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UK FIRST'S A CORKER OF AN IDEA
THE first north-east business to gain a licence to sell alcohol over the web is celebrating its success.
After just a year in business, South Shields-based Internet gift service Gifts 2 Drink is taking on extra workers and looking for bigger premises with the help of Tedco's high growth programme.
Janet Nye struck on her business idea after running an off-licence in The Nook, South Shields, for years.
She said: "I was fed up spending hours sitting behind a counter and wanted to branch out into a new business, but I had to rely on my expertise.
"Research revealed www.gifts2drink. co.uk is the only web-based delivery service of its kind operating in the UK, which gave us the edge in setting up.
"Word of mouth has seen us grow into a thriving web-based company with clients across the UK and Europe.
"New accounts have led us to take on extra florists and a part-time customer service representative, who will work alongside my son Mark."
The company, which sends celebration alcoholic presentation packs, balloons and flowers to customers, has doubled its turnover in the last six months and is hoping to move to a larger unit at Tedco Business Works in South Shields to enable it to cope with the increased orders.
Now the company has branched into floral arrangements with hand-tied bouquets and aqua floral packs and taken on a part-time florist and one trainee to help deal with the extension to the business product range.
To help it continue to grow and maintain its initial success, Janet and Mark have taken advantage of Tedco's high growth business package, where business consultants offer strategic short and long-term advice to new businesses which are experiencing an extremely high rate of growth.
Janet said: "We are overwhelmed at the rate that business is growing, so we are moving to a much bigger unit in time for the Christmas rush.
"Last year during the run-up to the festive period, we were sending out an average of 250 gifts a day."
Tedco operates business centres in South Shields and Jarrow. For more information, call 427 4500.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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