What Emphasis Training does

Emphasis Training Ltd is a UK-based business communication and writing training company founded in 1998 (registered 2000) by Rob Ashton and headquartered in Hove, Brighton and Hove. The firm serves private and public sector organisations across 32+ countries, with named clients including HSBC, EY, Barclays, Deloitte, PwC, Nestlé, Marks & Spencer, NHS, Environment Agency, Linklaters, Burness Paull, and The King's Fund. Emphasis positions itself as a specialist, practitioner-led alternative to generic corporate trainers, employing seasoned journalists, editors, and communications specialists rather than career trainers.

The core product set spans in-house bespoke training, scheduled open courses, self-paced e-learning, remote/virtual learning, executive coaching, bid consulting, editing and proofreading, ghostwriting, and style-guide development. Its technical and methodological anchor is the proprietary 15-Point Writing Analysis diagnostic — a pre-course assessment scoring delegate writing across 15 dimensions — supported by 'The Write Stuff' in-house style guide (now in its fifth edition). Delivery is supported through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Wistia/YouTube for video, HubSpot for CRM, and Stripe for payments via the Administrate platform. Recently launched courses on AI-assisted writing (e.g., 'High-impact business writing with AI') and a refreshed 'human-centred, AI-enhanced' positioning reflect an attempt to ride the generative-AI shift.

Emphasis operates a B2B sales-led model with enterprise field sales for bespoke in-house programmes (£3,000–£3,900 per course for 8–10 delegates, £300–£390 per delegate), supplemented by self-serve open courses at £495 per person and a £150 lifetime-access e-learning product. The company is privately held and bootstrapped under founder Rob Ashton, with Luke Orme as CEO; the team is reported at 11–50, drawing on freelance associate trainers. Scale markers include 80,000–90,000 professionals trained, 1,000+ organisations served, 6,000+ online learners over 10+ years, and recurring engagement from FTSE-grade enterprises and UK public-sector bodies.

Name

Emphasis Training

Legal name

Emphasis Training Ltd

Website

https://writing-skills.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emphasis Training is a UK-based business writing and communication training company delivering bespoke in-house courses, open courses, e-learning, and consultancy services to more than 1,000 private and public sector organisations across 32 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hove

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Scheduled Open Courses: Individual places on trainer-led courses scheduled in advance. Open to anyone to book. Includes unique writing analysis.
2. In-House/Bespoke Corporate Training: Tailored training programmes built around client organisation's specific documents, challenges, and style. Includes pre-course analysis, small-group sessions, coaching, and follow-up support.
3. E-Learning Programme: Self-paced online learning with lifetime access. The complete business writer programme with 52 modules of microlearning content.
4. Professional Business Writing Services: Expert writers produce content for clients including thought leadership, white papers, factsheets, blog posts, website copy, press releases, presentations, and speeches.
5. Bid Consulting Services: Bespoke bid consultancy including proposal analysis, win strategy workshops, value proposition development, review management, and independent proposal review.
6. Editing and Proofreading Services: Professional editing and proofreading for company documents, including editing with feedback for learning purposes.
7. Executive Coaching: One-to-one confidential business-writing training delivered worldwide, face-to-face or remotely, for senior executives.
8. Bespoke Webinars: Short, targeted online sessions (60-90 minutes) to engage and educate teams on specific communication topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Emphasis Training is a UK-based communication and business writing training company that delivers in-house bespoke courses, scheduled open courses, self-paced e-learning, executive coaching, editing and proofreading, and bid consulting services. The company also produces a proprietary 15-point writing analysis diagnostic and an in-house style guide (The Write Stuff) used to personalise training for private and public sector organisations across 32+ countries.

Product overview

Emphasis Training offers a comprehensive suite of communication skills training products and services, with its core offerings built around in-house training courses, scheduled open courses, and self-paced e-learning. The company provides over 30 distinct training courses covering business writing, bids and proposals, board reporting, policy writing, storytelling, email writing, and technical writing. A key differentiator is their proprietary 15-point writing analysis tool that personalizes training to individual delegates. Additional services include coaching clinics, executive coaching, editing and proofreading, bid consulting, proposal analysis, bespoke webinars, style guide development, and professional writing services. The company has increasingly integrated AI tools into course offerings, teaching professionals how to leverage generative AI while maintaining human-centered communication quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-House Training Courses Tailored, trainer-led business writing and communication training programmes delivered at client organisation sites, built around the client's own documents and challenges. Designed for corporate teams of 8-10 delegates requiring bespoke, in-person learning.
• Scheduled Open Courses Pre-scheduled, trainer-led courses on business writing topics available to individual professionals via website booking, including the proprietary writing analysis.
• Self-Paced Online Learning Self-paced e-learning programme called The Complete Business Writer, comprising 52 microlearning modules on business writing, with lifetime access for individual subscribers.
• Remote/Virtual Learning Live, interactive trainer-led training sessions delivered remotely via video conferencing platforms with full interactivity equivalent to in-person delivery, for global enterprise clients.
• Executive Coaching Programmes Confidential one-to-one business writing training and coaching for senior executives delivered worldwide, either face-to-face or remotely, with personalised curriculum.
• Coaching Clinics Intensive one-to-one coaching sessions in which expert trainers walk delegates through their personal writing analysis results and provide targeted feedback and improvement recommendations.
• Editing and Proofreading Services Professional document editing, proofreading, and template optimisation services for client communications such as policies, proposals, reports, and customer correspondence, available with optional learning feedback.
• Bid Consulting Bespoke bid and proposal consultancy for organisations, covering win strategy workshops, proposal analysis, value proposition development, review management, and independent proposal review to improve bid win rates.
• Bespoke Webinars Short, targeted online training sessions (60-90 minutes) designed to engage and educate teams on specific business communication topics, available as standalone offerings or as tasters within larger programmes.
• Style Guide Development Consultative service in which Emphasis creates bespoke organisational style guides based on its proprietary Write Stuff guide, tailored to client terminology, tone of voice, and industry requirements.
• Professional Business Writing Services Ghostwriting and content creation services in which Emphasis's expert writers produce thought leadership, white papers, factsheets, blog posts, website copy, press releases, presentations, and speeches for clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Strategy document revisions reduced from 56 to 4 at Shawbrook Bank
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• StripeminorOthersPayment processing platform used for online payments via Administrate. Handles credit/debit card transactions for course bookings and e-learning purchases.
• Zoom/Microsoft TeamscoreTechnology or IntegrationVirtual classroom platforms used to deliver remote learning programmes. Emphasis is an expert in training via all main platforms for virtual-classroom learning.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dale Carnegie Training: Globalised training franchise focused on business communication, presentation, and leadership skills; offers in-house and open courses through a worldwide licensee network. Similar methodology-led, practitioner-trainer approach.
• The Knowledge Academy: UK-based training provider delivering business, leadership, and professional development courses across formats including in-house and open schedules. Competes directly on the same open-course and in-house bespoke model.
• Reed Learning: UK corporate training arm of Reed, offering accredited professional development and bespoke in-house programmes to enterprise clients. Overlaps with Emphasis on in-house delivery and CPD-accredited courses.
• Focus on Training: UK-based corporate training provider offering in-house and open courses across business, IT, and management topics. Comparable open-course pricing and in-house bespoke delivery model.
• Mind Tools: Subscription-based business skills content and training platform covering communication, leadership, and productivity. Overlaps with Emphasis's e-learning subscription and core business-writing skill topics.
• Wilson Learning: Global corporate training company delivering sales, leadership, and communication programmes to enterprises. Comparable in delivering bespoke, methodology-backed B2B training across international markets.
• Hemsley Fraser: UK-based corporate training provider offering communication, leadership, and business skills courses to enterprise and public-sector clients. Closest direct competitor in the UK bespoke training market with overlapping course catalogue.
• AchieveForum: US-headquartered provider of business communication, leadership, and sales training delivered through in-house bespoke programmes and coaching. Directly competitive in the enterprise business-communication training niche.

Broad incumbents

• Skillsoft: Global corporate learning platform offering content, courses, and AI-driven coaching across business, leadership, and technology. Broader scale and content library than Emphasis but overlaps in the business communication training segment.
• LinkedIn Learning: Mass-market online learning library with broad business, writing, and communication courses delivered via subscription. Adjacent competitor in self-paced business-writing learning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EmphasisWriting
• Facebookfacebook.com/EmphasisTraining
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emphasis-training-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emphasis Training