Twenty years may not sound long for some, but in the digital sphere, it is most certainly a big achievement.
The business was originally founded by two women who met in college and had a passion for all things digital.
“To begin with Art Division was very focused on website building and graphic design,” says Nelly Berova, one of the founders. “It makes me laugh to think about the types of websites we used to create back then, everything was much more basic.”
“Networking was different too. In 2002 we joined our first local BNI (Business Network Intonational) group in Croydon. We made contacts with so many local businesses and got noticed. But doing the rounds of face-to-face meetings took time. It was very labour intensive, you would meet tens of people just to get one lead. Now almost all our networking is done through LinkedIn.”
Here are some of the key achievements and hurdles we had to overcome during the past 20 years together with some key industry advancements:
After meeting in college, Nelly Berova and Natalie Stewart join a recycling company in Mitcham, where they are tasked with creating the marketing materials. After six months of working together, the duo decide to start their own company offering their services to more local businesses. During that year, Internet Explorer is the most widely used browser and a mobile communications standard allows portable electronic devices access to the Internet wirelessly.
The founding members are joined by graphic designer, Natalie Piper, (who becomes Nelly’s business partner after Natalie Stewart resigns in 2003). The business joins its first BNI group in Croydon, helping it attract more clients and grow in experience. LinkedIn is founded.
The business is now a member of two BNI networks and frequently attends other local groups. Nelly wins an entrepreneur of the year award. Google Maps and Google Earth are launched and development of the iPhone as a product begins. By December, Facebook had 6 million users.
Natalie leaves Art Division and Nelly has to deal with health issues, which put her out of action for a few months, meaning the business is very vulnerable. New web browser Chrome is created, the iPhone 3G is announced in June and Zoopla is launched.
We decide to invest more time and effort into digital marketing. The team changes almost entirely and the business wins its first estate agency client. Rightmove introduces its first mobile app – today the majority of searches are performed on mobile devices.
The marketing department grows steadily and becomes the core focus of the business. We take the decision to focus on the property sector and our estate agency clientele grows steadily.
Success among estate and letting agency clients does not go unrecognised. The business wins a silver award as the best supplier in the technology field. Turnover doubles in comparison to 2009.
Mobile web browsing overtakes desktop for the first time. Microsoft announces it will acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, the company’s largest acquisition to date. Facebook also reports a 57% increase in revenue (to $5.2 billion), with mobile advertising now accounting for 82%.
The business wins the Best in the Creative Sector and Best Business Under 50 Employees categories at the Merton Business Awards. From this year, 94% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content.
Art Division triumphs in the Best Business under 50 Employees category in the Merton Business Awards for the second year running. Google Chrome has over 70% market share, while Internet Explorer is down to 5% global usage.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the team moves to working from home and all processes and systems have to be changed. Almost all of our clients report a massive increase in revenue despite the lockdown. Art Division reports the biggest growth in traffic and enquiries from our marketing campaigns.
We would like to thank all our clients and suppliers who have worked with us and continue to do so. Taking you with us on our journey means a lot to us.
We have all learned a lot over the years, accumulating a wealth of experience – and not only in the field of marketing and real estate. The UK property market is a vibrant, fast-paced and exciting industry and we feel lucky to be part of it.
We are committed, more than ever, to helping our clients grow for many years to come.
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