What do you do when 12 years of building gets wiped out overnight?

For Nicolas Manuel, Founder of Aim Graphics London, that nightmare became reality. After building a multi-million-pound family print and signage business, a combination of bad debts, soaring material costs, and the Russia-Ukraine war led to its collapse almost overnight.

But instead of staying down, Nick fought back. Within just 12 months, he rebuilt from zero to seven figures — all while carrying the weight of personal guarantees, family responsibility, and the lessons of painful failure.

In this episode of the Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins sits down with Nicolas to reveal the hard-earned lessons of resilience, scaling under pressure, and why systems and financial controls are non-negotiable for any founder who wants to survive and thrive.

Key Takeaways

• Collapse to Comeback: Why business failure doesn’t have to define you — it can fuel your most successful chapter.
• Systems over Stress: The hidden cost of not having financial forecasting and operational controls in place.
• Rebuilding at Speed: How Nicolas rebounded to seven figures in under 12 months by focusing on core systems, leverage, and team culture.
• The “Yes Team” Mentality: Why building a client-first, can-do culture is the ultimate differentiator when scaling.
• Resilience is a Skill: Health, mindset, and being part of a supportive community are what get you through the darkest days of entrepreneurship.
• Sales First: Founders should delay stepping out of sales too early — being able to sell remains the ultimate survival skill.

About Nicolas Manuel

Nicolas Manuel is a creative entrepreneur and the founder of Aim Graphics London and Trade Workspace Films, businesses dedicated to simplifying print, signage, and production services with speed, flexibility, and a client-first culture.

Starting as a teenage apprentice in the signage industry, Nicolas worked his way into the high-pressure world of London’s creative agencies, serving major brands from Nintendo to Virgin. After co-founding and growing his own family print business to nearly £3m turnover, he endured the devastating collapse of the company during Covid’s aftermath and the global cost crisis.

Learning from failure, Nicolas rebuilt stronger and faster — scaling Aim Graphics back to seven figures in just 12 months, with a renewed focus on systems, forecasting, and the “Yes Team” mindset that defines his client relationships.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Nicolas Manuel on LinkedIn → linkedin.com
• Discover Aim Graphics London → aim-graphics.co.uk
• Follow Paul Avins for Scale Up insights → linkedin.com/in/paulavins
• Build a grown-up business at the Scale Up Retreat → paulavins.com

Next Steps

Action Now: Write down the 3 actions from this episode you’ll apply in your business over the next 72 hours.

Think bigger: Do you have the right systems and forecasting in place, or are you relying on luck? Start strengthening your foundation now — get your free resources at Paul Avins

Scale Up: Get actionable tips from Paul in your inbox every Saturday, Subscribe to Scale Up Saturday Newsletter

Level Up: Book a Call with Paul and Get ready to level up your business and transform your life!