Gyles Seward, director of Ilkley-based Elementary Digital, explains why the business should win the innovation in funding category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition.
Yorkshire-based digital agency Elementary Digital has developed a unique strategy for financing business growth, using lean principles to keep costs low and online strategies to generate revenue.
The business was founded in 2012 by Gyles Seward and has grown from zero to a forecasted turnover of £500k in three years. Revenues were £300k in 2014.
”The banks were difficult so we decided to make it work organically, re-investing continuously, and now they ring us,” says Gyles.
The business’ approach to location allows them to pick the best people, regardless of where they live, and minimise overheads. Account managers and admin staff are in-house, while home-based developers stay connected via video conferencing and online project management tools.
The agency operates its own WordPress and Magento academy which trains graduates and junior developers and shares knowledge with the wider development community.
“This means we keep standards high and maintain a competitive hourly rate, which has helped us win more business,” says Gyles.
By using flexible, all-inclusive office space on the outskirts of Leeds, Gyles estimates he has saved 70% on city rentals, yet his staff can be in the centre by train within 15 minutes.
The firm’s social presence has been a key driver to commercial success. The agency’s social profile is significant, with upwards of 13k followers on Twitter, over 50 social references and engagements each day and 100 new enquiries a month generating contracts in multiple sectors, from healthcare to homeware.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
