A young entrepreneur has just won a lucrative contract to supply lap-top computers to Yorkshire Tyne-Tees Television.

Paul Blanchard of Software Results

Paul Blanchard, 24, of Heslington, is company director of Software Results Ltd, based in Norman Court, Grape Lane, York, and supplies "computer solutions" to other companies.

These include Leeds Bradford Airport, Lightning Transport Group, NMTV, Yorkshire and Humberside Territorial Army and Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the biggest consulting company in the world. Software Results Ltd mainly designs web sites, registers Internet domains and installs and supports computer networks.

Paul started his computer venture seven years ago while studying A-levels in economics, politics and English literature. He placed an advert in the Evening Press which read: "Student with transport. Got computer problems? Give me a ring."

Paul said: "It all began from that advert. Most of the original callers are still clients. I began by designing their web sites and they recommended me to other people and it's gone from there."

With almost 300 clients and an annual turnover of £250,000, Paul admits that it was not easy. He said: "I biked round my first clients with a carrier bag of software until I was 18 and had earned enough to buy my first car.

"The crunch came when it was my politics exam and a client rang me up who'd had a serious network crash. He offered me £700 to go and fix it immediately. What are you supposed to do?

"I then had plans to take a year out and go travelling, but, as I was earning ridiculous amounts of money, I decided to set up my own company as a consultant under the name York Software Services.

"I got some help from the Young Business Project which is a council-run scheme. Then three years ago I decided to take on staff and supply both software and hardware and offer the complete solution."

Although Paul does not have much spare time for other interests, he does enjoy the odd parachute jump and is looking to expand the business even more.

He is presently searching for a full-time technical engineer and a web designer and is hoping to break into the Leeds market.

He said: "I'm feeling really good about our attempts to crack the Leeds market - with the Leeds Bradford Airport deal and now this order from Yorkshire Television. It's making me feel we're finally getting there."

Visit his web site at www.software-results.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.