Creative Pod Wins Prestigious Fair Payment Code Gold Award for Ethical Business Practices

Published on: 14 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 14 Mar, 2025

Creative Pod, the Crawley-based marketing agency with ties to Guildford businesses, has secured the prestigious Fair Payment Code (FPC) Gold Award, a recognition managed by the Office of the Small Business Commissioner on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

The award acknowledges the agency’s commitment to best payment practices, ensuring at least 95 per cent of invoices are settled within 30 days.

This milestone is particularly significant given the challenges small businesses face with late payments, which disrupt cash flow and can threaten the survival of enterprises.

In 2023, 15 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses cited cash flow issues and late payments as major obstacles. Creative Pod’s achievement highlights the crucial role of fair and prompt payments in building a thriving and sustainable business environment, particularly for companies in the Guildford area that work with the agency.

Founder and CEO Matt Turner, who started the company from his bedroom 19 years ago, emphasized the importance of financial responsibility:

“I’m incredibly proud to receive the Gold Award for The Fair Payment Code. As an Export Champion dedicated to sharing my expertise in international trade, I believe fostering a culture of fair payment is not just beneficial for local businesses – it strengthens global economies. Fair and timely payments create a more sustainable and thriving business environment, both at home and abroad.”

This recognition not only reinforces Creative Pod’s reputation as an ethical and responsible business but also positions it as a leader in setting payment standards across the marketing and design industry.

Liz Barclay, Small Business Commissioner, commended the company for embedding a culture of fair payment: “Congratulations to Creative Pod on their Gold Fair Payment Code Award. Everyone benefits when suppliers are paid quickly and fairly, and they thrive. Embedding a culture of fair payment practices in your business is good for your own bottom line as well as for the economy, communities, and wider society.”

With Creative Pod’s growing client base, which includes businesses in Guildford as well as the wider Southeast, London, and even the United Arab Emirates, its commitment to prompt payments serves as a benchmark for businesses striving for ethical and financially responsible operations.