Accelerating Growth: How Alice Potter Built an Award-Winning Business in Just 12 Months

Alice Potter, founder and CEO of AJP Social Studio, has transformed her passion for social media into an award-winning business in just 12 months with support from the Blackpool Growth Business Academy. During that time, she has also been recognised as “One to Watch” (Highly Commended) at the 2024 Enterprise Vision Awards (EVA’s).

Launched in September 2023, AJP Social Studio has grown rapidly, and has helped over 100 businesses to gain confidence with their online presence. As a social media confidence coach, Alice offers 1-2-1 consultations, social media coaching, content creation, and corporate masterclasses, to equip business owners and leaders with the confidence and skills to engage their audiences effectively.

Connecting with the Blackpool Growth Business Academy early in her journey, Alice attended several workshops, which really helped her. “The workshops the Academy offers are invaluable for businesses at all stages,” she says. “I attended the Self-Leadership Masterclass with Sarah Fletcher, which gave me a huge confidence boost in those early days.”

Continuing to attend additional sessions including workshops led by scale-up specialist Nikki Hesford, helped to provide Alice with the tools to manage the growing demand for her services.

The Academy’s first step was to create a tailored business strategy to enable Alice’s business to grow successfully. The plan outlined a clear path to refine the business’ goals and ensure successful course launches, which led to increased exposure and business expansion.

Following the Academy’s support, Alice’s commitment to supporting others has continued to grow. In 2025, Alice will be sponsoring the Young Entrepreneur award at the EVA’s. As well as having been invited to be the Fylde Coast lead for Pink Link, a network supporting women in business. Through group sessions, she now helps 30 to 35 women develop their businesses with confidence.

Alice says, “I found that the support from the Academy, whether through workshops, one-to-one guidance, or online resources, has been invaluable in getting my business to where it is today.”

As well as supporting high growth established businesses, the Blackpool Growth Business Academy provides young businesses with the tools, knowledge, and confidence needed to turn ideas into sustainable ventures.

Blackpool Businesses looking to grow and scale effectively are encouraged to contact the Blackpool Growth Business Academy for support from one of the growth specialists.