DMU graduate launches business and offers his advice to entrepreneurs

Former De Montfort University student Simon Davey has launched his business Phalanx Marketing Ltd after graduating with a first-class degree in Business and Management.

The graduate said: “The business is a social media marketing agency, we create and implement strategies to put on our client’s social media platforms to drive customers to their websites.”

He also explained how DMU played a role in helping him decide to start a business, which he launched last month.

“I studied entrepreneurship in my first year, where we did a project called ‘Foxes Lair’, which involved coming up with an idea and pitching it to entrepreneurs and that got me into wanting to start my own service.”

Early starts haven’t been uncommon to Simon, who has been putting in long hours to try and gain the best start possible for his business.

“My alarm goes off at 6.30am every day, I’ll start working around 8am and then that’ll go on until 9pm at night.”

Simon also offered advice for those who may want to start their own business.

“I knew what I was going to do, the sooner you realise what you are doing and what you want to do in life, the more time you have to work on it.

Everyone is good at one thing, figure out what that one thing is, then focus on it.”

He also revealed how he deals with scepticism and what he meant by tweeting ‘I hear it all, it just doesn’t matter to me.’

“People are saying that maybe starting my own business wasn’t the best of ideas, or that it’ll never kick off, but the harder you try, the more likely you are to succeed.

I listen to what people are saying, I take it on board, but I’m not going to not do something I want to do because someone doesn’t see why I’m doing it.”

The 22-year-old has a large vision for the future of the business, and although currently operating independently, he would be open to branching out when the time is right.

“In around five years time I’m aiming to have my own office space and service clients up and down the country.

“I’m also aiming to have multiple trained employees who are also social media experts and to be comfortably profitable.”

You can follow Simon’s progress with Phalanx Marketing Ltd on his website.