Asking price: £200,000

Sales revenue: £107,000

Net profit: £67,000

Fixtures value: Undisclosed

Stock value: Undisclosed

Business description
This company has developed its own range of Web-based Management Information products utilising a mix of industry standard Database and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology. Their main product offering is a fully developed comprehensive management suite, currently at version 4, which provides tools to assist in the operational and legal management of flood and conservation protection schemes and their associated assets. The product has been developed by the business over 3-4 years, in conjunction with leading industry partners, to ensure it complies with new legislation from central Government. Alongside the Prime Minister’s recent announcement of increased investment of £200M in national flood protection programmes, and the corresponding accountability being placed on the industry, the potential for expansion is being driven by market regulation and forthcoming climate change directives. This new, and expanded, range of directives will be handed large-scale investment to provide flood, conservation and climatic change controls over the whole of the UK rather than on a localised, regional area basis as at present. The vast range of additional powers and performance targets being introduced to the industry now, and extended over the next few years, provides the catalyst for investment in IT based management systems.

By utilising existing Web-based technology that the market currently recognises and uses, this business provides stable trustworthy and easy-to-use solutions giving access to enterprise-wide information with a single click, for all levels of users, irrespective of their computer knowledge or skills.

Maintaining management of, and compliance to, ever changing regulation and Government targets requires an IT solution that is both adaptable and easily usable within the industry; the solutions provided by this business satisfy these critical demands.

The company works closely with leading industry partners by way of bi-monthly meetings to ensure that the solutions are always kept up to date with new directives from Government, and in most cases, developed to meet the changes before they are applied on the industry. This approach also provides good feedback from the industry on the suitability of the software to the regulations.

Established in 1999, the company has built up a sterling reputation in the market for providing a range of valuable software solutions and services to industry and commerce.

Operating across the UK in Public and Private Sectors as well as the Utility sector, the business goes to great lengths to achieve a thorough understanding of customer business needs. This enables the business to provide innovative and exciting new technologies that give a significant return on investment. Products and services available include:

Software Solutions

The main management product has been developed by the company, following extensive research and discussion with leading industry partners, to provide a simple-to-use tool to manage and record both operational and legal functions required of its clients by act of parliament for protection of land and property against flooding. In conjunction with floods, the software also manages compliance with current and future conservation legislation relating to UK and European directives for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The product also connects to a Land charges (Rating) database and includes Planning and local Byelaw management.

All of the operational and legal functions undertaken are automatically recorded in several databases (designed by the company) which are accessed by the system via wizards thereby removing the need for users to have special database skills or IT knowledge. Comprehensive management reports across the range of functions are available to users at a single-click.

The software utilises Web-based Database access and Web-based Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology enabling users to ‘see’ pictorially what they are entering into the systems databases. Reports include graphical locations of actions taken so as to make the reports more informative than plain lists.

Areas covered:

Hydrology

- Water level management
- Water channel maintenance
- Automatic pump systems
- ‘Live’ Telemetry based alarms
- Planned maintenance of assets
- Condition surveys and management of assets
- Legal notice creation
- Compliance to latest ‘Act of Parliament’ regulations

Conservation

- Artificial management of water levels for bio-diversity and wildlife protection
- Management of SSSI , SAC, RamSar, NNR sites
- Management of Water Control assets
- Legal notice creation
- Compliance to latest UK ‘Act of Parliament’ and European regulations

Planning

- Byelaw compliance
- Legal notice creation
- Local authority Planning control
- Compliance to latest ‘Act of Parliament’ regulations

Rating

- Land ownership management
- Rateable value management


By using their own expertise and integration methods, the business will remove tedious, error prone and timely tasks across all levels of clients’ business. In doing so, they remove duplication of information and provide customers with the ability to view up-to-date reports at the click of a button, whatever the user level within the company. The result: to solve problems and save time and money.

Bespoke integration of existing IT systems to provide fully functional and easy to use information systems for all users.

Procedure and process integration to enhance everyday tasks for better efficiency and cost savings.

Customer Service:

The company operates a policy of continual investment to develop new methodologies that will keep improving performance. With this policy, the company ensures that they are always acquiring new skills and capabilities, through advanced training and practical experience.

They achieve a high level of success from market knowledge and listening and advising from the very first contact - understanding organisation’s needs, providing an attentive implementation and training programme supported by excellent customer service.

The ability to provide cost reductions through the use of IT solutions is well proven, and by integrating IT systems and everyday tasks, the additional efficiency gains are immense. This approach to delivering customer service is backed up by the company’s associate membership to industry associations and its impressive client list.

Future development – Industry led and Government regulation driven

This company never stands still – the business continually reviews its market places for Government policy changes and new service requirements. Because of this, part of the development of its software solutions is done with advice from a leading industry organisation. By including the input of such an organisation, the ongoing development of its products for regulatory compliance is assured.

Key Strengths:

The key strengths of this business include the unique, yet comprehensive software products and services it provides. They have the following key features:

• Easy to Use hence special skills are not required. No need to learn several software packages.

• Minimal User Training. Typically 1 day is all it needs. An immediate return to the client.

• Use of Intelligent Graphics. When used correctly, a picture tells a thousand words.

• Intelligent graphics allow data updates to be seen graphically immediately. The graphics can include engineering or design drawings, maps, space layouts, planning details, conservation areas etc. The list is endless.

• Central Information Storage prevents duplication and delivers correct information at all times, to all users.

• Results and Reporting from Board level to junior level are up to the minute and accurate with reports and graphics providing all you need to know at the click of a mouse.


Financial profile:

The busin

Employees: The business is currently run by the two owners of the business.

Trading hours: As required.

Relocatable: This business can be relocated.

Location
There are no premises associated with the sale. The business is run from a home office environment and as such is truly relocatable.

Expansion potential
The company has a contract with a major provider in the flood management sector for them to provide promotion and sales of the company’s flood and conservation management products within the industry. This contract creates a unique market sector branding opportunity for use throughout the flood and conservation management industry to aid marketing and sales. With some new investment, particularly on resource within the sales and marketing function this business is expected to enjoy high growth rates and success over the coming years as new regulations and Government targets change the landscape for managing floods, and as forthcoming new Government initiatives on national climate change management impact on the industry. The market for this company’s products and services is vast. Without doubt the business can provide and tailor their existing solutions to most companies and market needs. This modular approach saves clients unnecessary development time even with the most challenging custom built projects.

Competition / Market
The company has historically used some of the industry leading publications to promote its wares, particularly within the local authority and water utility market place. It also has a highly informative website However, having established an excellent reputation for quality of product and delivery, reliability and professionalism the business enjoys the most cost effective form of marketing, word of mouth recommendation.

Support & training
The owners will provide full business familiarisation, training and handover as required to ensure a smooth transfer of the business to new owners. Length of time to be negotiated at time of sale.

Reasons for selling
The business is now at the stage where it requires additional investment in resource (sales staff, marketing, administrative staff etc) to fully develop and exploit the many opportunities at its disposal. The current owners have seen the flood and conservation sectors being opened up by regulation and have identified that this business needs investment to meet the new demands and to maximise its potential, but they recognise they are not the right people to do this hence in the right hands this business can grow massively over the next few years.