How AP Studios unlocked sustainable growth with expert business support
This featured case study highlights AP Studios, a creative business that has transformed rapid creative success into sustainable growth with support from the West Yorkshire Good Growth Programme.
Leeds-based creative production company AP Studios creates high-end photo and video content for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands, with work featured in publications such as Vogue and GQ. But behind the creative success, founder and Managing Director Ola Akinlade was facing the pressures of managing rapid business growth.
“As a sole director, I was overworked and didn’t have a soundboard to bounce ideas off,” Ola explains. “I needed help managing the internal side of the business so we could grow sustainably.”
Through tailored one-to-one coaching, Ola learned to delegate more effectively, improve internal processes, and introduce clearer accountability across the team. The bespoke support gave him the space to step back, think strategically, and build stronger foundations for long-term growth.
“The first sessions were fundamental,” he says. “They taught me how to build a business that supports my life, not consumes it.”
Measurable growth and stronger foundations
Within months of joining the programme, AP Studios has increased revenue by around 125% year-on-year, secured multiple six to twelve-month retainers, and onboarded a new creative strategy lead to expand its service offering. Internal processes have improved significantly, with clearer roles, stronger client agreements, and fewer delays – helping the team work more efficiently and confidently.
“I’m a lot calmer now and can think with more clarity,” Ola reflects. “For the first time, I can step away from the business, and it still runs – that’s huge for me.”
Looking to the future
Now, Ola is looking ahead to the next phase of growth, with plans to open a second studio space in Leeds or Wakefield. His ambition is to create a creative hub for Northern talent, a space where photographers, filmmakers, and designers can collaborate, learn, and thrive without needing to relocate to London.
“I’d love to create a space for Northern creatives, somewhere people can work and learn instead of moving to London,” he says.
Read the full story and more great success stories at www.wygoodgrowth.co.uk.