Marcus Richards
We make genuine and current licenses, membership and qualifications highly visible using secure digital seals and certificates that are easy to share and use.
Tell us about yourself?
I am a Consumer Advocate and admitted as a UK Solicitor & SA Attorney. My professional identity was stolen and used to defraud people. I believe people need a reliable means to identify current and genuine, licensed professionals so that they don’t get defrauded and have recourse.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Launch your services in the UK, don’t wait until everything is working perfectly.
What problem does your business solve?
We make paper and PDF certificates into a highly effective marketing device, enabling certificate holders and certificate issuers to more readily use their certificates in digital communications.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
Most people are unaware of the high numbers of fraudulent certificates. We drastically reduce the prospect for fraud and turn certificates into a highly useful means of building trust and increasing recognition. One of our slogans is “Giving certificate holders a competitive advantage”.
What is your magic sauce?
Our competitors do badging. Their offerings are largely static ours update in real-time. Their certificates are less customisable whereas ours are bespoke. We onboard our clients quickly and can get them live within a week. Our pricing is competitive and affordable – we deliver more value as the outcomes are more significant and nuanced than simply digital transformation and automation.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
The British Accreditation Council is one of our most recent clients and we are hoping that many of their training and academic institutions will become clients, along with many others as we launch our services in the UK.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
Spending too much on unwanted features and insufficient on marketing.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
We are looking for clients who want to make their certificates work for them. Charter bodies, industry associations, professional associations, academic institutions, training providers and others should explore our offering and get a quote by visiting www.privyseal.com.
