“I founded BHP because I’m fascinated by small businesses — rather like David Attenborough is fascinated by natural history… the challenge of surviving and thriving, mainly through sheer hard work and tenacity.

“I started my career at the venture capital company 3i, cherry-picking the best start-ups in which to invest. But I always wanted to be on the other side of the table — actually growing a business.

“Having then worked as a company analyst in the Tokyo stock market, I saw the first examples of electronic information. Undoubtedly, this was where the future lay and it was at that point I had the idea of founding a publishing company focused on small businesses.”

Rory MccGwire — BHP founder and chief executive

1991

  • Business Hotline Publications Ltd (BHP) is founded in London.
  • 12 months is devoted purely to market research, to better understand what SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) want and how UK publishers and others service this hard-to-reach market.

1992—1993

  • BHP develops its first publication, in collaboration with 100-plus experts. The Business Factsheet series covers topics from HR and marketing to IT and tax. Prince’s Trust user trials prove a resounding success.

 

1994—1995

  • The Business Factsheet series is licensed to Training and Enterprise Councils. Individually branded with their logos, the series proves an effective marketing tool and popular information resource.
  • BHP begins working for the Department of Trade and Industry.

1996—1997

  • Soon to become a market leader, BHP launches its first guide for start-ups. 27 Business Links buy their own customised versions.
  • Notable new BHP customers include the BBC and Investors in People.

1998

  • Directors' Briefing is launched, after two years development with the help of some 500 experts. An instant hit, the extensive suite of concise business advice guides is licensed to more than 250 organisations, including learndirect and BT. 20 leading brands such as Microsoft, IBM and Yell become sponsors.

1999

  • BHP opens its second office and chooses Bristol as the location.

2000

  • All 82 Business Links are by now BHP licensees.
  • More and more banks and corporate heavyweights are using BHP's services to develop their relationships with SMEs.

 

2001

  • BHP expands into the legal market, collaborating with law firms to create a library of legal FAQs and online toolkits.

2002

  • First BHP involvement with what is to eventually become the www.businesslink.gov.uk website.
  • BHP starts a weekly newsfeed covering the issues that affect small businesses.

2003

  • BHP builds up its bespoke publishing team and wins the DTI's prestigious No-Nonsense Guide contract — the UK's first national start-up guide.
  • BHP forms a consortium with Sweet & Maxwell and Parkes, which wins a DTI contract to create content for the businesslink.gov website. BHP writes and maintains half of the business advice guides and regulatory content on this colossal website (until the contract ended in Nov 2011).

2004

  • www.businesslink.gov.uk site launches in April and all of BHP's 82 Business Link customers are mandated to use this website, effectively replacing BHP's role in these organisations. So BHP invests rapidly in becoming a leading e-newsletter publisher.

2005

  • BHP leads the market in SME e-communications and wins the first of several HSBC e-newsletter contracts.
  • BHP starts its partnership with Sense Software, to provide ‘Knowledge Banks’ to Regional Development Agencies and the business support organisations funded through them.

2006

  • Business Hotline Publications Ltd changes name to BHP Information Solutions Ltd and is organised into four divisions: BHP Solutions; BHP Information; BHP Professional Services; and BHP Consulting.
  • BHP is increasingly providing marketing support to blue-chip clients through microsites for campaigns aimed at SMEs.

2007

  • BHP wins its first major video contract — the monthly HSBC TV series.
  • We also secure our first Knowledge Bank contract, with the East Midlands Development Agency.
  • BHP's e-comms reach new levels of sophistication. We provide one client with 1,000-plus customised versions of a monthly newsletter and another with 26 individually branded newsletters and websites — each carrying local news.

2008

  • BHP wins the first of several overseas contracts — HSBC Canada's small business website.
  • The BHP-hosted Quickfire is launched, for organisations who need an instant, customised yet affordable business website.
  • Work starts on the Marketing Donut website, with founding sponsors Google and Royal Mail.

2009

  • BHP launches Marketing Donut (April), Start Up Donut (July) and Law Donut (August), plus their newsletter MyDonut.
  • The backbone of BHP's revenues continue to come from longstanding clients such as businesslink.gov, HSBC and the RDAs.
  • Lisa Williams is promoted to Managing Director. Founder and Chief Executive Rory MccGwire takes his family on a 14-week sabbatical abroad.

2010

  • BHP launches IT Donut (August), with Microsoft as the founding partner.
  • Ian Creek is hired for the new post of Digital Marketing Director.
  • BHP becomes a preferred global supplier to HSBC, following 10 straight years of working with the bank.

 

2011

  • BHP signs up its 100th licensee for a local, customised Donut website.
  • BHP launches Tax Donut (August), with Sage as the founding partner.