THE first North-East business to get a licence to sell alcohol on the Internet has got business booming with a simple message and a bottle.

After just a year in business, South Shields-based Internet gift service, Gifts 2 Drink, is now taking on extra workers and looking for bigger premises with the help of Tedco's High Growth programme.

Janet Nye struck on her business idea after running an off-licence in The Nook, South Shields.

She said: "I was fed up of spending hours sitting behind a counter and wanted to branch out into a new business, but I had to rely on my expertise.

"Our research revealed www.gifts2drink.co.uk is the only web-based delivery service of its kind operating in the UK, which gave us the edge in setting up.

"Word of mouth has seen us grow into a thriving web-based company with clients across the UK and Europe.

"New account wins have led us to take on extra florists and a part-time customer service representative who will work along side my son, Mark."

The company, which sends celebration alcoholic presentation packs, balloons and flowers to customers, has doubled its turnover in the past six months and is hoping to move to a larger unit at Tedco Business Works, in South Shields, to enable it to cope with the increased orders.

The company has also branched out into flower arrangements with hand-tied bouquets and aqua floral packs and taken on a part-time florist and a trainee to help deal with the extension to the business product range.

To help it to continue to grow and maintain its initial success, Janet and Mark have taken advantage of Tedco's high growth business package, where business consultants offer strategic short term and long-term advice to business start-ups which are experiencing an extremely high rate of growth.

Tedco operates business centres in South Shields and Jarrow that cater from one-person offices up to larger manufacturing units.

For further information, contact Ernie Coulthard on 0191-427 4500.