Halima Khatun is taking the plunge and setting up a PR consultancy in the heart of east London’s Canary Wharf business district to persuade start-ups and small firms to spice up their public image.

It is more “cost effective” than ploughing wads of cash into big promo budgets, she tells them.

Halima is looking for freelance staff such as copywriters and PR marketing professionals as well as web specialist video producers.

“The PR industry is worth £9 billion,” she points out. “But many start-ups and small firms still don’t see its value.

“Instead, they opt to spend on promotion, which is often more expensive and has a smaller return on investment.”

Public relations is “not just the reserve of the big brands with big budgets”, Halima insists, but should be a marketing tool for everyone.

The Welsh-born 31-year-old entrepreneur, who moved to east London in time for the 2012 Olympics, has experience in journalism for ITV Wales and BBC’s Radio Manchester, as well as holding a senior role at Bell Pottinger North, part of the Chime Communications PR group, and two of Britain’s biggest corporate healthcare organisations.

Now Halima, who is living “on the patch” in the Commercial Road at Limehouse, is going it alone under her HK Communications banner offering copywriting, social media support and traditional media relations.

She aims to persuade start-ups and small firms to be aware of using pubic relations to promote their business in the market place.