Student and graduate enterprise
Design and marketing company is helping sports clients to thrive
Company
5or6 Design & Marketing Consultancy
Loughborough graduate
Dr Peter Simmons
Ryan McNamara
Loughborough graduates Dr Peter Simmons and Ryan McNamara got off to a flying start when they launched design marketing company 5or6 – their first client was Linford Christie’s sports management firm Nuff Respect.
Peter began getting offers for website work as he approached the conclusion of his PhD at Loughborough, which focused on the effectiveness of websites in influencing decision-making.
“As Ryan was looking for work, I passed the jobs over and we started to get more and more, until we realised there was enough work to start up a company,’’ he explained.
Peter and Ryan enrolled on a Flying Start course, designed to help new graduates turn their business ideas into a reality by answering some common start-up questions.
The company now offers website design, graphic design and social-media marketing to businesses and the sports industry. It aims to be at the cutting-edge of technology which helps clients to grow their own profile.
5or6 currently employs three people but has already worked with a host of well-known athletes, including Andy Turner, Mo Farah and Marcos Alonso, as well as Linford Christie.
“We enjoy the freedom that working for yourself gives you and the ability to contribute directly to the market. We have the freedom to select the jobs we take on and produce the very best for our clients,’’ said Peter.
Peter and Ryan are looking forward to seeing what work will develop from the Olympic Games next year and have plans to move, while maintaining their client base in Loughborough.
Having negotiated the steep learning curve of starting a successful business, the graduates have this advice for budding entrepreneurs: “Take in as much advice and help as you can but make your own decisions on what’s right for you to move forward.’’