Lord Sugar: Amstrad-inspired firm led by grandson ‘not relying on past glory'
The firm is headed by his grandson Joe Baron, and Tom D'Arcy, who both worked at a rival agency, Climb Online, which was set up by The Apprentice winner Mark Wright.
A year since launching, Essex-based Amstrad Digital has generated a turnover of around £600,000.
This has partly been possible through projects with a raft of businesses under Lord Sugar's own portfolio – many of which stem from the BBC One boardroom-based reality series.
They include the latest winner of the programme, Dean Franklin, who secured £250,000 of investment from Lord Sugar into the air conditioning business that he set up during the pandemic.
Lord Sugar said Amstrad Digital was 'not just treading water' but was making money and 'laying down a foundation for serious long-term growth'.
'The brand still carries weight, and they're using that smartly – not just relying on past glory but backing it up with a solid service offering,' he told the PA news agency.
'From day one, Amstrad's always been about giving people value for money.
'No fluff, no overpriced nonsense – just a solid, affordable product that actually does what it says on the tin.
'That was the principle back in the 1980s, and I made sure we kept that at the heart of Amstrad Digital.'
The businessman founded electronics company Amstrad in 1968, at the age of 21, selling audio and computer equipment before making the first range of Sky receivers and dishes.
It was eventually sold for £125 million to the broadcasting giant, which still uses the software but not the brand name.
After handing over the reins to his grandson, Lord Sugar said Mr Baron has a 'strong appetite for success', adding: 'I expect nothing less.'
'Joe being my grandson has not meant that he gets any handouts and exceptions when things get difficult,' he told PA.
Mr Baron acknowledged uncertainty in the wider industry amid businesses making cutbacks on marketing spending, and concerns over the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI).
He said the uncertainty was 'difficult' but an 'opportunity for us to set ourselves apart, which has been the aim since day one'.
Earlier this month, digital marketing firm S4 Capital, which was founded by the former boss of WPP, said clients were remaining cautious about spending due to tougher economic conditions and uncertainty about global trade.
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