This is a read-aloud of an article I published announcing the opening of my business, Alan Grant Communications. The article is here and is replicated below.
When I last wrote about my working life, it was in Trying not to make a complete job hunt of it, a title I’m still more proud of than I should be.
In that piece, I talked about how no longer having a nine-to-five to drag myself to felt like having almost too much choice. Deciding what to do next was the hardest bit.
Since then, a lot has changed.
From a state of option paralysis, I whittled down a list of the best possible ways forward. From that, I decided that now was the time to do what I’ve always wanted to do - take the skills, experience, and talents I’ve amassed in a decade spent doing what I love and do it under my own name.
I’m happy to announce that Alan Grant Communications is open for business.
Setting up has been an interesting, compelling, and occasionally bewildering experience but it’s been worth it. I’ve received some amazing help and guidance, from friends, former colleagues, mentors, and from the great folks at Business Gateway. All of which has been brilliant.
I’ve started working with my first client and there are some very cool things in the pipeline for later. I can’t wait to get stuck in.
If you’ve read this far, you’re interested. Let me tell you more.
I’ve been in this game for a decade. I’ve been a key part of two of Scotland’s top PR companies and I’ve worked in press for the UK Government and the Scottish Parliament. I’ve written for almost every top publication there is and offered my take on every platform out there. If it’s in politics, journalism, or communications, I can do it.
My goal is simple.
I give you the words you need when you need them.
It’s that easy.
No huge strategy documents that you’ll pretend to read purely to make the emails stop.
No endless piles of research that succeed only in proving how many trees have died.
No pointless meetings that could have been email chains.
No jargon. Ever.
None of that.
With me, you get what you pay for.
In a decade in this brilliant industry, I’ve honed the way I work down to four key principles that set me apart. They run through everything I do:
Brevity (Keep it short)
Don’t waste words
Clarity (Keep it clear)
Say what you mean. Jargon belongs in the bin.
Necessity (Keep it needed)
Customers get what they want. Not piles of waste paper and emails that go straight into the bin
Creativity (Keep it new)
Cliche and ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ thinking belong in the bin
Based on these principles, I’ve developed a list of services.
You can retain me on a contract basis, buy a single service, or hire me for a set period or project. It’s up to you and is as flexible as you need it to be.
If you need a press officer to cover a gap in your team, a writer for an opinion piece at short notice, a public affairs expert to guide you through the mazes at Holyrood and Westminster, or someone to edit your copy - I can help you.
My services are divided into three categories: Writing Room, Press Office, andPolitical Campaigns.
You can buy a single product from me or retain me to handle their media enquiries and proactive press work.
Writing Room
Press Releases
Comments and Statements
Opinion articles
Website content
Social media content
Proofreading
Editing
Press Office
This full service allows you to retain an experienced press officer to handle your stories and incoming queries. You can hire me for an event, for a fixed period, to deal with a crisis, or on a rolling basis.
Political Campaigns
Are you having trouble navigating local government, Holyrood, or Westminster? I can help you get in front of who you need to be and come armed with what they need to hear from you.
I’m very excited about taking this next step and being able to offer this new style of working to companies, organisations, and individuals who want to step up their comms game.
If you find the process of things more reassuring than actually doing them, then there are other companies for you.
If being tied up in lengthy contracts full of spurious guff and calendars full of meetings is your jam, please do go elsewhere.
If the same old, tired, steam-powered approach works for you, I wish you well (to an extent).
But, if you want to get noticed, if you just want what works, and if you believe in keeping things brief, clear, necessary, and creative - please do get in touch. You sound like my kind of person.
My website is currently in development (more on that soon) but my diary is open and I’m accepting new clients.
You can reach me on 07833209171 or at alangrantwrites@gmail.com.
Podcast 1: Hoping my new boss knows what he's doing