DRAGONS’ den star James Caan has enlisted the help of a Holywell design agency to develop a new app revealing his top business secrets.
Daydream Designs, which is owned by husband and wife, Sian and Rob Saunders, and based in Greenfield Business Centre, has just launched ‘James Caan Business Secrets’, via The App Store on behalf of the top entrepreneur and television personality.
Over the last few months, the team at the creative agency, which specialises in marketing, branding, design and web development, has been working with James to create the free app aimed at businesses of all shapes and sizes.
It covers a vast array of topics and tips from hiring the right people and getting the most from your team to the importance of networking to grow your business and how to best ‘exit’ a business.
The content is accompanied by short videos from the man himself who is the founder and CEO of Hamilton Bradshaw, based in London’s Mayfair, which specialises in buyouts, venture capital, turnarounds and real estate investment in the UK.
James first contacted Daydream Designs around five years ago for help with a marketing and branding campaign around a management training programme he was running for recruitment agencies.
He had heard good things about the firm, which has an eight-strong team, via the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce of which they are members. One of the chamber’s other members knew James’ PA Sian Willett and recommended they all got in touch.
As a keen supporter of small business and impressed with their work, he has since asked the firm to help him with several projects, including the latest design, build and launch of the new app.
The firm has further benefitted from the partnership because James has gone on to recommend Daydream Designs to other businesses within the recruitment sector who they have gone on to work with.
James said: “Small businesses like Daydream Designs are vitally important to the communities they are based in, providing jobs and opportunities which may not otherwise exist. They can often bring a really fresh and unique take on something or a different solution to a challenge. They are quick to react and you deal directly with a small team who are all invested in your work together. This is why I enjoy linking up with small business for some projects and Daydream Designs are no exception.”
He added: “Sian, Rob and their team work hard and care about doing a great job for their client. I know they are skilled at what they do, highly professional and they brought their own creative perspective to the app project which was great. I am extremely pleased with the finished result. It’s been a terrific, collaborative project to work on together and I would have no hesitation in recommending them.”
Sian, who is a mother-of-two and born and brought up in Holywell, said: “I felt very flattered for the team to be asked by James to work on this with him and I feel it is a brilliant endorsement of the reputation we have built up with him.
“James is a very dynamic and fair person to work with who really takes our ideas on board. Right from the start of the app project, he made me feel as if he trusted our judgement and capability. He was always keen to see and hear what we thought which gave us a lot of confidence and he gave us the freedom to put our own personal creative mark on the app which we enjoyed. He is really approachable and easy to talk to.
“He can be all over the world, when I speak to him – it might be Monaco one minute and Thailand the next so the time difference can throw up challenges. I have spoken to him early morning with curlers in my hair on more than one occasion!
“Our meetings are conducted via Skype or Zoom which is the beauty of things today. Being based in beautiful North Wales is not a barrier for working with people all over the world.
“I think James likes to work with small businesses like ours because he likes to work directly with those who are ultimately responsible for the work. I think he appreciates how responsive we are and the high standard of our work which is the same, no matter how big or small the company is that we are working for.”
Sian’s husband Rob added: “I think he values our team’s creative input and opinion and I think we enjoy the fact we are encouraged to put our stamp on it which is definitely how we felt with the Business Secrets app project. That feels very positive for us.”
Sian added: “I am proud of the fact that we are a very creative, small, rural, North Wales agency who is able to deal confidently and effectively with big players like James Caan. We manage some big brands at Daydream Designs but to us, all clients are the same and deserve the same standard of work.
“It doesn’t matter how big or high profile your business is, we will apply the same high standards and energy to each and every job.”
Daydream Designs have been designing and developing bespoke apps for clients for the past four years and the team have seen a growing demand for them.
Sian said: “They need to look eye-catching and professional but it is also crucial to always think about the functionality of it – who is using it and how are they going to use it.”
She said she was pleased with the final app design for James Caan and proud to have worked on this latest project with one of the UK’s most successful businessman and mentors.
Her client James is also happy with the finished product and added: “I hope it will give a really good and varied insight into some of the wide-reaching challenges they might face, with useful tips on how best to tackle them.
“I think Daydream Designs have helped me to lay out some of the important experience and information I have gathered over my years in business in an extremely accessible way, which I hope will be really useful to all those entrepreneurs out there who download it and use the advice.”
Daydream Designs was set up in 2006 and its team, which includes designers, web developers, an illustrator and a photographer, work with clients across various sectors including popular well-known businesses and organisations such as Chester Zoo, Celtic Spirit, the Diocese of St Asaph and West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce.
To contact Daydream Designs, go to www.daydreamdesigns.co.uk or call 01352 631025.
