Name: Julie-Anne Smith 
Job title: Proprietor
Company: Amplusfigura.co.uk
What does the company do? Online lingerie shop providing a wide choice of high quality plus size lingerie in back sizes 32 – 56 and cup sizes D – L, exclusively for the fuller figured lady so that they can celebrate their curves and feel brilliant. This is relayed through our mission statement – to offer exclusive plus size lingerie for the larger lady – adore your curves and show them off in beautiful lingerie!
Which part of the region are you based? South West Durham (all my life)
Please tell us about the project(s) you’re entering into the North East Digital Awards: I have entered the Best eCommerce Website (Digital User) category as feel that the website has grown significantly since launch as a result of sheer determination and hard work. I have embraced IT fully – the site is easy to navigate, easy to make purchases and easy to edit and update as and when required. The site is changed on a weekly basis – sometimes more often and I have learnt from my mistakes along the way. Also own the the business logo, the site (copywrite) and the software behind the site. I have made the site customer focussed with monthly newsletters published online, contact us page, testimonials page, search facility etc. to enable customer to navigate around as simply and as quickly as possible.
Complete the sentence: I’m going to win a North East Digital Award because….. I have worked extremely hard to promoting Amplusfigura as a large professional business with excellent customer care with the personal touch. This has been difficult as the business is an independent solely owned business ran purely from home whilst juggling a part time and full-time job, two children and running a home. There are lots of attributes which make a successful entrepreneur but fundamentality in my experience the crucial ones are having the energy to keep going even when you are completely shattered! Having a vision and never loosing sight of it; putting your heart and soul into your venture and never admitting defeat! If you are really passionate about something but unsure whether you can do it, believe in yourself and go for it and finally, recognise and celebrate the great work that you do – i.e. enter awards such as North East Digital Awards.
Complete the sentence: The North East digital scene is… high energy, fast, competitive, passionate – Businesses in the North East are encouraged to think ‘Passionate people. Passionate places’. Something which I have embraced 100% – I am 100% passionate about my business, my fellow business colleagues, my valued customers and am constantly striving to achieve the vision (the place) of where I want to be at. Once you start the long road it becomes so empowering and gives you the feel good factor of doing something that matters.
Are you a Mac or a PC? PC
Finally, state your level of geekiness on a range of 1 to 10. 1 being a technophobe and 10 being an uber-geek. At the onset I would have rated myself probably a 3 or 4 but now further along the long winding road I would rate myself probably a 6 – so not urber geek yet! An important lesson to learn is that you can have the flashiest website (and spend huge amount of money on marketing/developing site) but without giving the customer what they require/want (i.e. easy access, speed, simple navigation etc) your business will fail very quickly and I do not think that you need to be a urber geek to work that one out!
Discovery Museum features a variety of exhibitions demonstrating the evolution of technology, and celebrating the best in local and national innovation. As the 
