Danielle Holmes, of Black Nova Designs, is looking forward to a busy September!

September is almost here – what will this month bring? This month we’re talking to small business owners to find out what’s coming up for them!

Today we're talking to Danielle Holmes who is Sales and Marketing Director at Black Nova Designs, a web design and hosting company based in Calne, Wiltshire.

How was your summer as we go into autumn?
Summer is always a juggle caring for kids and running the business. We made it but, honestly, I’m so ready to see the schools go back so we can focus on work a little more. What’s even better is that both our kids will now get the school bus, so there are no more dreaded school runs! As much as it was a stressful juggling act, August was a really great month for the business. That’s quite unusual as it's usually a very quiet month for us, so we are very grateful for all new and current clients keeping us busy.

What’s coming up for your business in September?
We’re taking the trade stand to Blenheim International Horse Trials this month, so if you love horses, great sport and a day out, come and try it out. We’ve got Kyle’s racing simulator (raising money for Wiltshire MIND) on the stand, so you can find us there on stand K1715 and have a go for just 2.50

We also have our ‘win a website’ competition with Total Guide running until Friday 13th of September - all you need to do is sign up for our newsletter using the link below. If you know a website will take your business to new heights in 2025, this is your chance to win a bespoke WordPress site totally for free. Enter here: https://www.totalswindon.com/business/win-a-website-black-nova-designs/ 

It’s ‘back to school’ month or ‘start of university’ month – is this relevant to you personally or professionally?
Our kids go to secondary school on the 9th  of September this year and we are all looking forward to it. They are both looking forward to a new year of challenges, making new friends and learning. Plus, the kids being back at school means Kyle and I will be able to spend more time in the office developing the business and team, so it helps us personally and professionally!

It’s been the Paralympics this month, which ended on September 8. Did you watch, what do you think of this tournament? Were there any stand out moments for you?
The para riders are so inspirational, as are all the athletes who’ve been competing in Paris. We were so heartbroken to hear Suzie Hex’s news - she’s a client who was due to be competing in para swimming but had to pull out with a last minute medical issue. It was heartbreaking, we really felt for her, the hard work and discipline put into preparation to then not compete. It’s something I think we can all learn from; Suzie has shared her upset online and has said she will bounce back but it will take time…. I think that really shows true strength.

September is also known as ‘organic’ month – when it comes to your business/organisation/personal life what do you do to be ‘more green’? If it’s in business do you work with other brands to be more sustainable?
We offer fully sustainable website hosting, which is often an overlooked part of the business when people are trying to be ‘greener’! Websites and online data processing use a lot of energy and produce heat, which means data centres need extensive cooling, which uses even more energy. The servers we host websites on are all powered by renewable energy and to be doing our bit to help really means a lot to us. We also adopt a coral every month with Coral Guardian, and we get to name the coral each month! Kyle and I both love beaches so it’s a fitting way to give back… what would you name your coral?

World Gratitude Day takes place this month (Sept 21) – what are you grateful for in your business/organisation/at home?
I am very grateful to my husband, we work, live and parent together and that’s not easy, I am incredibly grateful every day for his support. Also, our organisation itself would not be able to run as it does today without our team of staff, freelance specialists and network of like-minded networking business owners, so a huge shoutout to all my contacts.

There are many other ‘points of interest’ during September which could be relevant to you or your business. Here are five, pick any which are personally or professionally relevant to you?

*Sept 6 to 15 – Heritage Open Days 2024.
*Sept 18 – Read An Ebook Day.
*Secondhand September
*Sept 27 – World Tourism Day
*Organic Your September.
For second-hand September: Did you know that you can recycle your old tech with us? It’s a great way to make use of old laptops, tablets and computers so they have a ‘second-hand’ life rather than them ending up in landfill. You can just bring them to the office, and we’ll wipe them of all your files and data and make sure they go to a good home. 

What are your hopes for business for the rest of this year? Are you launching a new product, service, running an event or something else later in the year?
In March 2025 we’ll be celebrating 10 years in business! It’s so cool to look back and see what we’ve worked so hard to build over the past decade, so we need to celebrate! Kyle and I will put our heads together and think of something special, an open day or something for charity - we are open to ideas! Send them our way… However, for the last quarter of 2024, we will be continuing to support as many new and current clients as possible. And we’ll be working hard to try and provide the best in-person tech business there is and show the people behind the tech.

Have you got any services or special offers you’d like to mention?
Just our website giveaway! Make sure you enter now - plus everyone who enters can book a free 1:1 chat with me to talk about how to use a website to grow your business. 

And finally, September 30 is International Podcast Day – do you listen to podcasts or do you have one of your own? Can you share a tip? Which podcasts should others check out?
I love podcasts! They’re so great for when I’m walking dogs (I also run a dog walking and daycare business), driving the kids around, chilling - all the time! Podcasts can be a goldmine of advice and inspiration for anyone running a business, so I highly recommend making time to listen. I’ve been a guest on a few podcasts so I would like to give those a shoutout, https://scottmedia.uk/podcast/ and https://businesswise.org.uk/podcasts/. I’m always on the lookout for the chance to be a guest, so if you’d like someone to talk about being a mum and business owner, how to build a career in a sector you’re new to, IT, websites, SEO - anything really - I would welcome the chance to be a guest. 

 For more information visit https://blacknovadesigns.co.uk