Ben Harris, formerly with big names in advertising such as Ogilvy Worldwide, Publicis and AMD Advertising, set up New Brand Vision in 2002, an agency that develops marketing strategies for start-ups and small businesses.

Harris is in an enthusiastic mood – turnover has doubled in the last year, the business will soon be relocating to modern offices in London’s trendy Shoreditch and he is in talks to partner with a retail bank to launch New Brand Vision’s services.

‘We’ve grown the business by 150 per cent and although the new premises will be a big overhead to bear, it’s the right time to move, seal our presence and make us more accessible,’ asserts Harris.

Although the business only employs five people (much of the work is outsourced), Harris admits that recruitment has been his biggest headache to date.

‘I’m quite particular about people and company culture. I hated being in a company where the manager’s attitude is that “you can do what you want but you can’t be better than me.” This can be very frustrating. No-one at New Brand Vision has any limits – people can take on as much responsibility as possible. I need to ensure my staff are dynamic,’ stresses Harris.