INNOVATORS VS COVID 19

Digital Marketing through the Covid Pandemic

Published

3 years ago

04/17/2021

Kossi Adzo

James Nathan of Market Jar tells us how Covid-19 affected digital marketing.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times?

James Nathan: Great! The moral was low, to begin with, but all good now!

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded Market Jar.

James Nathan: My entrepreneurial seed was planted early.

At university, I bought paintball guns at discounted rates and resold them to students at a price that undercut the online sellers. Orders were flowing well until a prospective student got fired at (not me) by a student, and the university suggested that I cease selling on the grounds.

Undeterred, I went onto cut my teeth in the service industry, enjoying stints as a chef in a Michelin star restaurant, as a ski instructor, a charity worker and a tennis racket salesman, but my heart wasn’t in working for others.

Today, being a serial entrepreneur, I am the founder of several London-based businesses, including digital marketing agency Market Jar (est. 2017), award-winning organic wine platform Pull The Cork (est. 2018 – now sold), and small-batch wine retailer & wholesaler Plonk Wine Co (est. 2020).

With my proven track record of showing intuitive foresight for emerging trends and leveraging this for the benefit of others, I am on a mission to gain recognition all over by providing businesses with a powerful ROI.

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your business finances?

James Nathan: The coronavirus pandemic has actually been a godsend for Market Jar, I have managed to get deep down and personal with my clients, getting to know their businesses and their needs stronger than ever before.

Did you have to make difficult choices regarding human resources, and what are the lessons learned?

James Nathan: No, I have always been ok in regards to the staff, it’s a small business, and my staff know what the end game is.

Did you benefit from any government grants, and did that help keep your business afloat?

James Nathan: We took a bounce back loan, which we are in the process of re-paying, we lost a couple of key customers at the beginning of the pandemic, so this really helped.