Jonny turns his passion into his profession

Jonny’s passion is gaming and with help from Triage, the TVCA Tees Valley Entrepreneurs and Expertise funding, he has made his dream a reality. 

Working full-time didn’t stop Jonny – he poured every minute of his free time into bringing Whizkin Games to life.

A £1,000 grant allowed Jonny to promote his first game release – ZetaZania Part One – through targeted Instagram adverts. Whizkin Games soon began engaging with gamers in Canada, America, France and Germany. 

“This social media presence allowed Whizkin Games to gain a greater insight into the needs of our customers – their age, interests, location, and this research meant we could be more targeted with regards to our advertising,” said Jonny, Whizkin owner and founder. 

“An important element of success is continuing to identify the needs of our customers and adapting our social media strategy and content to address these needs,” said Jonny. 

“It can be very lonely setting up a business but having friendly, supportive and experienced mentors who will listen to your needs and provide valuable advice will make the process a lot more enjoyable,” continued Jonny.  

Steph Campbell, Triage Self-Employment Adviser, said: “It is fantastic to work with such a receptive, hardworking and creative person like Jonny. His enthusiasm is infectious and it’s wonderful to see his hard work starting to pay off. I can’t wait to see Whizkin continue to make its mark on the gaming industry.”

Now established, Whizkin Games plans to create a studio in Hartlepool and hopes to be in a position to bring valuable employment opportunities to the local area by 2026. Jonny is also keen to give back and is aiming to offer work experience placements to help students gain the skills needed to progress in the sector.