Helen Nurse is the co-founder and owner of Capture 1 and has been part of the North-West business world for the last 25 years. Her agency has been responsible for delivering over 1000 client projects ranging in budgets from £1k – £100,000. She has run live events entertaining thousands of families and more recently has developed a communication system to support patients of the NHS.
Can you tell us a little about your background and your company?
It would be quite hard to discuss my background and my company separately, because they’re so closely entwined. Capture 1 was formed in 2000 when my (now) husband Brett and I were working in the broadcast TV industry but saw an opportunity with the emergence of digital technology to turn our love of programme-making into our own business.
As an entrepreneur, I’ve always believed that staying ahead means staying curious. Over the years, I’ve made it a priority to spot opportunities early, pivot quickly, and create new products and services that keep us fresh and relevant. Being a small and agile business has been a real advantage—allowing us to move fast, experiment with new ideas, and embrace digital innovations as they happen.
What inspired you to start your business?
I was in my early twenties and was working contract to contract in TV, I didn’t have much to lose at the time; living in a bedsit with no dependents so I just decided to do it and see what happened. And I can never imagine not being an entrepreneur now; it’s a key part of who I am!
How did you create awareness for your brand?
I’ve always believed that your network is one of your biggest assets in business. I have been part of many business networks over the years, some of which I joined when we started our business and I still am part of now. This has allowed me to build my reputation and be known, trusted and relied on. I also believe that when you help others, it comes back to you eventually; if not directly then indirectly. And this has definitely been my experience over the years.
It’s not just about promoting your business; it’s about offering and receiving support from fellow entrepreneurs and sharing common challenges and experiences.
I also collaborate closely with a PR agency that helps amplify our successes, securing media coverage that not only highlights our achievements in Manchester but extends our reach across the UK.
What strategies helped you secure funding and scale your business?
When I first started the business, The Princes Trust offered grants to young people setting up businesses and we were fortunate to receive both a grant and a loan for Capture 1.
We spent this on a small car to get us and all our equipment to each job. Before then, we were dragging it all onto public transport – sometimes multiple buses – just to get to a job, so to have our own transport was a game changer in those early days.
From then on, we’ve never had any major funding. I’ve always had the philosophy that we invest the money we make and that’s how we scale and grow the business.
What have been your biggest successes so far?
The latest major success in the business is our collaboration with the NHS to help the service better communicate with patients. Along renowned speech therapist, Joanne Jones, who founded the Can-Do Approach, Capture 1 developed a new platform using WhatsApp to make access to speech therapy support and resources accessible to families who are on long NHS waiting lists.
We are doing something with WhatsApp that no-one else is currently doing in this way and to see the impact and difference to families as a result of our innovation is really special. I also love working alongside the NHS, which has been critical to our own family as my daughter has had a life-long condition in type 1 diabetes since she was a baby and so the huge amount of care and support we have personally benefited from as a family is something I feel incredible grateful for.
What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Before I had my eldest son, George, I held on to a naivety that I think many young women do before they start a family. And that’s the idea that things will stay the same; our business would keep running normally. I had no idea about the magnitude of having a baby while trying to run a business, because it’s something that women are expected to do; have children and keep going like it’s not an absolutely amazing, but also completely earth changing event in our lives. This also happened in 2008, which the year of the financial crisis, which brought its own challenges and culminated in an extremely challenging few years!
I wouldn’t like to say I ‘overcame’ it, rather that I adapted to life as an entrepreneur and a mother. There were periods when my head was much more in family life than business, like when my second child was in hospital a lot for the first few years, and there were other times when I was extremely committed to my role in Capture 1 because it’s what supported the family financially. We adapted as we went along to accommodate our business goals.
What are your plans for the future?
The collaboration between Capture 1 and the NHS has been so positively received that it’s already been rolled out more widely within the region. I hope that over the next few years a UK-wide rollout will see the scheme support even more people on long NHS waiting lists for all sorts of treatment, not just speech therapy. We are also developing this innovative way of using WhatsApp for other training and learning solutions and the ability to provide accessible, flexible, interactive learning is a huge opportunity to not only the public sector but the private sector too.
What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?
It doesn’t matter which sector you work in, your network of people is absolutely vital. Getting to know others in your business community, extending a hand and building good relationships is a really undervalued aspect of being an entrepreneur. So many people are after quick results, which is why I think strong networking skills are rare. It takes time to build strong, trusted relationships. This can’t be achieved overnight, as you have to build up trust and reputation with what you offer. Every aspiring entrepreneur will have times when they’re struggling and need guidance, so having a network of people to reach out to will make your business journey a lot less daunting, and a lot less lonely.
What are your top three tips for entrepreneurial success?
Firstly, get comfortable with saying ‘yes’ as often as possible. There are opportunities everywhere, but to take advantage of them you must step out of your comfort zone, not just occasionally but often!
Be realistic when prioritising your time. Personally, if I have a list of a hundred things to do, it’s likely that none of them will get done. But if I cut that down to five essential tasks for the day, I’m much more productive.
My third tip leads on from this; get to know yourself. You can read all the tips from other entrepreneurs, but different people work best in different ways, and you can only maximise your potential by knowing the conditions which you thrive in. Give yourself time and room to experiment with different working styles, locations, schedules, and find out what works for you. That’s the beauty of owning your own business – freedom to choose.
Who are five people who inspire you the most, and why?
1. My teenage daughter – she has lived with type one diabetes since a baby but is so strong, resilient and doesn’t let anything stop her. Her dedication and commitment to her work is so inspiring and she lives life to the absolute full whilst also being wise beyond her years. Today, I dealt with a difficult work situation which I was nervous about and she made me a music playlist called ‘mums girl boss mix’!
2. My 90-year-old dad who despite his age, still travels abroad for holidays, walks every day and lives independently. He lived through the war in east London (with his house being bombed 3 times when they were in it) and has so many great stories to share from his life. He has such a great motto to just deal with whatever life throws at you and not get stressed over the things that you can’t control.
3. My colleague Sacha – she is really dedicated to her work; I can rely on her completely and she is so loyal and supportive. She encourages me to think pragmatically, and she is a real problem solver. I was so lucky to meet her 6 years ago and it’s such a pleasure work on the WhatsApp service together.
4. Chris Evans – I love his morning radio show as its inspiring, positive and just is full of kind vibes! He encourages people to embrace life and the way he prioritises health, wellbeing, family and experiences is inspiring and I think helps a lot of people.
5. There are a few artists whose music really inspires me; The Killers always get me motivated and feeling good. The song ‘Titanium’ is a quick motivator! I also love musicals and so anything from Six, The Greatest Showman, Moulin Rouge or Wicked! As a family we have an anthem which is ‘From Now On’; from the greatest showman and this is my ultimate favourite and motivational song!
What are your favourite inspirational or motivational quotes?
“It’s better to be kind than right.” It’s a mantra we live by in my family, but it’s relevant to all parts of life.
“Let them” is another of my favourites. When you realise you can’t control other people’s actions, only how you respond, you’ll find life becomes significantly less stressful!
“All that matters is what you do with your time” – this pretty much sums everything up – as this is relevant in all aspects of work and personal life.
Where can our readers connect with you?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helennurse/
https://www.instagram.com/capture1.agency/
Website: https://capture1.co.uk/
