James Nathan
James started in the drinks industry and built his career from the ground up.
By 29, he had built and exited his first online wine company. He later bootstrapped and sold a wine subscription business, before helping scale his own IT company across 11 countries.
Since then, he has founded, acquired, advised and invested in several businesses. He has worked with more than 287 brands on customer acquisition and revenue growth, including Leica, NordVPN and Autodoc.
Market Jar came from James having been on the other side of the table. He has invested in marketing himself, built businesses himself, and knows the difference between work that looks busy and work that commercially moves a business forward.
That experience is why James founded Market Jar. The focus is on helping established businesses attract better customers and build a stronger source of inbound demand. The work has to earn its place by making a commercial difference.
James prefers long-term partnerships with businesses he genuinely believes in. Clients have direct access to him, and Market Jar makes a concerted effort to get people away from their desks and get to know the people behind the businesses they work with. A lot of those working relationships have become genuine friendships.
Mark Preston
Mark Preston is a shareholder of Market Jar and its Director of Growth.
Before moving into business, Mark spent more than a decade as a mechanic in agricultural and automotive garages. That practical background still shapes the way he works today.
Since 2001, Mark has built a lead generation business, scaled a multi-office digital agency, and founded a UK marketing franchise network that grew to more than 50 franchisees.
He also helped grow the UK’s largest independent opticians group from 65 locations to more than 500, generating over 50,000 patient appointments a month through organic growth.
At Market Jar, Mark works across strategy and delivery. Alongside James, he helps shape the commercial direction of each partnership and keeps the delivery tied to the outcomes that matter to the business.
He has spent most of his career building businesses, fixing things that are not working, and helping teams focus on the problem that actually needs solving.
Our Standard
Nothing leaves Market Jar unless it earns its place. Every piece of work has to be commercially useful, factually correct, clear enough to act on without someone explaining it, and better than you expected. If it does not meet that, it does not go out. It is also why we cap at 30 clients. Standards slip when volume goes up, so we turn work away instead.
