UKBF user name: atlascs
Real name: Simon Swords
Company name: Atlas Computer Systems
Website: www.atlascs.co.uk
Contact: 0845 867 2845 [email protected]
1. How did you start your business?
I was working as an IT manager for a large law firm in the city. They instructed a colleague and myself to create legal case management software for the firm after the purchase of some third party software failed abysmally.
Shortly after the software was implemented, the law firm resold it for a large sum of money and it was then that I realised we were on to something. I took my colleague and we left to start Atlas.
The business was started on a shoestring budget in a shed at the bottom of my parent’s garden in Rochford, Essex. We used second hand computers, desks, and VoIP phones to keep costs down. We spent a cold winter locked in the shed writing software. We paid £100 per month in rent to my mum and between us slowly started to build a client base and take a small income out of the business. We specialised in bespoke software development of all shapes and sizes, taking on a wide range of projects including web design, web development and software development.
Our big break came when we signed a number bespoke software development contracts worth in excess of £20,000 and were able to move in to brand new offices located at the University of Essex in Southend. We hired a couple of apprentices to inexpensively expand our workforce and manage an increasing workload until we were able to take on experienced programmers.
2. What services does your business offer?
We’re a bespoke software development organisation with the majority of our development taking place using our Atlas Framework. The framework is proprietary and allows us to write software in under half the time our competitors would require and therefore at a lower time and cost to our customers.
In a nutshell we offer:
Software development
Web development and design
Online marketing and SEO
Content management software implementation
Adobe Flash development
We find that 90% of our customers turn to us for general IT consultancy and advice having dealt with us as between the people in the office we possess a wide range of general IT knowledge.
We work for a wide range of businesses including start ups, SMEs, public sector bodies and FTSE 100 listed companies. We even have clients in far off places such as Cyprus and Ghana!
3. What were the main challenges you faced when starting up?
A lack of money. Everything was paid for using credit cards or with trade accounts. We had to be very careful when it came to spending money on anything. For a very long time I didn’t draw a wage from the company and lived on credit cards.
A lack of reputation and no exposure to the market. Nobody knew of Atlas Computer Systems and we had no commercial experience to back up our claims that we knew what we were doing! We had to work hard to build relationships with a wide client base who we could then call upon for testimonials.
Premises. Working from a shed meant that we couldn’t invite people in to the office. We would always try to meet customers in a mutually convenient location if their offices were not available.
4. How would you rate the success you've achieved?
We’ve come a long way. We turned over £100,000 in the first year and we’re now over £500,000 per year with a net profit above average for our industry.
However we have no misconceptions about how far we have left to go. We liken in to climbing Mount Everest, we’ve pitched up halfway up the mountain and we’re now regrouping to make the final attack for the summit! The summit in our case is a metaphor for us floating Atlas or being purchased by another company.
5. How has UK Business Forums benefited your business?
The forums were an immense source of general business advice at the outset. Every now and then I go back to the questions I asked a couple of years ago to remind myself of how far we’ve come.
We’ve made a number of key business contacts via UKBF with people whom we may not have otherwise met. These contacts include business partners, referrers, suppliers and customers.
I’m sure that in terms of our search engine rankings UKBF helped us achieve high positions.
6. What are your plans for the future?
The plan is to take Atlas to the point where it is ready for a buyout or floatation within the next five years. We’re opening an office in Jersey as we speak as we’ve built a keen client base over there.
Additionally we’re starting a couple of sister organisations, namely maptheweb.co.uk and atlasseo.co.uk. Both of which are web marketing information portals and service providers.
7. What are your three tips for business success?
Have a plan. Not necessarily a 40 page detailed business plan, which is what we created at the start. However you should set milestones which you can steer the business towards. Without a plan you’ve no way of knowing if the business is on track, doing better than expected, or failing miserably!
Keep an eye on cash. Especially before making any long term or large investments. If expensive employees are required (which is true in our case for programmers) try to put them on fixed term contracts rather than providing permanent positions. Open 30 or 60 day trade accounts with suppliers. Always chase overdue invoices and don’t let anything slip, even if it means taking bad paying clients to court.
Reputation is key. Reputation can take years to build and a few bad customer experiences to ruin. We work hard to ensure that everything we do is right, however in IT and software development mistakes can happen. We always own up to those mistakes and put things right.
Real name: Simon Swords
Company name: Atlas Computer Systems
Website: www.atlascs.co.uk
Contact: 0845 867 2845 [email protected]
1. How did you start your business?
I was working as an IT manager for a large law firm in the city. They instructed a colleague and myself to create legal case management software for the firm after the purchase of some third party software failed abysmally.
Shortly after the software was implemented, the law firm resold it for a large sum of money and it was then that I realised we were on to something. I took my colleague and we left to start Atlas.
The business was started on a shoestring budget in a shed at the bottom of my parent’s garden in Rochford, Essex. We used second hand computers, desks, and VoIP phones to keep costs down. We spent a cold winter locked in the shed writing software. We paid £100 per month in rent to my mum and between us slowly started to build a client base and take a small income out of the business. We specialised in bespoke software development of all shapes and sizes, taking on a wide range of projects including web design, web development and software development.
Our big break came when we signed a number bespoke software development contracts worth in excess of £20,000 and were able to move in to brand new offices located at the University of Essex in Southend. We hired a couple of apprentices to inexpensively expand our workforce and manage an increasing workload until we were able to take on experienced programmers.
2. What services does your business offer?
We’re a bespoke software development organisation with the majority of our development taking place using our Atlas Framework. The framework is proprietary and allows us to write software in under half the time our competitors would require and therefore at a lower time and cost to our customers.
In a nutshell we offer:
Software development
Web development and design
Online marketing and SEO
Content management software implementation
Adobe Flash development
We find that 90% of our customers turn to us for general IT consultancy and advice having dealt with us as between the people in the office we possess a wide range of general IT knowledge.
We work for a wide range of businesses including start ups, SMEs, public sector bodies and FTSE 100 listed companies. We even have clients in far off places such as Cyprus and Ghana!
3. What were the main challenges you faced when starting up?
A lack of money. Everything was paid for using credit cards or with trade accounts. We had to be very careful when it came to spending money on anything. For a very long time I didn’t draw a wage from the company and lived on credit cards.
A lack of reputation and no exposure to the market. Nobody knew of Atlas Computer Systems and we had no commercial experience to back up our claims that we knew what we were doing! We had to work hard to build relationships with a wide client base who we could then call upon for testimonials.
Premises. Working from a shed meant that we couldn’t invite people in to the office. We would always try to meet customers in a mutually convenient location if their offices were not available.
4. How would you rate the success you've achieved?
We’ve come a long way. We turned over £100,000 in the first year and we’re now over £500,000 per year with a net profit above average for our industry.
However we have no misconceptions about how far we have left to go. We liken in to climbing Mount Everest, we’ve pitched up halfway up the mountain and we’re now regrouping to make the final attack for the summit! The summit in our case is a metaphor for us floating Atlas or being purchased by another company.
5. How has UK Business Forums benefited your business?
The forums were an immense source of general business advice at the outset. Every now and then I go back to the questions I asked a couple of years ago to remind myself of how far we’ve come.
We’ve made a number of key business contacts via UKBF with people whom we may not have otherwise met. These contacts include business partners, referrers, suppliers and customers.
I’m sure that in terms of our search engine rankings UKBF helped us achieve high positions.
6. What are your plans for the future?
The plan is to take Atlas to the point where it is ready for a buyout or floatation within the next five years. We’re opening an office in Jersey as we speak as we’ve built a keen client base over there.
Additionally we’re starting a couple of sister organisations, namely maptheweb.co.uk and atlasseo.co.uk. Both of which are web marketing information portals and service providers.
7. What are your three tips for business success?
Have a plan. Not necessarily a 40 page detailed business plan, which is what we created at the start. However you should set milestones which you can steer the business towards. Without a plan you’ve no way of knowing if the business is on track, doing better than expected, or failing miserably!
Keep an eye on cash. Especially before making any long term or large investments. If expensive employees are required (which is true in our case for programmers) try to put them on fixed term contracts rather than providing permanent positions. Open 30 or 60 day trade accounts with suppliers. Always chase overdue invoices and don’t let anything slip, even if it means taking bad paying clients to court.
Reputation is key. Reputation can take years to build and a few bad customer experiences to ruin. We work hard to ensure that everything we do is right, however in IT and software development mistakes can happen. We always own up to those mistakes and put things right.
