Gareth Phoenix, owner of Cheshire-based Gentlemen’s Practice, explains why the business should win the marketing and PR category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition.
Gentlemen’s Practice is an online store for men’s accessories such as ties, watches and bracelets.
As a former model, I’ve always had a passion for fashion and accessories, so after sourcing products from all over the world, I decided to build my own website and use this as a means to sell them.
I created the logo before I came up with the name as I wanted to play on my initials, and I always wanted a crest to portray that regal essence of the modern gentleman. The wings are that of the phoenix, which is my family name.
We aim to provide great-looking pieces that make outfits into “stand-outfits”, which are presented in purpose-made boxes. The idea is to provide these at an affordable price.
We currently only market on social media, reaching over 8,000 followers through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to promote products or offers with eye-catching photos and quirky slogans, all taken and edited on an iPhone 6.
We also run a weekly newsletter which is very popular and has proven to be a great resource in encouraging customers to return. We launched on 1 June and have gone from strength to strength ever since.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
