Scottish web start-up on track for £10million year two turnover

Today, (Tuesday, 20^th September), itison.com, Scotland’s only daily deals and free invitations website announced a turnover of £3.4 million in its first year of operation and a run rate on track to achieve in excess of £10 million in its second year of trading.

Every month 25,000 Scots join itison.com to receive daily deals on quality brands, venues and services and free invitations to events that match their interests.

Itison.com has created 30 new jobs since launching and has opened offices in Edinburgh and Dundee alongside their Glasgow head office. Scottish Enterprise has recently awarded itison.com a £250,000 Regional Selective Assistance grant (RSA) in anticipation of a further 25 jobs which will be created in the coming 12 months.

Itison.com has achieved exceptional growth in an ever competitive market by operating at the premium end of the marketplace selling over 150,000 deal vouchers in the first 12 months for quality brands such as Blythswood Square, Fifi & Ally, Rogano, Cameron House and OneSpa.

Speaking of the website’s phenomenal growth, Oli Norman (33), founder and MD, said: “Online daily deals is an exciting space to be in right now. We’ve built our position to number two in the field in Scotland by creating an exceptional team of professionals, unrivalled technology and a range of unique products.

Next month, we launch in Aberdeen and, before the end of the year, we’ll be in a position to unveil a new product which will hopefully propel us to number one in Scotland.”

Speaking about itison’s plans for future growth, Oli, a former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner, said:“In a really tough economic climate, itison.com is generating tens of thousands of pounds worth of revenue for some of Scotland’s best loved and most exciting businesses on a daily basis. Every day we introduce our members to great new brands, venues and experiences as well as getting them on the best guest lists, absolutely free.

“There are a dozen competing daily deals sites in Scotland alone, from American giants to lower end, opportunistic companies. itison.com has a sustainable and scalable business model and an ambitious product development plan for the coming 12 months. We’re focussed on quality and innovation and we’re in it for the long run.”

Lena Wilson, chief executive, Scottish Enterprise, said: "Scottish Enterprise provides RSA both to help Scottish companies grow and to bring overseas investment to Scotland, generating more jobs and creating a more globally competitive economy.

"itison.com is forward-thinking and ambitious company, which is tapping into new innovative markets to realise its growth plans. This is exactly the type of company Scotland needs more of and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future."

Itison.com was founded at the start of 2010 as an invitations service, inviting members to free events in their city every week. In September 2010, itison launched daily deals alongside free invitations creating Scotland’s only daily deals and invitations service.

Signing up to itison.com is totally free and takes just a few seconds. Once signed up, members are emailed daily deals in their chosen city every morning. Deals are typically available for purchase for 24 – 48 hours with a minimum discount of 50% off.

Itison.com has introduced tens of thousands of Scottish consumers to quality Scottish businesses and luxury brands over the past year.

Leon Trayling, spa director at the award winning five-star Blythswood Square Hotel said: “itison.com is a brilliant way for any business to drive valuable new customers to your venue or product and to combat those seasonal lows in trade. We’ve welcomed thousands of itison members to The Spa at Blythswood Square over the past year, many of whom have continued to return to the hotel as valuable customers.”