A TEENAGE Coventry entrepreneur who started out by creating a YouTube channel when he was just 12 has moved his ‘Geeka Media’ business to bigger offices and taken on three members of staff.
James Cousins was a pupil at Caludon Castle School in Wyken when he started his page on the video sharing website.
Now 19, his company has carved out a niche in creating online tech videos and social media content and his clients include Intel, Samsung and ASUS.
He took out some office space at the Business Innovation Centre in Binley and has hired two video editors – Jake Griffin and Daniel Maxwell – along with Harry Coleman to test tech products and to act as an account manager for Geeka’s corporate clients.
It has led to the business more than doubling its office size and investing close to £10,000 in a new studio and editing facility.
The company has grown from 150,000 online views per month to more than 1million and turnover is set to grow by 300 per cent in the year the firm has been based at the Business Innovation Centre.
More content, partnerships with new clients and increased revenue from YouTube advertising has led to the turnover increase and James has branched out into hosting and presenting opportunities on tech and gaming.
Geeka is now investing in the creation of a website and could increase headcount again once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
James said: “The growth over the past six months has been amazing and we are delighted we have been able to expand into new offices here at the Business Innovation Centre.
“Taking on new staff was obviously a big step but it was my ambition to grow and, with the level of new work coming in, I needed to bring people in.
“Jake, Dan and Harry have all been great additions to the team and it’s given us the chance to explore new opportunities and for me to able to add services such as presenting and hosting for other channels.”
Dirk Schafer, University of Warwick Science Park’s business growth advisor, has been supporting the company with its plans for growth.
James added: “One of Dirk’s messages to us has been to be even more bold and more ambitious.
“If I set a turnover figure that we want to achieve, Dirk encourages us to aim even higher.”
Penny Robb, the centre manager at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre, said: “We are so pleased to see James and the team at Geeka Media growing and we are doing all we can to support that expansion.
“It’s great to be able to work with Geeka and facilitate their expansion plans with additional office space within the centre and providing this flexibility is one of the many benefits of being at the Science Park.
“Working alongside our business support services we can bring further benefits and support to businesses where needed.
“These are very exciting times for Geeka Media and it’s a great success story for the company and for the city.”
