We recently engaged Start to lead the copywriting for a large, multi-page website project within the financial services and recruitment market. We’re really grateful to the Start team for their hard work and have been really happy with every aspect of the team’s delivery. They added a lot of value early on, particularly in helping to define the house style and getting a really clear grasp of the client’s vision, as well as following up with a Copy Style Guide once the main project was delivered. It’s fair to say they’ve restored our faith in copywriters, which had taken a bit of a knock over the years. We’d love to work with the Start team again in the future.

GC Insight commissioned Start for two major projects… one a website launch and the other a contracted proposal for a Business Improvement District (BID) – and on both occasions we were delighted with the results. On the new website, she and her team worked diligently and seamlessly with myself and my colleagues, crafting and editing copy that was engaging as well as SEO-friendly. And when we needed support in producing a compelling BID proposal, it was a no-brainer to turn to Start’s expertise again. What we got was impactful copywriting, delivered to a tight timeline working closely with our appointed designer. Rachel and the team were a pleasure to deal with and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Start to anyone needing professional, trusted and high-quality marketing and comms expertise.

I approached Start to support us in addressing a short-term resource gap in our marketing team, with a requirement to onboard an interim brand manager for a B2B rebrand we were undertaking. I worked directly with Rachel, who understood my brief immediately – and was able to quickly instate someone who was the perfect fit for our project: someone who not only had the skills and sector experience, but also seamlessly integrated into our team.

Their provision of short-term, dedicated marketing support significantly enhanced project delivery, allowing our internal marketing team to focus on core activities while this strategically significant rebrand project progressed. I would not hesitate to recommend them for freelance and interim marketing support.

Start worked on the communication plan for the project "Leonardo 4 Children Academy 2024-25", financed by the EU under Erasmus+ programme. They provided the Carano 4 Children staff with precious and pragmatic advice on the communication plan, planning and execution and tips on how to promote the initiative to develop the art and science skills of new generations on the topics of climate, equality and peace. We are very grateful to them for the impact and professional work.

Rachel is one of those people that just gets it when it comes to freelancing which is why she was perfect to chair the recent freelancer panel talk for GM Creative Industries Exchange. Freelancing in the creative industries is a completely different animal to normal commercial practice, Rachel dug in deep with brilliant questions and enabled the panellists to share structured, open and honest advance about the nuances of the industry. The audience feedback about how much they got out of it was amazing.

We commissioned Start to create placemaking content for a property brochure promoting a vibrant new development in central Manchester. Rachel’s excellent tone of voice and depth of research provided us with lively and engaging editorial copy that brought the development to life. Rachel met all deadlines and was a delight to deal with.

Rachel is a brilliant marketer and a wonderful person. I have learnt a great deal from working with her and as part of her team and would recommend her very highly to anyone wishing to improve their organisation's marketing and comms. She is guaranteed to deliver.

Rachel led the Growth Company's Marcomms team of 40 during an incredibly busy and challenging period. During that time she successfully led on PROGRESS21 – a major conference showcasing Greater Manchester post-lockdown, launching the Growth Company's new website and managing a team restructure. Throughout, Rachel demonstrated her creativity, resilience and leadership abilities, ensuring that targets were met, but not at the expense of the team's wellbeing. She is an inspiring leader, able to balance the difficult conversations with an empathic and motivating style.

I worked with Rachel Chesters for a number of years. During that time, I was continually impressed by her attention to detail, professionalism and her passion for all things marketing. Where Rachel excels is in marketing communications and technical copywriting – whether that’s pulling together a press release, writing a customer brochure, or condensing product messaging into 140 characters for Twitter. Her industry knowledge, particularly within the B2B professional services, technology and financial sectors, is also exceptionally well-grounded. Rachel’s ability to ‘wordsmith’ is second to none and it really comes into its own when coupled with her marketing knowledge and strong work ethic. I’m not surprised she is now building her own business in this area – and anyone that chooses to work with her will be lucky to have her on board.

I have been working closely with Start during my social media and digital marketing apprenticeship at InTec, via The Juice Academy. I have received a great deal of support and guidance from Rachel, which has been extremely helpful, in particular working together to gain the best possible engagement with prospects through social media. I would highly recommend Start for the best marketing support for your company.

Rachel Chesters worked for me from 2013 to 2016, during which time she was appointed as my Head of Marketing. Rachel was responsible for all aspects of the marketing planning process, including heading up a team and managing our media and marketing budgets. Reporting into myself as CEO and working closely with senior stakeholders from across the business, Rachel was ultimately accountable for raising brand awareness, delivering a programme of internal and external comms and managing media presence. Rachel is a hardworking, knowledgeable and reliable individual – I am delighted that she has set up on her own and I wish her new business Start Communication the best of luck. I would not hesitate to recommend Rachel and her marketing services.

Rachel fights for the customer to be at the heart of her deliverables.

We worked together on the delivery of a unique financial services proposition. I looked after the website and Rachel looked after various elements of content creation. There wasn't much digital experience on the project, so I was relieved and delighted to work with Rachel who thoroughly gets the nuances and importance of writing for the web, and all the good underlying principles that must be considered for this. Rachel gets content strategy, content governance, and fights for the customer to be at the heart of her deliverables through good usability, accessibility and conversion. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Rachel for content and marketing delivery and look forward to working with her again.

I really enjoy working with Start. They’re organised, communicative and genuinely value the people they work with. One of the projects that stands out for me, is working for gunnercooke. I wrote copy for the solicitors across a number of subjects and channels. The client was fantastic and really pushed creative boundaries. Start have a brilliant mix of clients and a real knack for building long-term relationships, which makes for consistently interesting and rewarding projects.

Working closely with Start Communication for the last three years, I have found both Rachel and Vicky to be extremely considerate, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in all things marketing. I was initially brought on to consult from an SEO perspective for Start Communication's international sourcing platform client. I have since worked across multiple projects and brands with the team. I’ve never had anything but positive feedback surrounding their work and input in supporting SEO work streams. Rachel and Vicky wear many hats, including brainstorming ideas, resourcing, and being the friendly faces of the project.

As marketing specialists themselves, I find it comfortable to provide technical insights that I know are understood clearly and adjusted accurately for client communications. The team is fabulous, and I couldn’t ask for better representatives in the freelance world, given their understanding and advocacy of being an independent entity. I don’t believe an invoice has ever passed its due date without being paid! Start Communication comes highly recommended from me.

Start is a great team to work with as a freelance designer, having received a range of interesting and varied briefs from them. They have provided great support throughout the projects and are always on hand to answer any of my questions. Not only do they understand the value of your work and opinions they are lovely people to work with, and prompt and fair payers too.

GM Business Growth Hub worked with Rachel and the Start team as part of our initiative to elevate our support to freelancers across Greater Manchester’s creative sector. By volunteering her time, knowledge and expertise, Rachel delivered an interactive workshop which guided businesses through the steps it takes to grow and flourish within the sector. We receive positive feedback from the session where our attendees highlighted the positive and safe space Start Communication created, to partake in open discussion in a sector in which independents and freelancers often work in silos.

Start was invaluable in developing our marketing and communications strategy and supporting us through our recent rebranding project. As a small marketing team, supporting a global non-profit, we would not have been able to achieve the standard of finished result without the guidance and access to resource that Start provided. We still work closely with Rachel and the team and know we can rely on them for support.

We’ve worked with Start for a number of years now, and in that time they've become invaluable to us. They really understand who we are, what we stand for and what we need to achieve – all with the sensitivity needed when working in the charity sector.Whether it’s shaping a campaign message, handling PR around a sensitive issue, or driving support for events, Start feels like a trusted extension of our own team rather than an external supplier. They're flexible, responsive and never lose sight of the people and communities we're working to support. Marketing can feel daunting for charities with limited time and resources, but Start makes it easy. Their support has helped us reach the right audiences in the right way, while staying true to our values and mission.