Business gets custom from as far away as Antarctica

A Yorkshire health and safety e-learning business has implemented a global expansion of its services to Dubai, South Africa and now even has customers in Antarctica.

Sheilds, which is head-quartered in Hull, now employs more than 70 people across several sites. Founded by Mike Shields after he had been delivering classroom training sessions in the region, he saw a gap in the market and now provides digital health a safety modules for global firms including Emirates and Shell.

Recently, the firm applied for £60,000 finance through Growth Street, a company which offers flexible credit for cash flow, to finance capital and growth.

The finance has allowed the firm to grow its international reach – with customers now accessing health and safety modules in Antarctica and the Philippines. The firm employs people in South Africa and Dubai.

Shields said: “When you have got new products to launch, the sooner you get them to market the better. Having the finance ready to go once ready to launch is imperative.

“Things are always growing and developing in the digital sector. Keeping things interesting and engaging is so important and that is where we have been successful. ”

He said it was about catering for the demand in the services for both bespoke and off-the-shelf e-learning courses.

Growth Street was founded by Greg Carter, originally from North Yorkshire – who now lives in London. The company expects to release over £100m of flexible funding to growing businesses over the next year, offering SMEs the chance to optimise cash flow in order to grow and invest.

He said: “What’s fantastic about Yorkshire is the growing digital businesses we have seen come forward.”