Company History
As we celebrated 10 years in business in 2020, we’ve compiled a little bit of our company history to illustrate how far we’ve come and of course what we have done along the way.
Thank you to those who have been a part of our journey so far!
June 22, 2010 On June 22nd, 2010, the company was registered with Companies House. Back then we were called ‘McTip IT’ and there was quite an interesting story as to how Dale and Chris met to star the business. A chance meeting during unfortunate circumstances at the height of the recession.
September 6, 2012 The DM Lab is a UKFAST Partner, offering premium hosting services. We are very pleased to announce that we have become UKFast Partners. As our existing clients will tell you our hosting is second to none. This has primarily been down the hardwork UKFast put in with our servers.
October 6, 2013 What does it mean for you now we have been awarded Google Partner status? You can be sure that we have met Google’s standards for account management best practises. Google themselves ensure the certification is current. We will always be undertaking AdWords management to a high standard.
June 22, 2014 Time for change! By 2014, we realised that the marketing side of the business was turning out to be a more profitable area for us. As we saw a gap in the local market, we capitalised on this and focused solely on the digital marketing aspect. This change of direction resulted in an explosion in business. We became a Google Adwords certified company, learning new techniques in PPC and SEM. Utilising the latest tools by heavyweights in the industry such as Yoast and Moz.
July 9, 2014 This certification not only credits us for the organisational levels we are at but gives us the opportunity to improve them, refining and streamlining the service we offer, essentially giving you ‘more bang for your buck’! The certification we hope will attract larger companies to the services we offer.
April 9, 2016 Your website needed to be mobile friendly by April 21st 2016.
September 6, 2016 As our business grows then we strive to do what we can, where we can. Becoming a part of the Luctonians family is a pretty big step for us. We love rugby, play for Lucs and now sponsor a team that we have become really involved with over the past year.
September 5, 2017 Back in 2017, we won ‘Growing Business of the Year’ at the Herefordshire Business Awards.
October 5, 2017 In 2017, we were first included as one of the Top 3 Marketing agencies in Hereford on Three Best Rated!
November 2, 2017 Much to our surprise, we were awarded the accolade of ‘Entrepreneur / Business of the Year’ at the Sunshine Pride Awards! Incredibly, we pipped both 2 brilliant local businesses: Merry-Go-Round Nursery and A Rule of Tum!
July 12, 2018 This status is a reflection of how we are continuing to work hard and grow our business. More clients and more print jobs has helped us achieve the Pink tier. You can see our design work on our Projects page and we keep an extensive portfolio of our work.
August 1, 2018 In 2018, we took a huge step with the development and growth of the business. Through The Development Manager (TDM) based in Worcester, we whittled down several promising digital marketing apprentice candidates to just two. The two we had to decide between were head and shoulders above the others – as good as they all were. Harvey Edwards was one of these two.
August 4, 2018 We were delighted to have been informed that our MD, Chris, was chosen as a winner in the Creative / Digital / Media category in the 2018 Spotlight Awards. This was for the countless hours he puts into running this business as well as his involvement in the community, especially with his club Belmont Wanderers FC. Doing all this while he juggles a busy family life and cares for his disabled father every day before work.
August 8, 2018 Press release by Love Energy Saving’s PR department – A Hereford design and digital marketing agency is challenging to win a major award after enjoying success by expanding its horizons. The DM Lab is one of 10 finalists in leading price comparison specialist Love Energy Savings’ annual Best of British Business Awards. Judges were impressed at how its team persevered to overcome both the recession and apathy among its initial target market.
September 2, 2018 Save the date – November 14th 2018! We, The DM Lab, a design and digital marketing agency specialises in online marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, web and graphic design, were selected as a trail-blazer in the official count-down to Small Business Saturday, which took place across the UK on 1 December 2018.
September 10, 2018 Being huge fans of XRP and Ripple, we decided to make a raw WordPress plugin for those that need to install the Coil payment system on their WordPress site.
October 4, 2018 As well as sponsoring the Herefordshire Business Awards 2018, we were also a finalist in the ‘Creative Business of the Year’ category!
October 6, 2018 We retained our status as one of Hereford’s Three Best Rated Marketing agencies in 2018
November 2, 2018 Chris attended the UK House of Lords for afternoon tea with Lord Young of Graffham as part of the #SmallBiz100 2018. Also speaking was MP Greg Clark, Melinda from Square & Michelle, director of Small Business Saturday UK.
November 14, 2018 For our #SmallBiz100 day, we presented 2 talks on SEO for beginners and Micro Moments. This was for anyone who was interested. A crew from the University of Gloucester documented the day and the turnout was even better than we could have wanted. A brilliant day we’ll always remember!
February 2, 2019 We exhibited at the inaugral Marches Growth Hub #LoveDigital event at the Three Counties Hotel!
March 8, 2019 The DM Lab was 1 of 4 finalists in the ‘Midlands Corporate Commitment to the Community’ category at the Midlands Business Awards at the Athena Leicester!
March 10, 2019 Chris was given an opportunity to become a member of the Board of Trustees at the stunning Canwood Gallery!
April 9, 2019 The DM Lab had been selected for inclusion in SME News‘ SME 100 list. The SME 100 is a comprehensive round-up of the region’s leading SMEs from a wide range of sectors & industries & showcasing those businesses that have turned passion, innovation & drive into success. Their goal is to identify those who truly represent excellence across the UK & we emerged as a clear choice for inclusion!
May 9, 2019 We exhibited and Chris had the opportunity to be a speaker at the Herefordshire Means Business Expo. He spoke about Micro Moments and the Changing Landscape of Google.
July 3, 2019 We attended the Herefordshire Skills Show at Hereford Racecouse showcasing the company, what we do and the opportunities we had for those looking for a career in dthe digital world.
August 8, 2019 We retained our status as one of Hereford’s Three Best Rated Marketing agencies in 2019
September 1, 2019 We spent the summer preparing and personalising our new office in Penn House, Broad Street and in September we officially moved in.
October 1, 2019 The DM Lab was named as 1 of 8 finalists at the The Rural Business Awards in the ‘Best Rural Digital, Communications or Media Business’ category! The ceremony was held at the University of Nottingham.
November 4, 2019 Chris was a finalist in the ‘Most Influential Business Person of the Year’ after progressing to the finals through a public vote. The ceremony was held at Villa Park, home of Aston Villa FC.
December 6, 2019 Finalists in 2 categories! Chris was a finalist in the category ‘Business Person of the Year’ and Harvey was a finalist in ‘Apprentice of the Year’. The ceremony was held in the Sir Bobby Moore suite at Wembley Stadium.
January 25, 2020 We were officially announced as Westfields FC’s Digital Partner at the end of January. Originally scheduled to be announced at the turn of the year, the weather however had other odeas! We’ll be assisting the club as a whole with their digital presence and helping to promote the club however we can.
January 29, 2020 Most Outstanding Digital Marketing Agency, 2020 – Herefordshire Following on from the success of the 2019 program, SME News are looking to celebrate those enterprises who consistently provide the best services and products for their clients, allowing them to stand out within their representative fields. The Business Elite Awards 2020 are handpicked by SME News Magazine and are based purely on comprehensive analysis and research undertaken by the wider group. It provides us the chance to promote talent on a truly UK-wide platform. This proven approach ensures that they award on merit, not popularity and recognise the very best in business. They award those that are succeeding in their endeavours, innovating, growing and improving.
February 28, 2020 We were invited to present a short talk at Kinder Pocock’s inaugral Supercharge Your Cashflow event. We explained how to maximise your marketing budget to aid with cashflow within a small business. The full video of the talk is posted on our YouTube page
March 4, 2020 We were extremely pleased to learn that Harvey had passed his Digital Marketer Level 3 apprenticeship course & achieved a distinction – the highest grade possible! Harvey worked incredibly hard to maximise the opportunity we gave him. We hope that this will be a great advert for potential future apprentices looking for a serious future in our world with our company!
March 24, 2020 Using our digital marketing expertise, we co-founded Local e Sourced at the start of the pandemic. We did this to help the local independent suppliers continue trading while creating an online marketplace that celebrates all things Herefordshire.
May 15, 2020 Despite the somewhat turbulent times, we were delighted to have been named a finalist in the Digital Star category at The Small Awards This award recognises small businesses that operate only through digital channels. The business will not have a storefront, but use the internet to market, sell, and promote their product or service. The award will celebrate strong use of digital channels to engage customers, innovation in web design and functionality, and growth in audience over time. The business will demonstrate strong understanding of digital engagement and show how they have used this understanding to deliver for their customers.
June 26, 2020 Working with the awesome guys at Minerva, we are prepared for further business successes and growth. We designed this amazing little workstation for potential new staff which Minerva fabricated and fitted for us. We now have additional space to accommodate apprentices and those looking for work experience.
July 17, 2020 We’re pleased to announce our latest partnership with the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering. We will be supporting NMITE on their Digital #CPD offering. We look forward to developing on this exciting new partnership! #BeTheChange
July 20, 2020 Throughout the recent developments & partnership with NMITE, we have been given a further opportunity to help our country’s veterans. We are demonstrating our support for the Armed Forces Community & have formally signed the Armed Forces Covenant!
July 31, 2020 Originally due to start with us back in March, we had to postpone this due to COVID-19. However Joe officially started with us a couple of months later. After helping Harvey achieve a distinction on the same digital marketing apprenticeship, Harvey himself will be mentoring Joe initially, and throughout the apprenticeship we’ll be identifying and working with Joe ourselves to develop areas he is either excelling at or has a greater interest in.
August 1, 2020 It is our statement of intent to support defence personnel following our signing of the Armed Forces Covenant. The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) recognises commitment and support from UK employers for defence personnel. The scheme comprises bronze, silver and gold awards. This is for employers who support those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families.
October 4, 2020 The London Marathon – it was virtually the same! On the 4th October we took part in the postponed London Marathon from April 26th on behalf of the National Autistic Society. We raised a substantial amount for the charity and we have secured a place in the actual event however this isn’t until 2022.
November 16, 2020 The recent months have brought about significant challenges to businesses across the globe, therefore it brings us great pleasure to let you know that The DM Lab has been awarded: Most Innovative Digital Media Marketing Agency – West Midlands! Not a bad way to end a tough year with!
December 16, 2020 We’re pleased to end the year on a high by maintaining our Top 3 Marketing Agencies status by Three Best Rated® threebestrated.co.uk/marketing-agencies-in-hereford Three Best Rated® was created with a simple goal to find Top 3 local businesses, professionals, restaurants, health care providers, etc, in key cities. They display only businesses that are verified by their team since customers deserve only the best.
January 30, 2021 After taking part in the Virtual London Marathon last year after the cancellation of the actual event, we were recently made aware that by taking part in the event, we were part of a Guinness World Record! More than 37,000 people, from all corners of the world, completed the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday 4 October 2020. The final finisher total of 37,966 means the event has been awarded an official Guinness World Records title for the ‘Most users to run a remote marathon in 24 hours’ – of which Chris & Dale were 2 of!
March 23, 2021 We are delighted to announce that we have been selected as winners at the Central England Prestige Awards 2020/21! We have won the accolade of ‘Website Designers of the Year’ which is a great recognition of the quality of our work in website development. During the awards process, over 100,000 businesses and corporate professionals, magazine contributors and subscribers were invited to nominate companies & individuals based on factors such as service, innovation, experience, sustainability and other areas. Additionally, their research team has put forward a selection of firms which they felt were deserving of recognition The DM Lab being one of them!
April 14, 2021 The team behind THEGOODESTATE is all about great content and this is why they conducted a detailed survey of websites in various categories. The result: they awarded the best websites with their quality label “Best Website 2020”. We were one of these!
June 18, 2021 Lawyer International’s – Legal 100 – 2021 – Awards provide the Global readership with a definitive guide to those firms, and individuals, that truly are the most able, within all areas, across all geographical locations that the monthly magazine reaches. We were awarded ‘Best Multi-Award Winning Design & Digital Marketing Company of the Year – UK’
June 22, 2021 To celebrate our 11th birthday as best as we could we wanted to do something of significance. We had to postpone our decade in business in 2020, & we’ve been limited as to what we can do in 2021. So what we chose to do was join Ecologi. To celebrate our birthday we would love for you to gift us a tree to our forest which you can name as a lasting memento here. As a member of Ecologi we, as a business, will be working toward removing CO2e from the atmosphere, growing our own forest, seeing our impact brought to life, keeping track of progress on our profile & learning about & setting further low carbon goals.
June 23, 2021 We are 1 of 3 Midlands Regional Finalists for the ‘Best Rural Small Business’ Category. Small and micro businesses make up 99% of all businesses in the UK. They have a significant role to play in our rural communities and economy, and this award is dedicated to celebrating the achievement of small businesses and those who work for them. The criteria for the award is as follows: the winning business will demonstrate a strong USP and will have laid the groundwork for sustainable long term growth. They will either have embraced a rural theme or overcome challenges as a result of their rural location. They will be small but mighty, punching above their weight as a small or micro business. The Midlands Region Online Presentation is on Friday 8th October 2021 – we’ll have to wait until then to see if we’ve done enough!
June 30, 2021 The UK Micro Business Awards is the leading celebration of the UK’s small businesses. Appreciate the nation’s best sole traders, micro businesses & small companies as well as the services providers & advisers that support them. We are 1 of 3 finalists in the ‘Giving Back – Business With Purpose’ category. Despite the enormous number of Micro Businesses, this vital sector does not get the recognition it deserves. Our mission is to honour & recognise the UK’s micro entities as well as those champions and advocates that support them. The finals will take place in November 2021 as a Virtual Event. We look forward to seeing you there!
July 1, 2021 TDM’s Apprentice of the Month Award for July was awarded to Joe! Joe, who is currently on his Digital Marketer Level 3 Apprenticeship, was nominated by Creative Director for The DM Lab, Dale, who wanted to praise Joe for his brilliant ability, dedication and commitment to his role and Apprenticeship.
July 1, 2021 We are 1 of 6 Midlands region finalists at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the ‘Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year’ category. Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year is defined on the Great British Entrepreneur Awards website as: firms that hone talent that spurs new technologies, industries and jobs.In today’s climate, where user-experience and fast-flowing trends are key mobilisers, small businesses are all the more powerful for their youthful energy and agile stature.Leading a small business is a notoriously difficult, often thankless task that involves wearing many hats at once on the journey to securing a thriving operation.
August 31, 2021 17 Years of Research Since 2002 TopSEOs have helped businesses make the right decision with their rankings. Their rankings help you hire only the best digital marketing companies, ignoring the rest. Rigorous Evaluation Strategy TopSEOs research team dives deep to understand how companies stack up to one another. Get the inside scoop on which web marketing companies to hire for the best results. Independent and Transparent TopSEOs analysts and experts work diligently to identify the best online marketing companies. They are open and honest about their processes and the results of their research.
September 30, 2021 We’re delighted to have been named a finalist in 3 categories! Harv is a finalist in the ‘Rising Star of the Year’ category, Joe is a finalist in the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ category & The DM Lab is a finalist in the ‘Employer of the Year’ SME category & from this category a winner for the overall ‘Recruitment Excellence Award’ will be selected!
October 3, 2021 We were really grateful to Ange for giving us an opportunity to take part in the Virtual London Marathon 2021 for the ELY Memorial Fund. The virtual marathon was completed in under 5 hours & we even managed a new PB! We managed to raise £200 for this amazing local charity that helps with funeral costs for parents who have lost a child in a car accident..
November 4, 2021 We are delighted to announce that we have been selected as winners at the Central England Prestige Awards 2021/22! We have won the accolade of ‘Digital Marketing Agency of the Year – Herefordshire’ which is a great recognition of the quality of our work in digital marketing. During the awards process, over 100,000 businesses and corporate professionals, magazine contributors and subscribers were invited to nominate companies & individuals based on factors such as service, innovation, experience, sustainability and other areas. Additionally, their research team has put forward a selection of firms which they felt were deserving of recognition The DM Lab being one of them!
December 2, 2021 Chris is proud to have won the ‘Man of the Year’ award at the Women’s Business Awards. Chris says, “It has been another tough year for all small business owners. You either sink or you swim. Furthermore, earlier this year, The DM Lab celebrated its 11th birthday. That alone gives me reason to not give up despite everything that has been thrown at us the past 18 months or so. I try to remain as positive as I can. I’m pleased to have been able to support and inspire those around me – enough for me to have been nominated for this award in the first place. However, to have stood out enough and catch the judges’ eyes and be awarded ‘Man of the Year’ over two other inspirational leading males in Matthew Ford and Richard Moore is simply amazing. Finally, well done to Matthew and Richard, and many thanks to the judges for awarding me this fantastic accolade. Above all, thank you to the Women’s Business Awards – a special end to a turbulent year – thank you!”
February 15, 2022 We were named as finalists in the ‘Best Digital Biz’ category at the BizBubble 2022 Awards! Special guest Judge Natasha Francis (The Urban Vintage Affair & BBC’s The Bidding Room) announced the winners for each category on the 25th February. We didn’t win but as always we’re pleased to have caught the judges’ eyes enough to have made the finals!
June 20, 2022 On Sunday, 19th June 2022, we tweeted Theo about our business during ‘Small Business Sunday’ and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet by Theo to his near half a million Twitter followers. The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has over 3,000 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK. Business and retail entrepreneur and self-confessed Shopkeeper, Theo, re‐tweeted The DM Lab’s message to his almost 500,000 followers!
July 27, 2022 It’s always humbling to be recognised without persuasion – and the title of ‘Most Innovative Digital Marketing Agency – Herefordshire’ is one we’ll take! Shortlisted businesses are subjected to SME News’s internal vetting procedure. Their extensive research and judging process is driven by merit and centred around an in-depth evaluation of skills and services on offer. Awardees must demonstrate expertise within their field, dedication to customer service and a commitment to promoting excellence.
September 1, 2022 We are delighted to be named as a finalist at The Drum Agency Business Awards! We are in the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ category and we will find out if we have done enough to catch the judges’ eyes on Wednesday September 28th. We are looking forward to it! Incredible to think we’ve made it to these prestigious global awards!
September 30, 2022 We are delighted to be named as a finalist at the Herefordshire Business Awards! We are in the ‘Business Leader of the Year’ category.
October 2, 2022 Finally, after receiving the news in 2019 that we would take part in the London Marathon in 2020 – on Sunday 2nd October 2022 – we did it! What an experience! We ran on behalf of the National Autistic Society and in doing so raised almost £1500. Very privileged to have been given the opportunity to take part. Thank you!
October 13, 2022 We are delighted to announce that we have been selected as winners at the Central England Prestige Awards 2022/23! We have been awarded the title of ‘SEO Agency of the Year’ which is a great recognition of the quality of our work in search engine optimisation. During the awards process, over 100,000 businesses and corporate professionals, magazine contributors and subscribers were invited to nominate companies & individuals based on factors such as service, innovation, experience, sustainability and other areas. Additionally, their research team has put forward a selection of firms which they felt were deserving of recognition The DM Lab being one of them!
November 3, 2022 Chris has been shortlisted for ‘Most Inspiring Senior Leader of the Year’ at the Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards! The awards recognise the people and organisations who are helping to make a true difference to the lives of our nation’s working population. As a figurehead of the company and the strategy, Chris inspires and motivates his team to adopt a more focused importance on their wellbeing, leading by example at every turn. Now more than ever there is a focus on the importance of wellbeing in the workplace, and we’re seeing more and more businesses take steps to create environments that support their employee’s mental health and wellbeing.
November 10, 2022 We’ve been around since 2010 which gives us enormous credibility, however to get a blue tick on Twitter just adds to this! We’re quite well known locally but for those further afield potentially looking to work with us – you can rest assured it’s us!
November 15, 2022 We’re pleased to end the year on a high by maintaining our Top 3 Marketing Agencies status by Three Best Rated® threebestrated.co.uk/marketing-agencies-in-hereford Three Best Rated® was created with a simple goal to find Top 3 local businesses, professionals, restaurants, health care providers, etc, in key cities. They display only businesses that are verified by their team since customers deserve only the best.
January 3, 2023 Our efforts to make The DM Lab’s profile better for your potential clients and be above your competitors (in a very competitive market) paid off. It is very difficult to get one of TechBehemoths’ awards, but we did it. Moreover, on a few services!
Company Registered
UKFast Partners
Google Ads Certified Partners
Rebranded to The DM Lab
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
Mobilegeddon!
Corporate Sponsors of Luctonians RFC
Growing Business of the Year
Three Best Rated 2017
Entrepreneur / Business of the Year
Pink Tier Customer with Printed.com
Harvey Started
Spotlight Award Winner
Best of Britain Awards Finalist
One of Small Business Saturday’s #SmallBiz100
Developed Our First WordPress Plugin
Creative Business of the Year Finalist
Three Best Rated® 2018
Afternoon Tea With Lord Young of Graffham at the House of Lords
#SmallBiz100 Day
Love Digital Event
Midlands Business Awards Finalist
Canwood Gallery Board of Trustees Member
The DM Lab Named as one of the SME 100
#HMBiz Expo
Herefordshire Skills Show
Three Best Rated® 2019
Moved Offices
Rural Business Awards Finalist
Midlands Business & Community Charity Awards Finalist
SME National Business Awards Finalist
Westfields FC’s Digital Partner
SME News’ Business Elite Awards of 2020
Supercharge Your Cashflow
Digital Marketer Level 3
Co-Founded Local e Sourced
The Small Awards Finalist
Office Expansion
NMITE Digital Partners
Signed the Armed Forces Covenant
Joe Started
Received the bronze award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS)
London Marathon 2020
Most Innovative Digital Media Marketing Agency
Three Best Rated 2020
Guinness World Record Holders!
Website Designers of the Year 2020 / 2021
Lawyer International’s – Legal 100 – 2021
Joined Ecologi
Rural Business Awards 2021 / 2022 Regional Finalist
Micro Business Awards Finalists
Joe is Named TDM’s Apprentice of the Month for July!
Great British Entrepreneur Awards Regional Finalist
TopSEOs Best in Search
National Apprenticeship Awards 2021 Finalists!
Virtual London Marathon 2021
Digital Marketing Agency of the Year – Herefordshire
Man of the Year 2021
BizBubble Awards Best Digital Biz Finalist
Theo Paphitis’ #SBS Winners!
SME News – UK Enterprise Awards 2022
The Drum Agency Business Awards Finalist
Herefordshire Business Awards Finalist 2022
London Marathon 2022
SEO Agency of the Year
Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards Finalist
Verified on Twitter!
Three Best Rated® 2022
TechBehemoths Awards 2022
The DM Lab strives to achieve all we can. Both through learning and empowering others with knowledge. This is accomplished by continually gaining recognition and building trust. Since 2010, we have actively been growing our own presence, as well as that of our clients. We’re able to continually improve our service and our offerings.
