Young or start-up companies can’t always afford to be choosy about where they spend their fledgling years.

Certainly, plenty of thriving business empires have had their origins in a converted bedroom or industrial unit.

But imagine how much better a chance of success a new venture would have if it benefited from renting a modern office at a prestige business address.

Throw in a staffed reception area, free use of a boardroom, on-site business development support and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and this is starting to sound too good to be true.

But for new and recently established software companies that is exactly what East Kilbride’s Strathclyde Software Innovation Centre offers.

Based in the Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, it was established in late 1994 as a joint venture between South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

It provides software companies with an excellent environment to grow their business in the early years. Over 30 firms have benefited to date.

There are 14 units ranging from 175 square feet to 460 square feet. As the business expands there is often the potential to move to a larger unit or to take on an additional one. There is also an on-site restaurant as well as meeting rooms for hire including a conference suite and lecture theatre.

On-site business development support, provided by Robert Swinburne of Small Business Gateway East Kilbride, is key to the project. With his help, new applicants present a business plan to the centre’s management group to be considered for entry.

D-TACQ Solutions successfully came through this process to become one of nine companies based at the centre. The firm develops software and hardware boards and systems for computer processing to turn real world analogue signals into digital format.

“Our main market niche is in the scientific community – particularly the fusion research side of high energy physics,” said managing director John McLean.

“We have had considerable success in attracting interest in our ideas and products with systems installed at two major centres in Switzerland and in the USA.”

One of the big attractions of moving into the centre was that it provided the company with excellent facilities which offered the chance to grow without relocating.

John has also found the business support extremely useful. He said: “We’ve received general advice about business planning and financial planning.

“From a start-up point of view, it has also been great having someone to make you aware of funding opportunities and other financial support.”

And the close proximity to other software companies has brought the added bonus of two joint projects with other tenant companies in the centre.

“There are a lot of people here with niche expertise. When you get that in the same building and you start talking it opens up a lot of potential for collaborations,” said John.

Another company at the centre is Network Build which moved in last summer. It produces web-based software applications. These make the difference between a company website which acts simply as an electronic brochure and one which offers interactive e-business capability.

Director Bill McFedries realised the centre offered the perfect location for the company’s needs. “We were really surprised to find everything under one roof,” he said. “It was so much better than the alternatives.”

Although technical experts, Bill and fellow directors Colin Fyfe, Bryan Mathers and Harry Kinloch needed assistance with their business plan and the more financial aspects of the operation.

“We have benefited greatly from the centre’s experience in dealing with software companies. It has been an immense help,” said Bill.

For further information on the centre, contact:

Robert Swinburne at Small Business Gateway
East Kilbride on 01355 238456

E-mail: robert.swinburne@ekbc.co.uk

Business South Lanarkshire - Summer/ Autumn 2001

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