Recognised as the ‘Best Digital Marketing CEO in Northern Ireland’ by the CEO Awards 2024, Craig Millar, has built his digital marketing and web design business on passion and commitment.
From starting his business in his bedroom to running a thriving agency, learn how Craig’s journey to success has been defined by hard work, resilience and a strong support network.
About me
I’m Craig Millar, a 22-year-old Business and Education student at the Derry-Londonderry campus. Each summer of my course, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to study abroad at the University of Minnesota, Duluth through Ulster University’s Go Global Programme; the team at Go Global have been amazing, especially Leanne Whiteman, I’m thankful for the opportunities they’ve provided me with. This year, I am currently on an Enterprise Placement Year (EPY).
Before I started university, I built the foundations of my business, Craig Millar, a digital marketing and web design agency based in Benburb, Northern Ireland. From the beginning, I was committed to delivering strong client satisfaction and our motto remains exactly that: putting our client's needs and success at the forefront of everything we do.
This year, the business has been doing well, going from strength to strength. I started my business in my bedroom and now I’m sitting in my office - a big leap that has paid off. Having an office on a busy street has brought many benefits; I never realised how many people would come in and enquire about my services. It’s has been great building those connections within the community.
Being a young entrepreneur
In school, I was never very academic. Early on, I discovered my passion for digital marketing and web design, and I wanted to experience the working world which ultimately led me to setting up on my own business.
As a young entrepreneur, my business has been built on passion - I love what I do and I can’t ever see myself getting tired of it. Running my own business gives me the flexibility to work when and where I want, however, it hasn’t come without its challenges. In the early days, there were times when I worked from 5pm to midnight on various projects. In self-employment, if you don’t work you don’t get paid - you are solely responsible for your bills and the services you provide. As an entrepreneur, you become more than just an expert in your field, you’re also a part-time accountant, part-time marketer and a part-time web developer. There are so many jobs within self-employment that you don’t initially realise you have to do. Despite these demands, I genuinely love my job.
UK Enterprise Awards and CEO Awards
In 2023, I put myself forward to the UK Enterprise Awards, not expecting much to come of it. When I received an email saying I had been awarded the best social media management and
web design company in Northern Ireland I was so surprised. This woke me up a bit - being a student and being young, I think you can play yourself down. I knew I was doing a good job and my clients were happy but I didn’t realise they voted for me, so I was surprised I’d won.
Following that, I won the CEO Awards for ‘Best Digital Marketing CEO in Northern Ireland’ in 2024 which was a great feeling! I have two part-time staff and I always want to have a fun day at work so winning the award was reassurance of my leadership. The best creativity comes out of people whenever they’re full of buzz, and are inspired to work. I always encourage my staff to go for a coffee together and we’ll chat about current projects and think through ideas.
Craig Millar Formal Attire
Enterprise Placement Year
University was never really in my plans, especially because I didn’t want to lose focus on my business. However, I am always keen to learn new ways to develop myself and I decided to attend an Open Day at Ulster University Coleraine to see what opportunities were available, and that’s when I discovered the range of degree programmes and Enterprise Placement Year (EPY). EPY is a year-long placement aimed at anyone interested or starting their own business. I knew instantly EPY was a perfect fit. With EPY as part of the course I was interested in, I saw the opportunity to tailor the experience to my own business, my career and my aspirations. By enrolling in EPY, I knew I’d be able to focus on and build my business for a year, growing it to its full potential. So whenever I graduate, I have a fully functional business to come back to.
So far, EPY has been amazing. It’s incredible to see how many student entrepreneurs there are and the vast variety of side hustles and businesses students are running. Some students doing EPY are at the early stages of their journey, coming up with a business name and logo. Others have been in business 2+ years which is great to have that broad variety and experience to leverage.
One of my favourite parts of EPY is learning about all funding options for small businesses that I wasn’t aware of. It’s been a bonus getting to learn about the things I might have missed, and hearing it from the best in the industry. The speakers that EPY have brought in have been really interesting and engaging and hearing those first-hand insights is much more enriching that Google!
Support and mentorship
Since starting a full-time degree in Business and Education, I have been fortunate to have a great support system in place. My Lecturer, Mary Crossen, has went above and beyond in supporting me – far beyond what is expected of a Lecturer. Additionally, Aisling Reid, helped me figure out what exactly I wanted to do. Both of them have been fantastic mentors, guiding me through the academic side of my journey.
Jackie Smyth, who’s in charge of EPY, has also been extremely supportive. I first reached out to Jackie during my second week of first year and travelled to Coleraine to meet her and find out how I could sign up to EPY. I have been wanting to do EPY since I started university and it’s scary how quickly it comes around.
Emma Donnelly from the university’s Enterprise Hub has always been an incredible support, sharing opportunities, networking events and grants. Having that support network of people pushing you and reassuring you is invaluable.
Ulster University has helped me a lot with my business, sharing various networking events, and resources to grow my business, as well as the Edge Award which has helped me develop my network. The university is really proud of its’ students and they have been more than supportive, which I think is really good because it gives you that push and reassurance that you're doing something right.
Expanding network
Before I launched my business, I thought I was just one snowflake on top of a snowy mountain, but when you get out there and start to meet people, before you know it, you have built a very crucial network. Don't underestimate the size of Northern Ireland – it’s quiet small, but you’re able to make meaningful connections faster.
With the connections I’ve made through Ulster University, I'm planning a programme called ‘The Journey to Self’ in June 2025, where we'll have 30 international students and visitors on a two-week retreat to my home village of Benburb. This programme combines self-discovery, creativity, and cultural exploration. Set in the heart of Benburb, it’s designed to help people connect with their inner selves while engaging with diverse perspectives from around the world. Through activities like yoga, music therapy, creative projects, and visiting iconic Irish landmarks, we explore how creativity and cultural exchange can transform how we see ourselves and our place in the world.
This mirrors the approach I bring to my work at Craig Millar | Digital Marketing & Web Design—using creativity to tell stories, foster connections, and help businesses uncover and express their unique identity. Both the retreat and my business reflect my belief in the power of creativity and cultural connection to inspire meaningful growth and transformation. I've been reaching out to different universities in China, Korea, South Korea, and the US as well. Meeting and networking with people from the Go Succeed Programme and EPY, has also been crucial to my success.
Social Media Awards - Craig
Future Aspirations
I love running my business and I enjoy being known for being different. As I look ahead, I would like to integrate my degree learnings into my company and grow it further - whether that’s working with schools on workshops or teaching people how to effectively use LinkedIn. My goal is to remain self-employed while incorporating an educational element to my business.