Customer support is important for every business. However in the online world it tends to take a backseat (unfortunately), with companies like Google & Facebook who are infamous for offering barely any support, even for their paid products and services.
With a company like ours though it is very important, it’s vital really… because what we have are not just ‘customers’ or ‘accounts’ – we have online businesses, employers, wealth creators as clients (more…)
Ten years ago I was living in Lancaster with my student friends trying to live the student lifestyle, unfortunately university had ended and so I had no choice but to get a job. I hated the job and so around this time ten years ago I quit to work on an idea to build an ecommerce system that worked online through your web browser.
I started programming in my bedroom and months later I had the first prototype of ekmPowershop, it took me several months of non-stop cold calling to get my first customer but the rest as they say is history. (more…)
We have recently launched an API (Application Programming Interface) which will allow any 3rd party to build their own applications and/or to integrate their existing applications into ekmPowershop.
This sounds very complicated and for the majority of users pretty dull… but it is more exciting than it seems… because it opens up ekmPowershop and moves it even closer to enterprise ecommerce solutions which cost hundreds of thousands per year.
It means (for example) the supplier of your accountancy software could build their own integration and then your accounts system would automatically be linked up to your ecommerce website.
Features sell, the more features the better. Features here, features there, features just about everywhere.
Unfortunately features also mean more complexity. So for example a mobile phone that just makes and receives calls is relatively easy to use. A mobile phone that also has email, web browsing, apps, maps, calendars, weather, stocks, notes, compasses, cameras, video camera, etc will be a lot more complicated to use. (more…)
Back in October 2010 we launched a new version of our Customers & Orders section (we now call this version 2), this was due to customer demand wanting a much easier and more powerful way of managing orders and of course customers.
Leading ecommerce software platform ekmPowershop.com is proud to be named as the ‘Best Small Business E-commerce Solution’ by the Start Your Business Magazine readers, writers and subscribers for 2010.
Other category winners included T Mobile, Royal Mail, Google, IBM, Ryman, Chips Away, Peter Jones and more. Categories for the ‘Best Small Business Service Provider Awards’ ranged from ‘Best Office Solutions Provider’ and ‘Best Franchise’ through to ‘Best Small Business Bank’ and ‘Best Small Business E-commerce Solution’ to name a few. (more…)
(As featured in Lancashire Business View’s ‘The Hot 100′)
A Blackburn based ecommerce software company has ended another successful year in emphatic style, finishing in the top 10 of the county’s most successful businesses.
The independent survey conducted by Lancashire Business View (Chamber of Commerce) profiled all of the county’s top businesses, from SMEs through to multinationals.
ekmPowershop.com weighed in as the 8th most successful business in the county, as well as being placed as one of the ‘Hot 5 in Blackburn’ by the independent survey.
Antony Chesworth, owner and founder of ekmPowershop.com also recently scooped the ‘Enterprising Young Brits 2010’ award from Enterprise UK, a prestigious award which was presented by then Minister of Commerce, Lord Peter Mandelson.
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“Market leader offered me £100k to close my website down!”
Plantedtanks.co.uk, a brand new online shop specialising in aquatic plants is owned and run by Tony Newsom-Virr. Tony signed up with ekmPowershop.com to build his ecommerce website just a few weeks ago,
“We decided to try ekmPowershop.com as it seemed to be the only ‘cheap’ and no contract shopping facility we could find on the web, plus the interface seemed simple enough. We purchased our shop on their ecommerce software platform on the 5th March 2010 and started work.”
(more…)
Talented entrepreneur Antony Chesworth, 29 from Lancashire, celebrated national success this week at the Enterprising Young Brits awards for his ecommerce software business, ekmPowershop.com.
Antony scooped the highly acclaimed award from Lord Peter Mandelson at the Institute of Directors, which was attended by some of the UK’s top business people. The competition is open to entrepreneurs who have made their idea happen in a new, innovative or inspiring way.
The award was presented in style by Lord Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. It was Lord Mandelson’s first appearance since parliament dissolved for the run up to the General Election.
Antony set up ekmPowershop.com in 2002 whilst unemployed. He ran up huge credit card debts to get his business going against all odds.
A talented young entrepreneur will be flying the flag for Lancashire after making it through the final of the national Enterprising Young Brits competition, and local people are being given the opportunity to back him in an online public vote.
Antony Chesworth has been named as a finalist for his Darwen based Ekm Systems Ltd, an internet service provider whose main product ekmPowershop.com provides ecommerce software facilities to one out of every five online shops in the UK. He will now pitch to a panel of judges at the final, due to be held at the prestigious Institute of Directors in London on 30 March 2010. In addition, the public can choose the winner of the coveted People’s Choice award in an online vote, open from Tuesday 23 March at www.enterpriseuk.org/youngbrits.
Commenting on his achievement, Mr. Chesworth said: “Reaching the final of such a prestigious enterprise competition is really encouraging. I know I’ll be up against some tough competition at
