Spring has sprung and it’s not just flowers that are popping up and blooming but businesses too, with new businesses springing up here at Crawley Innovation Centre. Layercake is the latest organisation to join our community and we sat down with Founder and CEO Damian Watson to tell us how they help membership organisations use data and technology to boost retention, deepen engagement and fuel growth and why Crawley Innovation Centre was the right place for them.
Q. Can you tell us what led you to start Layercake and how business has been going?
Layercake grew out of a simple frustration I’d seen over many years working with membership organisations. They collect huge amounts of data but often struggle to turn it into clear decisions about growth, engagement and member value.
I started Layercake to help bridge that gap by combining strategy, data insight and technology so organisations can make smarter decisions about how they grow. In the short time we’ve been building the business it’s been exciting to see how that focus on data has opened up wider opportunities. As we’ve worked with associations and professional bodies, we’ve been helping them not only understand their data but also shape growth, digital and commercial strategy, improve customer experience, develop learning offers and explore new products.
It’s been a fast-moving start and we’re really enjoying helping organisations turn insight into practical action.
Q. If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently when setting up a business?
I might think twice about the timing. Starting a business while you have three teenagers heading into exams, a dog that thinks it runs the household and a mortgage probably isn’t the most relaxed life decision. But in reality there’s never a perfect moment to start something. If anything, it’s reinforced how important it is to surround yourself with good people. Building a strong network of collaborators and partners has made the journey much more enjoyable and a lot more sustainable.
Q. Why was it important to you and your business to be based at Crawley Innovation Centre?
For a growing business like ours, the environment you work in really matters. Crawley Innovation Centre offers much more than office space. It provides business support and a community of people building and growing their companies.
One of the things that really appealed to me was that it is part of a wider network of innovation centres across the UK, which means you are connected into a much broader community of businesses. That network and support was a big factor in choosing to base Layercake here and even in the short time we have been here it is already proving valuable.
If you would like to join Layercake and be part of our business community then you can book a tour by completing our contact us form here.