I am Carl Phillips, Managing Director of The PMC. I’ve been working in the marketing and tech sectors here in Manchester for the past 15 years, with a recent focus on the sustainability space. Coming from a design and development agency background, I now run a fantastic boutique agency. We work as fractional digital consultants for a brilliant range of companies, from artisan gin brands, Deep B2B sustainability companies and household names. A significant part of our work involves highly detailed technical builds, ranging from complex enterprise websites to internal applications for Blue Chips.
What inspires you?
Professionally, there is nothing quite like seeing a complex project through to completion and delivering something you can be genuinely proud of. More importantly, it’s about the measurable difference we make for our clients. We recently partnered with a fantastic company, and following our work, their revenue increased significantly, enabling them to hire four or five new team members in just three months. Seeing our work have that kind of real-world, material impact on great people is incredibly rewarding.
Have you made any memorable connections at Venture Café Manchester?
I’ve made nothing but fantastic connections at Venture Café. Everyone I meet is doing something innovative, and there’s never quite enough time to delve into all the fascinating projects happening in the room. One of the most memorable connections happened within my first five minutes of attending. I was just grabbing a slice of pizza, and before I could even put my bag down, I found myself deep in conversation with a venture-backed start-up looking to develop a complex app. It turned into a brilliant lead that I entirely didn’t expect.
Tell us more about your current role and its impact on the Greater Manchester start-up ecosystem.
Having been in the tech industry for a while and having worked with clients across a vast range of sectors, I always find it fascinating to connect with new people. The Greater Manchester start-up scene is incredibly vibrant right now; there are so many people with brilliant ideas and a genuinely supportive ecosystem behind them. I honestly wouldn’t want to be starting a company anywhere else in the UK.
At The PMC, while our primary focus isn’t exclusively on nurturing start-ups, as a progressive company, we intentionally dedicate time each week to speak with and support early-stage founders. Whether it’s pointing them in the right direction or facilitating a connection within another industry, I enjoy helping where we can. It’s always brilliant to see how rapidly these companies can develop with the right early support.
How would you describe your experience at Venture Café Manchester and its impact on your organisation?
It is simply a lovely environment to step into after a day’s work. It’s invigorating to be in a room with like-minded people, having a beer and some food, and really getting into the details of what everyone is working on. Having spaces like this is a massive help. When I was first starting out, I worked from home a lot and didn’t get out much; events like this are crucial for meeting other entrepreneurs and checking in on one another. For me, the opportunity to bounce ideas around and listen to excellent speakers always gives me something to bring back into the business. It highlights new approaches to try, introduces people to reach out to, and reveals opportunities I wouldn’t be aware of otherwise.
What are your biggest successes or most fulfilling moments?
I’m not always one for looking back on successes, but from a business perspective, I think every milestone is fulfilling in its own way. In the early days, simply building a company that paid the mortgage felt like my biggest achievement. Today, we are working with major brands, which completely supersedes those early goals. It’s important to celebrate the wins, big or small. As we continue to grow, the most fulfilling aspect is having the opportunity to build a company that is genuinely pleasant to work for, a place that treats its staff fairly and where we get to deliver cool work. That brings me a great deal of joy.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Remain humble, listen carefully, take in as much advice as you can, and then learn how best to filter out the noise. Know exactly what you are selling and keep a very tight rein on the commercials. Vanity projects and large offices might feel great in the short term, but unexpected costs always arise. Keep as much capital in the business as you can until you have reliable, committed income. Also, get outside and touch some grass.