Success clicks into place for IT firm
SALES at IT support expert D2NA have grown by almost a third every year since 2009.
And the Newcastle-based firm is aiming to keep that trend going in the years to come.
D2NA, which employs 10 people at its Lymedale Business Centre headquarters, was highly commended in the customer focus category in Newcastle's Business Boost awards earlier this month.
Now it has been nominated for The Sentinel Business Awards in the Small Business of the Year category, sponsored by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
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Managing director Graham Doyle, who set up D2NA in 2005, said: "We put together cutting-edge software in a way that no-one else is doing in North Staffordshire.
"For our small business clients, we are their IT department, and for bigger firms we can help enhance their IT systems."
Mr Doyle is D2NA's major shareholder along with operations director Jonpaul Sargent.
He said: "Our key turning point was about four years ago, when we merged with an IT firm Jonpaul was running in London. Consequently we have got customers in both areas and many of our bigger customers have offices all over the UK."
The firm's clients include Newcastle electronics distribution group Eurostar Communications, Titanic Brewery in Burslem and London care group Lifeways.
Mr Doyle said D2NA's work can make a huge difference to its customers.
He said: "Effectively there are two parts to our business. The monthly contracts to manage firms' IT and the project consultancy side. We are doing bigger and bigger projects all the time and that's what's delivering our growth.
"Our biggest customer is Lifeways Community Care, who bought five companies last year turning over a total of £50 million. We integrated the IT for all five which allowed them to bring the acquisitions in very quickly.
"When we started working with Eurostar, they had one server stuck under someone's desk. The systems we have put in place means all their data is completely replicated across their two buildings, so if there is a problem with one the other one can keep working.
"It helps make sure they can compete better on a global stage."
Sales manager Lyndon Hughes added: "Titanic have free WiFi for their pub customers which we rolled out, and we also set up a private channel for their employees.
"People are now going into the pubs for business meetings and they are generating more business during the day."
D2NA also specialises in cloud computing and runs a 24-hour on-call service to help clients get back up and running as quickly as possible when disaster strikes.
Sentinel Business reported in July that the firm had helped get a customer in Derbyshire back on their feet within 24 hours after they were hit by this summer's floods.
Mr Doyle said: "It is all about improving continuity, reliability and resilience so if there is a disaster the company can get back to work much quicker."
D2NA has recently joined forces with Beswicks Solicitors of Festival Park and Wolstanton accountancy firm DJH to run a series of workshops advising firms how to plan for growth.
Mr Doyle said: "The idea is to get external advisers working together, so instead of your legal adviser coming in and saying one thing then us coming in and saying another it's more coherent."
D2NA's expertise in helping other firms grow has of course had a significant impact on its own business.
The company turned over £650,000 in the year to the end of March and that figure is set to increase again this year.
Mr Doyle said: "We have grown by 30 per cent a year for the last three years and we are aiming to do the same for the next two or three years, which will certainly mean employing more people."
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