Nadeem Azam has been at the cutting edge of entrepreneurship for over 40 years and generated over £1.6 billion in sales for clients during his career.

He is also an experienced writer, having had his work extensively published in local and national press in the UK as well as several magazines and academic journals. His fiction and non-fiction is studied in schools and universities in the United States, Germany and other countries.

Nadeem Azam founded Azam Marketing, the world's first full-service pure-play internet marketing and design agency in 1997.

The company is headquartered in Bloomsbury in central London and its corporate website is at https://www.azam.net.

Nadeem was a successful computer programmer in the 1980s during his childhood. In the 1990s, alongside his entrepreneurial initiatives in the IT field, he also enjoyed an acclaimed career as a writer and sub-editor at various British newspapers, magazines and journals.

Nadeem foresaw the decline of 'old media' and decided to pioneer an online business. Still thriving after 29 years, Azam Marketing specialises in social media, search, email, and performance marketing, as well as website design and development, digital and print design, and business consultancy services.

The multi-award-winning agency has a roster of clients in 32 countries around the world. These range from corporations such as Disney, Coca-Cola, Hilton, Warner Bros., Nike, Philips, Unilever and BT, to small and medium-sized companies and start-up businesses.

Nadeem is often invited to be interviewed on television and radio stations around the world to share his expertise and is a highly-rated public speaker. This includes the likes of the BBC, where he has been interviewed multiple times on television and radio, and Sky News.

Let's begin with a little introduction: tell our readers a bit about yourself and Azam Marketing.

I started working for my father's business when I was eight years old and have never gotten off the treadmill of entrepreneurship since then.

I have always been passionate about information technology. I would programme computer games as a teenager and had considerable success selling them. After building my experience in publishing and IT, I launched Azam Marketing, the world's first full-service pure-play internet marketing and design agency in 1997.

29 years later, I am still CEO of Azam Marketing. We specialise in search, email, social media, and performance marketing, as well as website development, digital and print design, business consulting, and corporate training.

We now have clients in 32 countries around the world. Our roll of clients has ranged from corporations such as Disney, Coca-Cola, Hilton, Warner Bros., Nike, Philips, Unilever, and BT, to small and medium-sized companies and start-up businesses.

The business landscape continues to evolve rapidly. In your experience, what can businesses do to prosper in 2026?

The challenges of running a business have taught me a lot about the importance of resilience, adaptability and innovation. Businesses that are able to embrace these qualities will be well-positioned to succeed in 2026 and beyond.

Here are four key lessons for business success:

(1) Be adaptable: Businesses that can quickly adapt to changing circumstances are more likely to thrive. We continue to face economic uncertainty and, therefore, businesses should be flexible and adaptable, anticipating changes in the market and responding accordingly.

(2) Embrace digitalisation: The ongoing shift towards digitalisation means businesses must invest in technology and digital tools to stay competitive. Azam Marketing's most successful clients are those organisations that embrace digital transformation.

(3) Prioritise customer experience: Economic pressures have resulted in people becoming more selective and discerning about where they spend their money. In 2026 and beyond, businesses should prioritise customer experience by offering personalised, seamless, and convenient experiences.

(4) Build resilience: It's crucial to build resilience in the face of unexpected challenges. Businesses should build resilience by diversifying their revenue streams, building strong partnerships and relationships, and investing in their employees' wellbeing and development.

The economy continues to evolve. What should businesses focus on in 2026?

Businesses should focus on building and structuring their operations for long-term sustainability. I believe there are three specific areas businesses should focus on in 2026 and beyond, where relevant to them:

(1) Digital transformation: The shift to digital technologies and flexible working continues to accelerate. Businesses should focus on digital transformation, investing in technologies and tools that can help them streamline their operations, improve efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

(2) Supply chain management: Global supply chains face ongoing challenges. Businesses should focus on building resilient supply chains by diversifying suppliers, reducing reliance on a single geographic region, and investing in technology and processes that can improve visibility and efficiency.

(3) Customer experience: Consumer behaviour and expectations continue to evolve. Businesses should focus on providing seamless and personalised customer experiences. Using data and analytics will help you better understand customer needs and preferences.

Many businesses have embraced flexible working. What are the pros and cons of working from home and have you any first-hand experience?

In nearly three decades of running Azam Marketing, we have tried different models of working, from full remote to full in-office to hybrid. We now adopt a flexible model.

The four key factors we consider are (1) the needs of clients, (2) the needs of staff, (3) productivity, and (4) employee wellbeing.

When I work from home, on the plus side I find I work more productively. I can focus on my work without as many distractions. However, running a company, I need to have very regular contact with my staff, clients, and business partners, and I don't enjoy communicating with them only or mainly via email, telephone calls and Zoom meetings. I much prefer face-to-face contact. Therefore, personally, I am at my happiest when my colleagues and I are shooting the breeze in person!

Economic pressures continue to affect businesses. How can business owners combat inflation and what strategies have you employed?

Inflation has been at or near its highest rate in many years in quite a few countries and it can be devastating for businesses.

Businesses need to do everything possible to tackle its persistence and maintain their margins. Some strategies they can employ include:

Negotiating prices: renegotiating and negotiating prices with suppliers or vendors of goods and services can help to mitigate the effects of inflation.

Adjust prices: businesses can adjust prices to reflect the increased cost of goods and services.

Trim the fat: ruthlessly reduce unnecessary expenditure. Azam Marketing has helped clients to slash their outgoings on things like Content Management Systems, Email Service Providers, telecommunications, advertising spend, etc. We have, for instance, procured similar tools and technologies to what they were previously using for them at much reduced costs. Or we have used our expertise to optimise their marketing campaigns to generate superior Return on Investments. We have saved some clients hundreds or thousands of pounds a month!

In recent years, we've seen the rise of Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, NFTs, digital marketing and many more developments. What do you think will impact online selling most?

One of the biggest impacts on online selling in the coming years is likely to be the continued growth and adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.

Blockchain technology enables secure and transparent transactions, making it an ideal solution for e-commerce platforms and online marketplaces. Cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum provide an alternative payment method that offers fast and low-cost transactions without the need for intermediaries such as banks or payment processors.

Another trend that is likely to have a significant impact on online selling is the continued rise of social media commerce and social commerce platforms. For Azam Marketing's clients, social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are growing in importance by the month, leading to ever-increasing sales.

In China, gargantuan volumes of sales occur within social media and communications apps, also known as 'Super Apps', such as WeChat. The ratio of eyeballs to sales in the equivalent apps in Europe and North America is considerably less – for instance, there are comparatively minuscule ratios of sales happening in WhatsApp – and therefore I see this as a huge avenue for growth in many parts of the world.

If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

A tough question to only pick three!

I would choose these three figures from history:

Sun Tzu – the ancient Chinese military general and strategist. He is best known as the author of 'The Art of War', a treatise on military strategy, which is still studied in military academies around the world. I was intrigued by his book and would find it fascinating to have a conversation with this master tactician.

Alexander the Great – this Macedonian needs no introduction and was another formidable military strategist of course. I don't think he'd enjoy his meal as I'd be firing questions at him to try to get an understanding of what made him the mind-blowing force he was.

Jesus (peace be upon him) – talking of incredible figures, despite all the millions of words that have been written about him, we know relatively little about Jesus. For instance, the Gospels don't tell us much about his childhood. I'd give my right arm to know what made him the extraordinary being he was, what actually happened in his life, and the reality of the last few days of his tenure in this world.

Reading is still one of the most popular ways to learn. What books would you most recommend and what did you learn from them?

David Allen's Getting Things Done has spawned a whole industry within the field of productivity. The seminal guide has transformed the way I work. It has taught me to be much more effective and productive and to do my tasks while feeling less overwhelmed.

Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning is another of my favourite books. Frankl was a prominent Viennese psychiatrist but was interred in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps. It is a remarkable tribute to hope and offers us an avenue to finding greater meaning and purpose in our own lives.

What is your purpose for getting out of bed each day and what do you aim to achieve in the future?

Our time on this earth is limited. Therefore, we need to make each and every day count. My raison d'être is to play whatever part I can in making this world a better place and a key ingredient of that is enthusiastically supporting my fellow human beings along their journeys in life.

On a professional level, I try to do everything I possibly can to enable my colleagues and clients to prosper. For instance, Azam Marketing spends a significant amount of resources on teaching staff skills they would like to learn. I get tremendous satisfaction when I see clients and colleagues succeed in their goals, whatever they may be.

Outside of the world of work, I spend as much time as I possibly can trying to help others. By way of example, I look after three elderly people who are aged between 75 and 90 who live by themselves and don't have anyone else to support them.

I fall short of what I would like to be able to do for others, but my biggest source of joy is putting a smile on other people's faces. For instance, people joke that I am the biggest giver of gifts and cards on the planet (I don't think I am!). Indeed, a few of my friends have banned me from giving them gifts and cards, saying I should instead focus on getting things for myself. However, my philosophy is to prioritise serving and spending on others.

In terms of the future, Azam Marketing has hugely ambitious plans. The agency has been developing clever tools and technologies behind the scenes. For instance, one of them will enable them to drive more sales, at a lower cost, for clients through targeted organic and paid social media campaigns.

The company's strapline since day one has been "Simply Results" and delivering superlative results is their obsession. Nadeem says he is looking forward to continuing to delight clients by exceeding their expectations and producing astounding results as the agency is renowned for.