Rachel Dixon

Rachel Dixon set up Two Five Eight Creative Studio in May 2023 to create impactful advertising, bold brand identities and graphic designs for a range of clients, from start-ups to established businesses. In the last year, her clients have included, amongst others, Wheelie Sweet and independent gin and whisky distiller Eden Mill St Andrews, where she promoted The Eden Mill Experience in Edinburgh on Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising.

Ms Dixon has over a decade of industry experience in creative advertising, having worked at one of Scotland’s largest media companies, DC Thomson. On a mission to help businesses reach their full potential through advertising, brand identity design and graphic design solutions, she approached Business Gateway for some guidance on growing her business.

Through 1-on-1 business support from her adviser, Sean Cowie, she was supported with developing outreach strategies in order to gain new clients and expand her database.

Ms Dixon also received support with HR as she looks to expand her workforce in the future by hiring another designer and working with trusted freelancers, and was connected to a marketing expert, who helped her improve her visibility on social media, particularly LinkedIn.

Ms Dixon said: “Starting a business and working for myself has been great, and I have learned a lot along the way.

“Going from full-time employment to starting your own business can be daunting, but Business Gateway has provided a huge support system for me. Sean helped me gain confidence to reach out to prospects, which has been fantastic for taking on new clients and projects.

“The name Two Five Eight is meaningful to me as it reflects my commitment to delivering outstanding results for my clients as it represents one more than 24/7.”

Sean Cowie, Business Gateway adviser, said: “It’s been great to help build Rachel’s confidence to put herself out there, network and grow her business.

“Her work is fantastic and cutting-edge and it’s amazing to see her business grow with exciting new projects.

“Rachel approached Business Gateway before she left DC Thomson to see if we thought she would be able to go freelance, so it’s been great to be able to encourage her idea from the very beginning and see it come to life.”