With designs on expansion, Everyone is set to recruit more talent

A WEBSITE design firm that lists Black Bottle whisky, social network Kiltr and the Edinburgh Sparkles winter festival among its clients will nearly double its headcount this year to cope with its rising workload.

Glasgow-based Everyone, which creates websites and runs social network-based marketing campaigns, was set up 18 months ago by technical director Colin Walker and creative director Dino Squillino.

The pair had previously worked together at digital agency Drivebusiness, where their clients included retailers such as AllSaints, Bench and Gant. They had also worked at 2FluidCreative, which counted Asda, Pearl & Dean and Tennent’s lager among its customers for promotional campaigns.

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2FluidCreative was set up by Jacqueline Doherty, one of the co-founders of the Reality Group, among Scotland’s first internet businesses. When Reality was sold for £35m, Doherty set up 2FluidCreative, which in turn was wound up in 2009.

Everyone plans to take its headcount from seven to 12 by the middle of the year.

The company turned over about £120,000 during its first year in business and its directors are now targeting about £350,000.

Walker said: “We’re taking the expansion slowly, so we can recruit the right staff. It’s a big compliment to have so many big brands wanting to work with us.”

The firm has carried out projects for whisky labels owned by Burn Stewart Distillers – including Bunnahabhain, Ledaig and Tobermory – and for Solley Hotel Group, Cake Clothing and Bloom Venture Catalyst. Bloom provides access to “crowd funding”, allowing companies to raise money from a large number of investors.

Walker added: “Being based at Glasgow Film City, near the new BBC offices at Pacific Quay, has really helped because it’s a very creative atmosphere.

“One day you might see zombies having lunch in the canteen after a film shoot and the next day you might bump into Robbie Coltrane.”

Peter Allish, business manager at Royal Bank of Scotland, which has backed the company with £10,000 of lending, said: “Colin and Dino represent all that is good about the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in Scotland and our support reflects their determination, professionalism and commitment.

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“We will continue to focus on providing the funding to enable firms like this to realise their ambitions.”

The Scotsman’s sister paper, Scotland on Sunday, revealed that Kiltr – one of Everyone’s most high-profile clients – has secured a third round of funding, which will allow the social networking website to launch across the UK in the coming weeks.