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Research company is ?beating the recession? by doubling turnover

A North East research company has doubled its income, and has said it is looking to have a turnover of £1m over the next year.

Explain, based in Leazes Park Road in Newcastle, says it is ‘beating the recession’ because of diversified specialisms.

With £50,000 of equipment for a new office in South Gosforth, opened in June, the growth comes with extra employment for the region.

Managing director Daniel Shiel said: “Our profitability and turnover are excellent, and although we are a small company we are winning major contracts.”

They are currently trying to create a charter for the Strategic Health Authority for a ‘good death’; “Too many people are coming to their final resting place and facing a lack of choice” said Mr Shiel.

One sector specialty, social marketing interventions, identifies behavioural patterns to prevent social ills careering out of control.

Mr Shiel said: “We have seen a downturn in our work with retail businesses, however, as we work across five or six different sectors, we haven’t been hit as hard as others.

“Other sectors we work with have proved very very buoyant. We work with the utilities and regulatory sectors, and with the NHS too.”

The research agency is now split into two branches, with qualitative research based in Newcastle city centre, and quantitive research conducted in South Gosforth; resulting in four new staff, seeing its workforce grow to 26.

Mr Shiel added “Our competition comes largely from outside the region, but we are still able to compete against larger companies.

“We have an excellent team here, and we always try to recruit from the region and choose people who fit within our ethos.”

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