About.
Ayup! My name’s Mike Hindle. I’m a local SEO specialist and the founder of Clearcut Derby and Leaflet Lion.
We’re a small (yet mighty) leaflet printing and distribution team covering the Nottingham, Leicester and Derby areas. This year, we’re celebrating ten years in business and have also added a new range of digital services.
2014 – Set up Clearcut Leaflet Distribution
2018 – Set up Clearcut Print Studio
2020 – Combined the two as Clearcut Derby
2024 – Added SEO & web design services
2024 – Set up Leaflet Lion in Nottingham
About our journey…
2014 – Where it all started 10 years ago
Back in May 2014, what was then known as Clearcut Leaflet Distribution was our version of we have no idea what we’re doing, let’s go for it.
Our first logo still gives me nightmares to this day. The company was initially set up with my good friend, Geoff, who had some limited business experience, while I’d previously worked a second job as a distributor.
We were both working full-time during the days, building Clearcut up on our evenings and days off.
2018 – Then we found our feet (a little too quickly)
We’d started getting busy and the positive feedback was rolling in. So then, in August 2018 we also set up a separate graphic design and commercial print business named Clearcut Print Studio.
At this time, I was still very much learning as I go. This business failed pretty epically. The timing was off, and we quickly realised that the two businesses could all be under one roof.
2020 – Figuring it out with Clearcut Derby
In September 2020, Clearcut Derby brought both businesses together. A new focus that initially stuck to our distribution roots, with added flyer and leaflet printing services.
Our website is powered entirely by green, renewable energy. We only print on 100% sustainable paper stocks, and together with our other business, we plant 144 trees every year.
Furthermore, we’re a Stripe Climate member; we donate 1% of our turnover towards funding the next generation of carbon removal.
Geoff’s now working on a separate entrepreneurial venture, meaning the business now consists of myself and six legendary distributors. We work regularly with political parties, local councils, event organisers and businesses of all sizes.
About 2024
This year, we’ve introduced local SEO and web design to complement our popular print marketing service.
This follows ten years of designing, building and optimising our own websites, as well as ranking them on Google. Our websites bring in 100% of new customers and clients, which is exactly what we’re now helping businesses just like yours achieve.
We also branched out into Nottingham with a completely fresh brand, Leaflet Lion. Although we’ve always covered our neighbouring city, Leaflet Lion is a fully dedicated website, office and team for the good people of Nottingham and Mansfield.