Quantel International and Zeald.com Graduate from the e-centre

The e-centre offers companies access to marketing, financial and strategic support and also allows them to tap into the research and development at Massey University.

Steve Corbett, e-centre’s CEO, said that Quantel and Zeald.com have both been great performers in the e-centre.

“They are great examples for anyone wanting to start a business. Continually taking the next step even when they’re not sure what that will bring, yet drawing on the business, marketing and research support of the University and the team at the e-centre.”

The e-centre graduated three companies last year, and expects to continue to graduate more companies later this year.

The road from fledgling start-up to franchising business for Zeald.com, who help clients dramatically increase the business value of their websites, has seen them grow in the last 18 months from six to 17 staff.

Client numbers have rocketed from 100 to over 500.

Zeald.com’s new approach to generating business growth from website development has created a very successful model which is now being franchised at 17 locations around New Zealand, said David Kelly, CEO of the company.

And he said the e-centre has been pivotal to the new company’s growth.

“In starting a business and developing it, the e-centre has been invaluable. We have to face every challenge as a new one and at the e-centre there has always been someone available who can offer expertise and advice in helping us get this far,” he said.

Six years ago Quantel International started out as just two people with a vision for a better way of undertaking computer-based business evaluation.

Today they have a staff of 10 – and clients in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Mauritius, China, Iran, Australia and New Zealand. They’re also working with the World Bank and Commonwealth Secretariat Network.

At the heart of the idea and growth, Keith Phillips, Quantel’s President said, has been unique software that provides both public sector and businesses with continuous evaluation of performance against best practice criteria, highlights shortfalls, and generates an action plan to target the areas that need to improve.

Using this technology one of Quantel’s New Zealand client’s profit is up 56%.

“From day one we decided that we’d be an international business. Being at the e-centre has made it much easier for us to extend out into other markets and build good contacts for each stage of business growth.”

The e-centre offers companies access to marketing, financial and strategic support and also allows them to tap into the research and development at Massey University.

Steve Corbett, e-centre’s CEO, said that Quantel and Zeald.com have both been great performers in the e-centre.

“They are great examples for anyone wanting to start a business. Continually taking the next step even when they’re not sure what that will bring, yet drawing on the business, marketing and research support of the University and the team at the e-centre.”

The e-centre graduated three companies last year, and expects to continue to graduate more companies later this year.