A new magazine is sweeping its way across Nottingham and copies are flying, but just what is Everyday INC all about? Speaking to the director of My Town Vision, Katie discovers what the hype is and how students can benefit from it.
So, who are you guys?
Tom: My name’s Tom and I run My Town Vision. My Town Vision is predominantly a video production company that specialises in storytelling and capturing individuals as authentically as possible. Our main clients include SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) businesses, organisations, charities and authorities.
We launched My Town Vision by creating video content to promote local independent businesses during Covid and have since captured over 200 independent businesses over a bunch of projects. After so many inspiring interactions with these independent individuals, we felt compelled to try and connect as many people with the stories of these businesses so they can be inspired too.
A film would be too long for the modern attention span, especially to tell 50 individual stories, and the internet is loud, so it would be hard to be heard by the people that would want to hear these stories. A publication seemed obvious – even in a post-pandemic digital world. So ‘Everyday INC’ was born.
As a magazine, what are your intentions?
Tom: We intend to connect with our local community and those passing through and popping back and give them an impression of what it means to be in or from Nottingham. We’re doing that through ‘Everyday INC’ by showcasing some of the amazing city centre independent businesses, but it punctuates everything we do. Our intention is to create a sense of belonging, an identity of place and an example of community, we might make more issues of ‘Everyday INC’ or it might just be for now, we’ll see…so far, so good.
What was the motivation for starting up a magazine focused on Nottingham’s independents? Did it seem as though there was a gap in the market and a lack of exposure for them?
Tom: After a drive to shop local and support independents throughout the pandemic, it seemed the perfect time to capture that feeling. We wanted to create something that put people in the picture rather than just statistics or brands. The tagline of ‘Everyday INC’ is ‘People Make The Place’, and independent businesses are some of the most inspiring and have a huge influence on culture, community and atmosphere within a city. Independent business owners often don’t have time, money or the network to get the right kind of promotion for their business and so we thought we’d bring a bunch of them together.
It’s a printed example of community that showcases the diversity of Nottingham within a small radius – and you can visit them in real life, and you should!
Essentially it’s a resource, it’s inspiring, it’s informative and it’s also a time capsule of now that will be relevant for countless reasons, forever.
Where are you based and what’s your office day-to-day?
Tom: We’re based in-between Hockley and Sneinton Market (the hub of independents) our office is based in The Carousel which also operates as a shared art and workspace, which offers us a community of creatives and an abundance of creative inspiration.
Our day-to-day is varied to say the least. From planning video shoots, talking with some of our clients, co-ordinating magazine distribution and running our social channels. We are never done but we’re also never bored – for me, I have the best job in the world.
How did you elect which independents to include in the first copy of the magazine?
Tom: We’ve been asked this a lot and ultimately it was highly based on our existing network. The businesses contributed to being involved and why would anyone trust a video company that’s never ventured into print to put them in a magazine? Luckily 50 did… I’m not saying it was easy but now I’m confident their trust has been kept, and maybe even reinforced. Moving forward with future issues we hope to extend our network of independents to showcase them in future issues – there are plenty more amazing stories to share and independents to discover!
What do you think the importance is for people to utilise independents? What’s the importance for students?
Tom: I could say so much about this, but I’ll keep it to three reasons.
- Shopping independent means you get to discover something unique that’s nowhere else and exclusive to Nottingham – you can often find similar experiences of big brands wherever you go.
- It supports the local economy and that, in turn, brings even more creative and vibrant offerings to the high street and makes you feel proud.
- When you support an independent, you’re part of it, and if you’re a student you could be finding, experiencing and learning about an industry, product or mission that will influence where you want to invest your time in the future. Ultimately you don’t know what you don’t know, so why not try something different and see what you learn?
What are your next steps?
Tom: Our next steps are to listen, observe and respond. We’ve kept thousands of magazines aside that we will continue to distribute over the coming months for tourists and for when new students arrive. After we’ve distributed the majority of the magazines, we’ll decide what the most valuable next steps are.
What advice would you give to students when finding the best independent stores?
Tom: When shopping independently ask questions and for recommendations. Nottingham has so many amazing independent restaurants and cafes, but you can shop independently for almost everything – groceries, clothes, plants, games etc. If you’re not sure where to go, just ask. There are plenty of hidden gems and places off the beaten track that could be your new favourite place.
You can pick up a copy of Everyday INC at any of the independents featured on their Instagram.
Lead Image: The Everyday INC team at The Carousel (Hockley) ( Credits: @gracethompsonphotography)