When Liam joined the Northern Max Accelerator in March 2024, Waterhouse Widdop was only a few months into its first year of trading. At that point, the business had generated around £5–10k in revenue and consisted solely of Liam. Molly was set to join in the future, but for now, Liam was navigating the early stages of building a business model, exploring potential clients, and deciding exactly what direction the company should take.

Redundancy from his previous full-time role, combined with growing demand for design services in their property projects, meant this was a “now or never” moment. Northern Max came at the perfect time to provide structure, support, and the chance to step back on the business to consider what growth would look like.

For Liam, the accelerator was a chance to work on the business, not just in it. The workshops helped him refine and define Waterhouse Widdop’s positioning, clarify who they wanted to work with, and, just as importantly, what they didn’t want to do.

Equally valuable was the peer-to-peer network. Being surrounded by like-minded entrepreneurs created accountability and provided encouragement that can be hard to find when running a business solo. Liam describes the experience as “a really positive way to step away from the day-to-day and make big-picture decisions about the future of the business.”

Although he missed the pitch final due to being on holiday, the programme sparked his interest in pitching as a skill. It gave him the confidence to later join the NatWest Accelerator, where pitch training has become an important focus for growth and future funding opportunities.

Growth Since the Programme

Since completing Northern Max, Waterhouse Widdop has grown significantly:

• Molly has joined full-time, and together they collaborate with specialist freelancers and experts.
• They rebranded to a business name and design that represents who they are, what they do, and who they work with.
• Turnover has grown by around 900% in just 18 months – a testament to their clarity of vision and the support from accelerator programmes.
• They are now targeting design-led property developers for long-term projects, with opportunities ranging from boutique developments to large-scale “build to rent” schemes.
• Current projects include a 34-apartment development in Chippenham, work in Northern Ireland, and even a pipeline project in Dubai creating design-led CGI visuals.

Their strategy is focused on building long-term, structured partnerships rather than short-term, ad hoc work which gives the business stability, scale, and international reach.

Northern Max provided the stepping stone to this growth. It gave Liam and Molly the tools to define their business model, sharpen their positioning, and build a foundation for scaling. Importantly, it also inspired Liam to pursue further growth opportunities like the NatWest Accelerator, demonstrating the programme’s role in building a mindset of investment readiness and ambition.