Play it again Carl

Fans of Brit-rock and folk-blues now have a new outlet across the World, thanks to The North East Regional Portal (TNERP).

Carl Stiansen set up Chevstar Records from his home in Morpeth last year, to promote his debut album ‘Reborn’ by his band Cape and to sell and distribute music made by other regional bands.

Following the initial success of Chevstar online, Carl wanted to advance the range of functions the website could offer, so he turned to TNERP for help.

Carl explains: “Since inception, Chevstar Records has attracted a variety of visitors from across the globe, and up until now, transactions have been made via cheques and cash at live gigs and by post.

“Professional e-commerce sites are now quick and secure, and I wanted to make it easier for people to buy new music from the North-East.

“Now thanks to TNERP’s online shopping mall n-e-shopping.com, I can sell music on the web without going through the rigmarole and cost of setting up my own online security system. The system is safe and easy to use, and that's great news for music lovers everywhere, and it also means that I have the safety of the portal umbrella behind me.”

Norma Foster, chief executive of TNERP, adds: “We’ve found a lot of the retailers who sign up to the mall use n-e-shopping.com not only as a global marketplace, but also a testing ground to see how useful a function the Internet is for their business.

“Many retailers have been trading with traditional methods for years and they now feel they should be trading online, however they are unsure of how to take that next step. We offer a complete service; from giving advice, building the site and maintaining its content through to managing the monetary transactions, so the retailer is left to do what they do best; in Carl’s case that’s making music and promoting the North Eastern music scene.”

To find out more about Chevstar Records visit www.n-e-shopping.com and choose the Sound & Vision option.

A not-for-profit organisation and a fully owned subsidiary of the Regional Development Agency One NorthEast, TNERP represents the North East England online via its n-e-life.com website. It can also provide e-commerce advice, funding, e-tendering services and online shopping. For further information telephone 0191 487 2002 or visit www.n-e-life.com.