A young entrepreneur who aims to take the auction industry into the digital age has been named winner of The One business start-up competition for 2017.
Dylan Mander, who founded iValuer.co.uk last year, at the age of 23, has been involved in the auction and valuation sector since leaving school, including working for one of the largest auction houses in the South East.
He decided there was a gap in the market to bring the sector into the 21st Century, with iValuer.co.uk aiming to help customers avoid the often stressful and confusing task of sales at auction and to simplify the whole process.
iValuer.co.uk enables customers to upload a few images, measurements and any other useful information about the item they want to sell which is then passed on to a local reputable auction house.
The auction house will offer either a free auction estimate or a paid valuation for insurance or probate purposes.
If customers opt for a free auction estimate, they are then invited to sell the item through the auction house at a preferential rate. If they opt for either an insurance or probate valuation, they will be recommended a reputable insurance company or solicitor to suit their needs.
As winner of The One competition, iValuer.co.uk will receive a prize package of business support worth £25,500, consisting of PR and social media consultancy from Voice Communications, design consultancy from Phelan Barker, website consultancy from Paspective, on-line marketing from Climbing Trees, accountancy advice from LB Group, MyRuby call answering service for a year, a leadership and management coaching package from Julie Clements and a business consultancy package from Graham Broughton.
Nichola Cain, managing director of Voice Communications, which is based at Layer Marney, near Colchester, said: “We were impressed by the number of high calibre businesses entering the competition this year.
“iValuer.co.uk stood out to the team of judges as it is a completely new concept and we felt it could be really disruptive in the auction sector.
“Dylan was extremely passionate about transforming the industry and has a fantastic vision of how iValuer.co.uk could do this, demonstrating his abilities and entrepreneurial spirit. We’re all very excited to start working with Dylan and iValuer.co.uk.”
Dylan, from Norwich, said: “I am delighted to have been crowned the winner of The One competition. The business support package will enable iValuer.co.uk to grow its network, raise awareness of its offering and deliver even more functions.
“Winning this competition will give me the boost I need to bring the auction industry into the 21st Century and I am extremely thankful to all of the judges who have chosen iValuer.co.uk as the winner. I look forward to working with each of the judges and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for iValuer.co.uk over the course of the year.”
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