Northumbria Business Clinic graduate boosts North East insurance broker’s online presence

A graduate from Northumbria University has boosted a North East insurance broker’s approach to digital marketing after shining bright during a business consultancy project.

Freddie Wilkinson moved to Newcastle in 2015 to pursue his interest in Business Studies at Northumbria University’s globally recognised Business School. In his final year, he signed up to the award winning Business Clinic to work with NC Insurance to address a real business issue.

Located in Gateshead and renowned across the region for its industry expertise, NC Insurance provides bespoke packages and forward-thinking risk management advice for businesses and individuals looking for cost effective insurance solutions.

With marketing becoming a vital tool for businesses to reach customers in the digital age, the company had been reviewing its business goals with the aim of developing its online presence. The firm initially approached The Business Clinic at Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School in 2015 to discuss its goals and whether they could support them.

After working with NC Insurance and impressing Operations Director Mark Burdett during the consultancy project Freddie was offered an internship with NC Insurance and was tasked with improving the firm's digital presence.

Freddie’s weekly tasks included SEO optimisation, implementing meta descriptions and creating online blog content to drive organic traffic to NC Insurance’s website.

Former Northumbria University graduate, Freddie Wilkinson, said: “Working with Mark and the team at NC Insurance was a great opportunity to put into practice the skills and lessons I had learned at Northumbria University."

The Business Clinic is an amazing opportunity that gives students a taste of the business world with real, valuable experience.”

Mark Burdett, Operations Director at NC Insurance, is delighted with the strong relationship that has developed with Northumbria University’s Business Clinic. He said: “The Business Clinic is a superb initiative that mutually benefits local businesses and students looking to gain experience by applying their tuition in a professional workplace.

“Freddie joined our team after impressing us during his final year project at The Business Clinic and immediately made a huge impact on our marketing strategy. From creating bespoke SEO content and online articles, Freddie delivered upon a wonderful array of suggestions that saved us thousands of pounds, attracted new business, and allowed us to progress our business quicker than expected.

“Freddie is a great example of the outcomes from the work of The Business Clinic. The fantastic team are massively invested in supporting both students and businesses throughout the project. They are providing an invaluable service to the local community that not only gives talented youngsters an opportunity to shine, but also helps to keep money in the local economy with a free service that would usually cost thousands of pounds.”

The Business Clinic is a dynamic educational scheme that has quickly gained a strong reputation for its outstanding work that benefits both students and the North East economy.

Supervised by experienced tutors, students are invited to examine a real-world business dilemma and consider possible solutions, before providing a detailed report and full presentation of their recommendations to the client.

Since its inception in 2013, the pioneering Business Clinic has provided businesses from across the region with free student-led consultancy advice to some 600 clients, with an estimated value of £3.3 million.

Nigel Coates, Director of the Business Clinic for Northumbria University, said: “Our relationship that started in 2015 with NC Insurance, and is ongoing; is a fantastic example of the University and a local organisation collaborating to enrich the lives of students and enable local enterprises to succeed.

“Freddie’s work has made a major impact on NC Insurance’s marketing model and it’s exciting to see talented students use their education to solve real-world business issues to great effect.

“The Business Clinic is continuing to go from strength to strength, and we’re delighted to offer our students the opportunity to work directly with leaders across a range of businesses, from SMEs and multinationals, through to not-for-profit organisations and more. The scheme not only enhances the learning experience and the employability skills of our students but also delivers considerable benefits for our clients. We are proud to be very much part of the North East business support eco-system.

“We’re constantly looking to help even more businesses across the region and look forward to collaborating with new organisations interested in free assistance from The Business Clinic.”

To find out more about free consultancy support, please visit The Business Clinic.