Better Times

What Better Times does

Better Times Limited is a UK-based public relations and communications services firm established in 1996 and headquartered at Moreton Hall Farm in rural Derbyshire. The company delivers a broad portfolio of communications services — including public relations, crisis management, media management, media training, social media, newsletters, publications, website development, design, event management, marketing, and exhibitions — functioning as an outsourced communications department available on a project or ongoing retainer basis. Its client base is concentrated in the UK public sector, serving Police and Crime Commissioners, criminal justice agencies, local authorities, the NHS, education institutions, social housing organizations, charities, and B2B clients.

The firm operates as a privately held, founder- or management-owned professional services company with no disclosed subsidiaries, external investors, or acquisition history. There is no proprietary technology platform; the firm's customer-facing infrastructure is a Weebly-hosted website, and service delivery is entirely human-led, relying on a multidisciplinary team covering PR, design, social media, and crisis communications. No AI/ML capabilities, APIs, patents, or proprietary data assets are disclosed.

The business model is project- and retainer-based professional services billing, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Go-to-market is relationship-led and consultative, combining direct outreach (phone and email), a website enquiry form, and referral-driven growth within specialist public sector niches. Marketing channels are limited to the company website, organic social media presence, and word-of-mouth within targeted sectors. Operating geography is restricted to England, with no claimed international footprint.

Name

Better Times

Legal name

Better Times Limited

Website

https://bettertimes.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Better Times Limited is a UK-based PR and communications services firm, founded in 1996, providing outsourced public relations, crisis management, media training, and marketing services to public sector clients including police, criminal justice, local authorities, NHS, and charities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations & Communications Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (541820), Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & B2B PR (BPAFADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product & Brand PR (Consumer & B2B) (BPAFADAH), Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK), Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM), Event PR & Communications Support (BPAFADAO)

Keywords

• Public relations services
• Crisis communications
• Media management
• Marketing services
• Public sector communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashbourne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Communications Services: Better Times provides a comprehensive suite of communications and marketing services including public relations, crisis management, media management, social media, publications, websites, event management, and marketing. Services are offered on a project basis or ongoing support contract, positioning the firm as a scalable department for clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Better Times is a PR and communications services company that delivers public relations, crisis management, media management, media training, newsletters, social media, customer service management, publications, websites, media placement, design, event management, marketing, and exhibitions services. Offerings are sold as discrete contracted engagements or ongoing support arrangements to organisations in the public sector, third sector, and business-to-business markets, effectively functioning as a complete outsourced communications department available on demand.

Product overview

Better Times is a PR and communications services company offering a comprehensive suite of service modules rather than a single unified software product. The company provides Public Relations, Crisis Management, Media Management, Media Training, Newsletters, Social Media management, Customer Service Management, Publications, Websites, Media Placement, Design, Event Management, Marketing, and Exhibitions services. These services are designed to function as a complete in-house communications department available to clients on a project or ongoing support basis, serving sectors including policing/governance, local authorities, NHS, education, arts, social housing, criminal justice agencies, charities, and business-to-business clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Relations
• Crisis Management
• Media Management
• Media Training
• Newsletters
• Social Media
• Customer Service Management
• Publications
• Websites
• Media Placement
• Design
• Event Management
• Marketing
• Exhibitions

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• MHP Communications: UK-based strategic communications and public affairs agency working with public sector, corporate and charity clients on media relations, crisis and policy communications — directly competes with Better Times in B2B and public-sector PR.
• Instinctif Partners: UK public-affairs and corporate communications firm with deep public-sector and B2B practice; offers media, crisis and stakeholder communications comparable to Better Times' service stack.
• Portland Communications: UK strategic communications and public affairs consultancy serving government, regulatory and corporate clients — comparable in client mix and service offering to Better Times.
• Citigate Dewe Rogerson: UK financial and public-affairs PR firm serving public-sector, corporate and charity clients — comparable mid-sized UK agency competing in same verticals.
• Hanover Communications: UK health and public-affairs PR agency serving NHS, government and B2B clients with communications strategy, media relations and stakeholder engagement — direct competitor in the same Better Times verticals.
• Brands2Life: UK B2B PR and content agency serving technology and professional services clients; comparable as a mid-sized UK PR firm offering media relations, content and integrated communications.

Broad incumbents

• BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) UK: Global communications agency with a strong UK public-sector and corporate practice offering PR, crisis and public affairs - a broader incumbent that competes with Better Times for larger mandates.
• FleishmanHillard UK: Large global PR network with UK office serving public sector, healthcare and B2B clients across media relations, crisis and integrated communications — broader incumbent competing for mid-to-large retainers.
• Grayling UK: International communications consultancy with UK public-sector, corporate and B2B practice offering media relations, events and integrated marketing communications.

Emerging players

• Babel PR: UK-based PR agency focused on technology, B2B and digital-native clients — partially comparable to Better Times' B2B and event/services work but skewed toward tech sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TCGadvertisingdesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Better Times