IAN FOLLOWS HIS FAMILY TRADITION OF RUNNING SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

The founder of an Exeter IT company is keeping a long family tradition alive as his business celebrates its fifth anniversary this year.For Ian Dunstan, owner of Cobalt Computer Solutions, is the fourth generation of his family to start up a business in the Heavitree area of the city in the last 100 years.

Ian, 32, started Cobalt in 2001 as a one-man band in Heavitree before growth prompted a move to the firm's current site in Exhibition Way, where it employs eight people.

The company designs, installs and maintains business computer networks, with 300 customers in the Exeter area, mainly small businesses.

Such hi-tech work could scarcely have been imagined when Ian's great- grandfather Stanley opened his butcher's shop in North Street in 1907.

His son Alec followed his example by opening the general stores which became the well-known Dunstan's of Heavitree.

After expanding around the corner into Fore Street, this diverse shop served as a grocers, haberdashers, off-licence, hardware store and more.

Ian's father Charles took the reins after Alec died in the 1980s, starting up other businesses within the same premises, including a florist's, furniture sales and an upholsterer's.

The business was eventually wound up when Charles retired in 2000, though the florist's was sold and is still trading today.

Ian, whose brother Simon sells phone systems and sister Sarah is a teacher, was the only one of his generation who decided to keep the Dunstan entrepreneurial spirit alive. But he said this was not due to any encouragement from his elders.

"I just woke up one morning when I was working for an IT company and thought about starting out on my own," he said.

"I think it's all about confidence. A lot of people could run a business for themselves, because everyone has a skill. It's a case of finding out what that skill is and having the bravery to take the jump." Following recent rapid expansion, Cobalt is again looking to relocate to larger premises.

Ian said: "I am very proud of the success of Cobalt and in keeping up the famous Dunstan family tradition".

"I believe we are successful at Cobalt because we have good local knowledge and we don't just sell computers; we offer a full IT service package aimed at the local business market."

"As a small business ourselves, we fully understand the importance of being up and running with minimum downtime and, as a result, pride ourselves on currently fixing 60 per cent of our customers' problems in less than 30 minutes."

One lesson Ian has learned from being the son of a self-employed businessman is the need to make time to spend with his own three children - aged five, three and 11 months. It is too early to tell whether they have inherited the entrepreneurial gene.

Ian said: "When my father started his business, computers weren't really around, and my grandfather used to deliver milk on a horse and cart, so who knows what kind of work they might do when they grow up."