Case Study: Simon Medlin

Simon Medlin – Apprentice’s social media skills bring millions of online views and new business to specialist international decorator

By his own admission, decorator Simon Medlin used to have little experience with promoting his business online. That was until he sought the advice of his digitally savvy apprentice, Jordan, who has helped Simon develop a social media presence that has seen him gain millions of internet fans and a wealth of new customers to boot.

Simon has been supporting the development of Jordan’s decorating career for the last five years, teaching him about the industry and helping to sharpen the skills he learned during his apprenticeship at Langley College in Slough. Simon says Jordan has now become an ‘integral part of the team’ and has also helped teach him a thing or two along the way – including the business benefits of using social media.

“We had our business website www.medlinwithpaint.com but never really used to get involved with social media before,” says Simon, who runs Medlin with Paint, a national multi-award-winning decorating company based in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire. “Thanks to Jordan, we now have an Instagram page and we’re on TikTok too, where we can share more details about the work we do quickly and more frequently with customers.”

Simon has used Jordan’s intrinsic knowledge of social media to grow awareness of the services offered by his company, which specialises in high quality painting and decorating, paint effects, and installation of bespoke wallpapers.

The Medlin with Paint Instagram account now has more than 1,000 followers and is updated regularly with images of the stunning room transformations carried out by Simon and his team. In addition, a series of TikTok videos featuring how-to decorating guides and more light-hearted content has gained a huge online audience and helped the business develop a closer bond with customers.

Simon says; “It’s been crazy. We had one TikTok video of me trimming some expensive wallpaper by a fireplace which has got 2.6 million views! We’ve got people who have now recognised us for the content we post on online, which has led to more visits to our website and more jobs, and Jordan has played a huge part in that.”

Simon’s work to encourage and support the next generation of painters and decorators saw him named as the Apprentice Mentor of the Year at the 2020 Dulux Select Decorators Awards. And with the launch of National Apprenticeship Week, he is now encouraging other employers to follow his lead and recruit their own apprentices to develop their businesses and build the workforce of tomorrow.

“Apprentices have definitely been beneficial to me and my company. They teach you so many things and I’ve been able to provide them with practical skills and life lessons that go beyond just painting and decorating. It sometimes requires a bit more patience and extra work in the short term, but the long-term rewards are well worth it.”