Increase in IT Businesses Moving to the County

Cornwall's reputation as a creative environment is not only attracting businesses in design and media but recently there has been an increase in the number of IT related companies moving into the county. This is largely due to improved IT infrastructure which has led to better connectivity.

Lucy Thom, Inward Investment Manager at Cornwall Pure Business explains: "The digital revolution has made it easier than ever for businesses to flourish away from congested and overpriced metropolitan centres. Technologies such as high-speed broadband allow for real-time sharing of information with clients anywhere in the world - through video conferencing and networked presentations, for example. Initiatives such as actnow have been instrumental in bringing IT to businesses which in turn has led to business growth, and an increase in numbers of IT companies coming in to the county."

Since the beginning of this year, Cornwall Pure Business, the inward investment team (a service of Cornwall Enterprise) has assisted six IT businesses with their move into the county.

New businesses include:

1) Channel Computing
Provides a variety of IT services, including  project management, analysis and design software design and coding, website design and optimisation, e-commerce solutions, hardware installation and configuration, trouble-shooting, training, bug-fixing, consultancy and advice.

Peter Graves, owner of Channel Computing says : "We have actively marketed ourselves across the UK. Not only are we looking to secure our own clients, but are also looking at how the county can benefit from providing our clients with their services as well. Cornwall has a fantastic business community, whose members are very supportive of one another. This has made the first few months of our business that much easier."

2) Richard Quick Design
Web Designer Richard Quick comments: Richard Quick Design was set up in 2006 in Kent, but Richard always had a burning desire to return to Cornwall where he grew up. "I always knew I wanted to bring the business to Cornwall and it was always in the back of my mind. Setting up in Kent was hard work as the creative community is not that strong there, so it was hard to secure business, also you were competing with London. Cornwall is the complete opposite. The design community here is growing so quickly and while we are theoretically competitors there is a big market need, both locally and nationally, for web and graphic designers, so there is plenty of work to go around."

The business specialises in web design but also provides print, photography, motion graphics, digital video and copy writing.

3) IntoArt
Provides web based solutions, focusing on content management as well as training; enabling clients to manage their own website. Having come up with the idea for IntoArt, moving to Cornwall was the next step.

Johnny Pope co-founder of Into Art explains "My family moved back to Cornwall a few years ago and having spent a lot of time visiting, I had always found it hard to leave. Starting up our own business gave us the freedom to decide our business base, and without hesitation we chose Cornwall.

Other businesses that have also moved this year are: EmbeTel -  provider of hardware, software and firmware designs to the telecommunications industry.  Niddocks - internet marketing consultants and UK School Trips - an internet directory, for those who work with children.