A NORTHUMBERLAND businessman is to take his unique networking organisation to Australia and expects to help more than 27,000 UK businesses attract new work in the next three years.
Former independent financial adviser (IFA) Paul Lawton has developed a service that allows North East businesses to benefit from traditional networking events as well as an online collaboration platform and expects to secure a multi-million pound turnover in just three years.
Dual Concept Marketing (DCM) currently has 170 members in the North East and includes a list of high-profile corporate names including Lloyds TSB, Sunderland AFC and the South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum.
The organisation, which will soon undergo a re-brand, provides seven different ways for its members to meet and interact, including bi-monthly exhibitions, monthly dinners and weekly gatherings, as well as encouraging them to discuss ideas through business and social networking sites.
Mr Lawton is also working with one of the region’s universities to develop the online platform, so that students can get involved with their own business ideas, and is soon to introduce a tendering service which allows members to team up and bid for work.
The Seaton Delaval-based entrepreneur plans to roll the concept out across the UK as a franchise model once the North East cluster reaches its cap of 750 businesses. He believes the organisation will be able to serve 110 universities and 27,500 companies by end of 2012.
Mr Lawton is already set to promote the concept overseas and is planning a trip to Australia by the end of the year. He hopes to add around 40 jobs to his eight-strong workforce as part of the expansion. The 49-year old started the business after becoming frustrated with traditional methods of networking and plans to sell on the business once it has achieved its potential in order to fund a similar business centred around the charity sector.
He said: “This service is already receiving interest from overseas companies and universities, which appreciate the dual marketing concept.
“I believe it has the potential to became the standard for networking and business creation in years to come, not just in the UK but around the world.
“I was tired of the business card being the only means of networking that most people had and realised that the market was crying out for a more regimented approach.”
The entrepreneur served time in the Army as a Royal Engineer before working as an IFA for 18 years, and was based in Northern Ireland, Germany and the UK.
He said: “Serving time in the Army allowed me to become focused in my thinking. The region needs innovation as it recovers from the recession, and this networking platform has it in abundance.”