An online business search company in the Tees Valley is creating up to 120 new jobs as it looks to drive forward its ambitious growth plans.
Morton Palms-based Infoserve Ltd is creating the new jobs with the help of a £249,000 Grant for Business Investment (GBI) from Regional Development Agency One North East.
The company, which already employs over 100 people, offers online marketing guidance to a growing portfolio of small and medium businesses across the country. It specialises in local search, which combines specific business sectors with particular locations – offering a wide range of online business directories, enhanced business listings, website design services and the local search facilities on Yahoo!Local.
To support the expansion, Infoserve is expanding into floor space above its current premises at Pioneer Court which will be home to a new specialist sales team working to help SMEs efficiently manage their online marketing campaigns.
Mark Riley, Sales Director of Infoserve, said: “Looking for businesses in paper directories and phonebooks has become a thing of the past as more and more people are turning to searching the internet. It has become second nature to us and not something we ever really stop to think about, but SMEs are only just starting to understand how important it is to have an effective online presence.
“Search engines are becoming much more sophisticated in interpreting what we are looking for, but crucially, they are beginning to present local search results if you are looking for general goods or services. This means if you’re a local business, ensuring that you appear in these search results should be a number one priority and we’re here to help with that.”
Infoserve was established in 1999 and its own leading local search site, www.city-visitor.co.uk, along with its other online business directories – collectively receiving over 32 million visits a month.
Ken Samson, Business Finance Manger at One North East, said: “I am pleased to see that our grant support will help Infoserve expand its premises and seek additional clients with its new sales team.
“As the online world constantly evolves, it’s important that specialists such as Infoserve have access to finance to help them develop and gain a firm standing in what is a fiercely competitive market.”
The Grant for Business Investment product is part of Solutions for Business - the Government’s package of publicly funded support products offers help to companies to start, grow and succeed. Solutions for Business makes it easier for companies to get the advice and assistance that they need.
Source: One North East.
