their audiences and change opinions.
We have repositioned as Yorkshire’s first sustainable marketing agency and have received recognition for our accomplishments.
How did you start?
I won my first client by attending a tradeshow at the NEC in Birmingham where I spent a day pitching to business owners who were exhibiting.
I walked miles that day – regretting the six-inch heels. I ran the company from the spare room of my flat and, in the early days, I did everything myself – from selling, to invoicing and to delivering the project. Eventually, I was able to afford my first employee and a small office.
What challenges have you faced and how have they difered from challenges faced by men?
Juggling work and family life is a key challenge which I don’t feel is faced by men running businesses to the same degree.
Achieving a balance between family life and business growth, where one does not impact the other, can be difficult. My children are my priority and I don’t feel that men need to make the same choices.
An uninterrupted maternity leave is almost impossible when you are a businesswoman. It was the same with my own mother. I was born in peak holiday season and she would always say she had 50 breakfasts to cook the following day.
Tell me about your team
My team is the best part about my business. The team comprises strategists, graphic designers, copywriters, digital marketing and PR experts, all of whom are working from home at the moment– so we’re spread from Hartlepool to Chester, with employees also in Scarborough, York and Leeds.
How pleasing was it to be commended in the Women in Marketing Awards?
Recognition on an international level was an absolute dream come true, especially considering that previous winners include senior executives from organisations such as Burberry, Google, Facebook and Unilever.