Member Article

ICT innovation draws legal eagles to Hexham

A Hexham entrepreneur who cornered the market with an ICT innovation has increased his sales fivefold. With investment in specialised staff training, SDLT.co.uk has improved its skills set and its processes which have in turn led to a 510% increase in sales and now it looks set to hit £1m turnover in the next financial year.

15 years ago SDLT.co.uk’s director Archie Courage, from Hexham, spotted a gap in the market of legal ICT. Specialising in the provision of software to enable solicitors to quickly and efficiently complete the complex and compulsory stamp duty and land tax (SDLT) paper work, the company has rapidly grown and now boasts an array of nationwide clients.

Ian Newman from Business Link, who helped Archie get going, said: “Since we began working with Archie and his team the company has swiftly grown. With future plans to refine its existing product portfolio and develop an online version of the software, SDLT.co.uk has ambitious targets and clear strategy. “SDLT.co.uk is a forward-looking company that has taken advantage of available support to capitalise on these opportunities.”

Archie said: “Accredited by the Inland Revenue, we have developed a user-friendly product which can be officially validated within five minutes - a fraction of the normal two to three week turnaround. The software means that solicitors cannot make a mistake on the form so can avoid penalties from the Inland Revenue. “Thanks to the investment in training and our investment in technical systems we have been able to expand the business from within and we now operate far more efficiently and effectively.”

For further information about Business Link, visit www.businesslinknortheast.co.uk. For further information about SDLT visit www.SDLT.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .