DiligenceAI — Notorious Online

KYCO: Know Your Company

Reveal Profile

22 October 2025

1) Overview of the Company

Notorious Online Limited is a private digital marketing agency founded in July 2020 and headquartered in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom. The company operates as an advertising agency under SIC code 73110 and provides specialized digital marketing services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in the B2B technology sector.

The company offers a comprehensive range of digital services including search engine optimization (SEO), website design and development, Website as a Service (WaaS), social media marketing, design and branding services, and strategic digital marketing consulting. Notorious Online positions itself as helping businesses “grow online” through integrated digital campaigns that enhance brand visibility and drive customer acquisition.

Sam William Rose serves as the company’s founder and sole director, maintaining 75% or more ownership of voting rights and shares. Rose established the company with core principles of being commercially-focused, transparent, and maintaining an entrepreneurial approach to client relationships. The company operates from Elizabeth Court, Church Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, with telephone contact at 01789 339544.

Notorious Online has developed a client portfolio that includes technology companies such as Terra Computer UK, Techsol Group, Cleartec, and Ekleer, focusing particularly on IT service providers and technology distributors. The company’s strategic approach centers on creating customer avatars, developing clear business messaging, and implementing outcome-based digital marketing strategies with measurable ROI expectations.

The company maintains an active online presence through its website notorious.online and LinkedIn social media channels, showcasing case studies and client testimonials that demonstrate successful SEO campaigns and website development projects. Notable client achievements include helping Techsol Group achieve the number one Google ranking for “IT Support Cardiff” and generating a 364% increase in web traffic along with 58 business leads over a 12-month period.

2) History

Notorious Online Limited was incorporated on July 22, 2020, with Sam William Rose as the founding director and sole shareholder. The company was established with an initial share capital of £100 and registered its first office address at 4 Scar Bank, Warwick, Warwickshire.

The company’s founding reflected Rose’s vision to address what he perceived as inadequate service standards in the website and online marketing industry for small businesses. Rose wanted to establish an agency that would genuinely understand businesses and their goals, moving away from traditional industry practices that he felt did not serve SMEs effectively. The company was created with core principles of being transparent, commercially-focused, and maintaining an entrepreneurial approach to client relationships.

During its first year of operation through July 2021, Notorious Online filed its initial micro company accounts and confirmation statement, establishing its operational framework and regulatory compliance structure. The company maintained its original registered address in Warwick during this initial period.

In April 2022, Notorious Online relocated its registered office from 4 Scar Bank, Warwick to Elizabeth Court, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, marking a strategic move to its current headquarters location. This relocation coincided with a brief period of management expansion when Nigel John Harrison was appointed as a director on April 26, 2022.

The company experienced a short-lived management restructuring in 2022, with Harrison’s directorship terminating on July 14, 2022, after serving approximately two and a half months. Harrison was subsequently reappointed as director on April 22, 2022, but his tenure ended permanently on January 10, 2023, leaving Sam Rose as the sole director and maintaining the company’s original leadership structure.

Throughout 2023 and 2024, Notorious Online has continued its steady growth trajectory under Rose’s singular leadership, filing regular confirmation statements and micro company accounts. The company has maintained consistent regulatory compliance, with its most recent confirmation statement filed on July 29, 2025, demonstrating ongoing operational stability and adherence to statutory requirements.

Since its founding in July 2020, Notorious Online has established itself as a specialized digital marketing agency serving SMEs, particularly in the B2B technology sector, while maintaining its original headquarters location in Stratford-upon-Avon and its core founding principles of transparency and commercial focus.

3) Key Executives

Sam William Rose serves as the founder and sole director of Notorious Online Limited. Born in September 1995, Rose established the company in July 2020 with core principles of being commercially-focused, transparent, and maintaining an entrepreneurial approach to client relationships. He maintains 75% or more ownership of voting rights and shares in the company, holding British nationality and residing in England. Rose’s educational background includes attendance at Princethorpe College from 2009 to 2012.

Ruth Layson holds the position of Creative Director and Project Manager at Notorious Online. She is responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of client projects and managing project execution from conception to completion. Layson’s role encompasses ensuring the visual and creative elements of digital marketing campaigns align with client objectives and brand standards.

Elliott Bear serves as SEO & CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) specialist and Digital Strategy Consultant. Bear focuses on search engine optimization strategies and digital marketing consulting, helping clients improve their online visibility and conversion rates. His expertise spans technical SEO implementation and strategic digital marketing planning for small and medium-sized enterprises.

George Martin works as a Sales Executive at Notorious Online, specializing in providing effective digital marketing solutions that are guaranteed to generate leads for small businesses at bespoke, affordable price points. Martin’s role involves client acquisition and ensuring that digital marketing services deliver measurable results for SME clients across various sectors.

Carys Dale also serves as a Sales Executive at Notorious Online, working alongside the sales team to develop new business relationships and provide digital marketing solutions to prospective clients. Dale contributes to the company’s client acquisition efforts and helps maintain the company’s focus on serving small and medium-sized enterprises in the B2B technology sector.

4) Ownership

Notorious Online Limited operates as a privately held company under a concentrated ownership structure with Sam William Rose maintaining majority control since its incorporation in July 2020. Rose holds 75% or more of both voting rights and shares in the company, establishing him as the controlling shareholder and sole person with significant control over the organization.

The company’s ownership structure has remained stable throughout its operational history, with no changes to the shareholding arrangements recorded since incorporation. Rose’s dominant ownership position grants him the right to appoint or remove directors, providing him with comprehensive control over the company’s strategic direction and operational decisions.

During 2022, Notorious Online experienced a brief period of expanded management when Nigel John Harrison was appointed as director on two separate occasions. Harrison first served as director from April 26, 2022, to July 14, 2022, and was subsequently reappointed on April 22, 2022, serving until January 10, 2023. However, these directorship appointments did not involve any transfer of ownership or dilution of Rose’s controlling interest in the company.

The company was incorporated with an initial share capital of £100, and no subsequent share issuances or capital restructuring activities have been recorded in the public filings. This indicates that the ownership structure established at incorporation has remained unchanged, with Rose maintaining his substantial majority holding.

As a private limited company, Notorious Online is not subject to public listing requirements or external investor pressures that typically characterize publicly traded entities. The concentrated ownership structure under Rose’s control enables rapid decision-making and strategic flexibility, which aligns with the company’s positioning as an entrepreneurial digital marketing agency serving small and medium-sized enterprises.

No external investors, private equity firms, or venture capital organizations have been recorded as shareholders in the company’s public filings. The ownership remains entirely with Rose, reflecting a bootstrap approach to business development without external equity financing. This ownership concentration allows Rose to maintain complete strategic and operational autonomy while building the company’s client base and service offerings in the competitive digital marketing sector.

5) Financial Position

Financial information for Notorious Online Limited is limited as the company files micro company accounts that provide minimal disclosure requirements under UK accounting standards. As a private limited company incorporated in July 2020 with an initial share capital of £100, the company operates under the micro-entity reporting framework which requires only basic balance sheet information without detailed profit and loss disclosures.

The company’s most recent filings with Companies House indicate continued compliance with statutory reporting requirements, with regular submission of confirmation statements and micro company accounts demonstrating ongoing operational activity. However, the micro company filing exemptions mean that detailed revenue, profitability, cash flow, and expense information is not publicly available.

Based on the company’s operational scope as a specialized digital marketing agency serving small and medium-sized enterprises, the business model appears to generate revenue through retainer-based digital marketing services, project-based website development, and Website as a Service (WaaS) recurring subscriptions. The focus on outcome-based pricing and measurable ROI suggests a service-driven revenue structure with potential for recurring client relationships.

The absence of external investor funding or debt financing in public records indicates the company operates on internally generated cash flow and Rose’s initial capital contribution. This bootstrap approach to financing suggests conservative financial management but may also indicate constraints on available capital for significant growth investments or market expansion initiatives.

As a micro-enterprise with approximately five named employees, the company’s cost structure likely consists primarily of personnel expenses, technology subscriptions for digital marketing tools, office rental costs in Stratford-upon-Avon, and general administrative expenses typical of small service businesses.

6) Market Position

Notorious Online Limited operates within the competitive UK digital marketing services sector, positioning itself as a specialized provider serving small and medium-sized enterprises with particular focus on B2B technology companies. The company’s market positioning emphasizes outcome-based digital marketing strategies with measurable ROI expectations, differentiating itself from larger agencies through personalized service and industry-specific expertise.

The company has established a focused client portfolio that includes technology firms such as Terra Computer UK, Techsol Group, Cleartec, and Ekleer, demonstrating proven capability in serving IT service providers and technology distributors. This specialization allows Notorious Online to develop deeper industry understanding and more effective service delivery compared to generalist digital marketing agencies.

Notorious Online’s comprehensive service portfolio spanning SEO, website development, Website as a Service (WaaS), social media marketing, and strategic consulting enables the company to serve as an integrated marketing partner rather than a single-service provider. This full-service approach creates competitive advantages in client retention and allows for multiple revenue streams from individual client relationships.

The company’s documented success with clients, including achieving number one Google rankings and generating significant web traffic increases, provides concrete evidence of execution capability that supports its market credibility. Case studies showing 364% web traffic increases and measurable lead generation demonstrate the company’s ability to deliver quantifiable results that justify premium pricing.

Operating from Stratford-upon-Avon provides Notorious Online with cost advantages compared to London-based agencies while maintaining accessibility to UK business markets. This strategic location enables competitive pricing for SME clients while preserving professional service standards and supporting sustainable profit margins.

The company’s founding principles of transparency and commercial focus address common client concerns about agency relationships in the digital marketing industry. Rose’s vision to provide superior service standards for small businesses creates differentiation in a market often criticized for inadequate SME service delivery.

7) Legal Claims and Actions

Based on a comprehensive review of regulatory enforcement databases and legal proceedings across multiple jurisdictions over the past decade, no legal claims, enforcement actions, regulatory violations, or criminal proceedings have been identified against Notorious Online Limited or its sole director, Sam William Rose.

The systematic search of UK regulatory enforcement records, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) enforcement database, Companies House filing history, and employment tribunal records, reveals no documented instances of regulatory sanctions, fines, or penalties imposed on the company. Notorious Online Limited has maintained consistent regulatory compliance since its incorporation in July 2020, with all statutory filings submitted on time and no enforcement actions recorded against the entity.

No employment-related litigation, discrimination claims, or workplace disputes have been identified in the public record concerning Notorious Online Limited. The company’s brief management expansion in 2022, when Nigel John Harrison served as director for approximately eight months across two separate appointments, concluded without any documented legal complications or disputes.

Search results from major enforcement databases including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions lists, Federal Trade Commission enforcement actions, Securities and Exchange Commission proceedings, and international regulatory bodies such as the European Securities and Markets Authority show no matches for Notorious Online Limited or Sam William Rose. The company does not appear on any sanctions lists, warning lists, or enforcement registries maintained by financial regulators across major jurisdictions.

The absence of legal claims extends to intellectual property disputes, consumer complaints, data protection violations, and advertising standards breaches. No records exist of investigations or enforcement actions by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority, Information Commissioner’s Office, or Trading Standards authorities concerning the company’s digital marketing practices or client relationships.

Professional negligence claims, contractual disputes, or commercial litigation involving Notorious Online Limited have not been identified in court records or alternative dispute resolution proceedings. The company’s focus on serving small and medium-sized enterprises in the technology sector appears to have proceeded without material legal complications or client disputes requiring formal resolution mechanisms.

8) Recent Media

A comprehensive review of media coverage and public records from 2023 through October 2025 did not yield any significant news coverage, material corporate announcements, or adverse media concerning Notorious Online Limited. The firm, which operates as a private micro-enterprise, maintains a low public profile consistent with its operational scope and size, with no major press releases or public statements noted during the period.

The media and records search found no reports of regulatory or legal developments, including investigations, lawsuits, enforcement actions, or fines involving the company. There were also no documented cybersecurity incidents, such as data breaches or hacking events. No public announcements or news items were identified regarding executive leadership changes, material financial events, shifts in client relationships, or ESG-related controversies. The company’s UK-centric operations have not resulted in any reported geopolitical exposure or sanctions-related issues. The overall absence of media coverage indicates a period of routine operations without significant disruptions or public-facing events.

9) Strengths

Notorious Online Limited demonstrates several competitive strengths that position the company favorably within the digital marketing services sector. Sam William Rose’s founding vision and entrepreneurial leadership represents a core strength, as he identified specific market gaps in the website and online marketing industry for small businesses and established the company with clear principles of transparency, commercial focus, and client understanding.

The company has developed specialized expertise in serving B2B technology companies, creating a focused market niche that enables deeper industry understanding and more effective service delivery. The client portfolio includes established technology firms such as Terra Computer UK, Techsol Group, Cleartec, and Ekleer, demonstrating proven capability in addressing the specific digital marketing needs of IT service providers and technology distributors.

Notorious Online offers an integrated suite of digital marketing services including search engine optimization (SEO), website design and development, Website as a Service (WaaS), social media marketing, design and branding services, and strategic digital marketing consulting. This comprehensive approach allows the company to serve as a complete marketing partner for small and medium-sized enterprises rather than a single-service provider.

The company has demonstrated the ability to deliver quantifiable outcomes for clients, as evidenced by their success with Techsol Group, where they achieved the number one Google ranking for “IT Support Cardiff” and generated a 364% increase in web traffic along with 58 business leads over a 12-month period. These documented results provide concrete evidence of the company’s ability to execute effective digital marketing strategies.

Since incorporation in July 2020, Notorious Online has maintained consistent regulatory compliance with Companies House requirements, filing all statutory documents on time without any enforcement actions or regulatory violations. This operational stability provides confidence to clients and supports the company’s professional reputation in the marketplace.

The company’s headquarters location in Stratford-upon-Avon provides access to both local business markets and broader UK commercial centers while maintaining cost-effective operations compared to major metropolitan areas. This strategic positioning enables competitive pricing while maintaining professional standards and accessibility for client meetings and business development activities.

10) Potential Risk Areas for Further Diligence

Notorious Online faces significant key person dependency with Sam William Rose serving as founder, sole director, and controlling shareholder maintaining 75% or more ownership since July 2020. The company has no documented succession planning or leadership development pipeline, creating substantial operational and strategic risks. The brief tenure of Nigel John Harrison as director in 2022, lasting only eight months across two separate appointments, indicates potential challenges in leadership expansion or retention.

As a micro-enterprise with minimal disclosed headcount beyond five named employees, Notorious Online operates with constrained operational capacity that may limit its ability to serve larger clients or handle significant growth. The company’s focus on small and medium-sized enterprises in the B2B technology sector, while creating specialization benefits, also creates concentration risk in a narrow market segment.

Digital marketing agencies face elevated cybersecurity risks due to their access to client websites, social media accounts, analytics platforms, and sensitive business data. Small agencies like Notorious Online typically lack the cybersecurity infrastructure and dedicated security personnel available to larger organizations, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking to access multiple client systems through a single breach.

The company’s specialization in serving B2B technology clients, while advantageous for expertise development, creates sector concentration risk that could impact revenue stability during technology industry downturns. With a small client base typical of micro-enterprises, the loss of one or two major clients could significantly impact financial performance.

Operating in the highly competitive digital marketing industry, Notorious Online faces constant pressure from larger agencies with greater resources, established brand recognition, and comprehensive service capabilities. The company’s premium positioning relative to its micro-enterprise size may create challenges in competing for larger contracts against established competitors.

As a bootstrapped micro-enterprise without external investors, Notorious Online may face constraints in funding significant growth initiatives, technology investments, or market expansion efforts. The company’s limited financial resources could restrict its ability to hire specialized talent, invest in advanced marketing technologies, or weather extended client acquisition periods.

Digital marketing activities are subject to evolving regulations including data protection laws, advertising standards, email marketing compliance, and social media platform policies. The company’s limited compliance infrastructure and absence of dedicated legal or compliance personnel creates risks of inadvertent violations that could result in regulatory penalties or client relationship damage.

Sources

Save as PDF