About Us

Steph Hollingsworth

David Bradshaw

LUDIQUE

LUDIQUEforIFAs is an innovative and practical software solution to meet the needs of today’s IFA.   The idea for the system originated from a period when Ludique’s owner and founder, Steph Hollingsworth was working as a consultant to Bradshaw & Co, Financial Services Ltd - an IFA practice based in Leicester. The task in hand was to review Bradshaw & Co’s  business and information needs and streamline its administrative processes. 

The review also looked at the feasibility of purchasing one of the IT systems currently available, but concluded  none had been specifically designed with the real office administration of an IFA in mind, nor did they have  compliance procedures as a comprehensively integrated feature. This was surprising given the significance of demonstrating compliance in the IFA sector.  In addition, most of the other software suppliers at the time either charged substantial annual licence fees in return for few or modest updates, or charged extra for every additional licence for each member of staff.

So, the idea for LUDIQUEforIFAs was born – a new system that would draw on the core office processes needed by an IFA and refine these into a simple to use, elegantly designed IT system that would be the the IFA’s partner in business success and the IFA administrator’s best friend.

"The Ludique system is perfect for our small IFA firm.  It contains everything we need and is easy to navigate.  We no longer struggle with cumbersome and costly systems containing too many fields that we don’t use.  The data transfer has been seamless and the support impeccable.  Ludique has helped transform our procedures, enables our administrator provide first class support to our advisers and underpins our TCF ethos."

William Cooper, Director, Simple Finance Solutions Ltd

"I would like to give my heartfelt thanks for making the quality of my life at work so much better! I have never known myself actually looking forward to inputting commissions before!!!!! It is so quick and easy to use, thanks mainly due to the facility to “add another” commission similar to the last and the ability to mark which policies commission is being paid under.

Thanks for designing a system that is a joy to use."

Julie Bramble, Company Secretary, Bradshaw Financial Services Limited

Steph Hollingsworth

With a highly successful first career in office administration, change management and managerial roles, over the last 16 years Steph has developed her skills in designing simple, elegant IT systems that are developed and built from the needs of real, non-technical users immersed in the actual day-to-day working of an office - unlike most software systems which are designed by software engineers with little or no experience of using the systems they create. 

Trading as Ludique, with the assistance of a virtual team of IT specialists with niche expertise, her core business is the provision of  highly responsive, bespoke solutions which are adapted to meet changing needs by the customisation of products and services which reflect the client's business model. See Services for further information.

Since 1992, Steph has been working with Bradshaw & Co Financial Services Limited on a variety of projects.  Steph applied her 15 years experience of delivering management information solutions to the daily work and business success of this IFA practice by creating LUDIQUEforIFAs.

Finally, Steph is  a law graduate with particular knowledge in corporate liability, intellectual property and data protection. This knowledge has enabled her to unravel the requirements of the principles-based TCF initiative and incorporate its implications into the design of LUDIQUEforIFAs.

“Steph pulled out all the stops to provide broad spectrum management support - assisting in the drafting of policy documents, carrying out invaluable business intelligence activities, facilitating speedy delivery of competitive and well crafted tenders.”

Roland Kamsika, Director, Amonite

"The work you did on the University database and on setting up Raiser's Edge was terrific...the work was always done with good humour and efficiency - a good combination."

Professor Judy Simons, Pro Vice-Chancellor, De Montfort University

David Bradshaw

David Bradshaw is the principal Director and practitioner of Bradshaw & Co Financial Services Ltd - an IFA practice based in Leicester.  With 21 years experience of operating as an IFA, both as a general and specialist adviser, he has a considerable insight into the needs of the small to medium-sized IFA firm. David joined the DBS network in 1987, and was its Regional Chairman from 1995, before becoming the 1st member of Simplybiz in 2003. David specialises in the active management of client investment portfolios. It was the need to accurately monitor and compliantly advise on this subject that inspired the development of LUDIQUEforIFAs.

Working closely with the system designer, Steph Hollingsworth, David’s expert knowledge and input ensured that LUDIQUEforIFAs genuinely delivers all aspects of functionality required by a general IFA practitioner.