An entrepreneur who started a business with £100 from the back bedroom of his house in Burnley is set to turn over £1.3 million this year.

Bowland IT, a managed services provider (MSP) based in Padiham, was launched as a one-man band by Oliver Alcock back in 2012 when he had just £100 in his bank account.

Eleven years later, Oliver’s business which offers IT support contracts, telecoms, cyber security packages and data storage solutions, is projected to turn over £1.3million.

Bowland IT is focused on investing back into the community and supporting local charities and sports organisations and is committed to continuing that support and growing the business by employing more people.

Mr Alcock, managing director of Bowland IT, expressed his satisfaction with the company’s growth, saying: “I have worked very hard to build the Bowland IT brand over the years, and it is pleasing to know that my fantastic team is continuing to grow, whilst we are frequently onboarding some amazing new clients.

“My ultimate goal is to offer good local people jobs and open up new opportunities for the local community.”

The business growth has allowed Bowland IT to expand its team, offering job vacancies for multiple new team members and the company’s success has been driven by its ability to offer support to a range of business sectors, with a specialisation in the engineering and manufacturing industry.

Reece Birkbeck, IT support engineer, said: “It has been an amazing journey watching Bowland IT grow.

“Oliver offered me a position with the company less than two years ago, and it has been amazing to have been part of the company’s growth within the short period of time that I have been with the company.”

Bowland IT is now looking to take on new opportunities to leverage the growth of its clients’ firms by introducing intuitive technology solutions.

"Businesses are relying on their IT systems and telecoms solutions more than ever before," Mr Alcock said, "with the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of having robust and reliable technology."

Mr Alcock added: “We have seen a significant increase in demand for our services, particularly from family businesses that are looking to modernise their operations and adopt technology solutions to better serve their customers.

“We are committed to helping these businesses realise the benefits of technology and providing them with the support they need to thrive in the digital age."

Speaking on how the company will continue to grow, Mr Alcock said: “We believe that the best way to grow our business is by delivering outstanding service to our clients.

"That’s why we encourage them to share their experiences and provide feedback on our service. We take this feedback seriously and use it to continuously improve our operations, systems and processes.”

Chris Anderson, telecoms division manager at Bowland IT, said: “It’s great to see our clients acknowledging our hard work and dedication by providing such positive feedback.

“We are constantly striving to improve our service and ensure that our clients receive the support they need to achieve their business goals.”