Graeme Donnelly

Go-getter
DISC Type : d

Founder at 1st Formations

United Kingdom

Overview

Graeme Donnelly is the Founder and CEO of 1st Formations and BSQ Group, a leading UK company formation service. With over 35 years of experience, he is dedicated to simplifying the process of starting a business, having helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs. Colleagues describe him as a visionary, inventive, and dedicated leader.

Outside of work, Graeme draws inspiration from classic literature, business philosophy, and films. He enjoys reading crime novels, such as those by Elmore Leonard, and often uses quotes and analogies from books and movies to illustrate his business principles and share practical wisdom with other founders.

Graeme follows his grandmothers advice: "Never do business with anyone you meet in a pub, ” seeing it as a reminder to not confuse friendship with proven capability.

Personality Overview

Direct & Candid

Vision Oriented

Fast-Paced

They care equally about the product and its potential impact.  They respond well to confident salespeople. They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles.

Topics They Care About

Empowering Entrepreneurs
Has spent his 35+ year career building businesses like 1st Formations with the express purpose of helping entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies.
Business Philosophy
Frequently shares insights on leadership and growth, drawing from personal experience and thought leaders like Reid Hoffman to guide other founders.
Customer Experience
Demonstrates a hands-on approach to improving customer interactions, such as personally questioning and refining his company's standard onboarding emails to ensure they are genuinely helpful.

Media Appearances

Founders Story – Graeme Donnelly, Founder of 1st Formations. Featured in 1st Formations

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Brexit hasn't impacted non‑Brits forming UK companies, but e‑commerce is booming – interview with 1st Formations CEO Graeme Donnelly. Featured in Investment Monitor

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Work History

1-2014
Founder at 1st Formations
1-2014
Founder and CEO at 1st Formations
5-2025
Founder at Linnear Legal
3-2023
Founder at 71-75 Ltd
10-2020
Founder at Linnear COSEC

Education

9-1978 - 5-1982
Bachelor of Science - BS from Glasgow Caledonian University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 26 Location : United Kingdom Job Level : Leadership Designation : Founder at 1st Formations
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Insights For Selling To Graeme

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Tell them that you are there to help them create visible impact within their organization
  • Stress on the business value that your product offers
  • Make sure that you you respond to any queries from them quickly

DONT's

  • Avoid long winding pitches, stay objective
  • Do not give up if they are not convinced, try again with a different approach
  • Refrain from asking too many questions

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Graeme is

  • Confidence in the product plays an important role, followed by powerful testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Graeme

  • They might hesitate a little, but they will say no if they are not convinced.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Graeme move?

  • They are neither the fastest decision makers nor the slowest.
  • Can Graeme take some risk or not?

  • Once they have analyzed the pros and cons, they can take some risks.

You And Graeme

Personality Compatibility


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