“I thought it was all over; it’s not now! Soccer jersey entrepreneur to boost business
When the pandemic first hit in March 2020, Dan Hinksman’s company was on the cusp of a much-needed breakthrough.
After being launched in 2019, sales of his rock and roll-themed football shirts had finally started to pick up steam, and he was about to take his big break by selling them at a concert. .
But, as the country went into lockdown and outdoor events were cancelled, Dan, 44, from Accrington, Lancashire, saw orders come to a halt.
Dan Hinksman’s rock ‘n’ roll themed football shirt business was doing well before Covid hit
He said: “A tribute band called The Clone Roses were going to play in front of 1,500 people to mark the 30th anniversary of the Stone Roses playing Spike Island, and my name came up to sell my wares on the night.
“I was on cloud nine because I felt like I was about to have a breakthrough that I was desperately looking for.
“Then Covid hit. This event could have provided me with key visibility, and I could have made a lot of money to invest and grow faster than I could have – and suddenly everything was washed away.
Dan, like thousands of other small business owners across the country, has seen his income plummet.
He said: “Almost overnight my orders stopped.
“People just weren’t spending. Orders picked up when the weather started to improve last summer, but would fall again.
“I thought when bands announced tours I might sell a few shirts out the back, but a lot of bands just sat around and didn’t want to announce anything.
“I kind of have my fingers crossed that the Gallagher brothers bury the hatchet and reform. It would do me the greatest good!

Dan had to take a part-time job to make ends meet during lockdown but hopes advertising on MailOnline will help him push his business forward now that restrictions are easing
Dan was ineligible for government assistance and was forced to find a part-time job that allowed him to “breathe” and make ends meet.
It’s now that lockdown restrictions are easing that Dan thinks sales will start to pick up again.
“It’s been a challenge when you think you have something you’re passionate about and feel it slipping through your fingers through no fault of your own. It’s heartbreaking.
“The way things have been over the past 12 months, I have to raise awareness of what I’m doing. It’s worth its weight in gold to me.
It is with small and medium-sized business owners in mind that MailOnline has launched a new advertising platform.
Ad Manager aims to help businesses recover from the burgeoning pandemic, with targeted campaigns that showcase their products or services to MailOnline’s massive 25 million audience.
And Dan was one of the first companies to try it, with his campaign racking up over a million impressions in just one week.
“I’m over the moon with the amount of exposure and the number of eyes this ad has landed on. Not in a million years, I would have expected.
“In addition to brand awareness, I’ve seen an increase in my web traffic – and I know that’s coming from MailOnline, as it’s easy to see it on the Ad Manager system.
“It’s a fantastic team; anytime I had questions they were answered promptly, with great communication.
‘I’m shocked. Ad Manager is cutting edge, and that’s exactly what businesses like mine need.”
The new self-service advertising manager makes it easier to advertise on MailOnline. Setup only takes a few minutes and your campaign can be live in less than 24 hours.
You can advertise to more people in your area than your local titles can reach, and you can target by zip code, interests, and life stage to reach as many customers as you want.
There are no hidden costs and you can control everything from budget to target audience to creative design.
Here’s how:

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