December Talk with Kyle Holmes

It's the last week of December and a week of restrictions for the second Christmas in a row. Let's take comfort from the words and experiences of some dynamic business owners and managers across the UK. Today we're talking to Kyle Holmes who is the founder of Black Nova Designs. Kyle has a passion for technology from a very young age when he taught himself the basics of coding. Fast forward to today, he's often referred to as the guru for all things tech and all-round geek in the office, based in Calne, Wiltshire.

It’s December – is this a busy time for your business? 
Yes, we are often filled with bookings for web design and different site work visits. However, after hiring two new staff members this year, we have more availability so we can talk to any business owner about the potential to work together. 

Christmas has come and gone – what does Christmas mean for you? 
I must admit that I am a bit of a scrooge and not a fan of the lead up to Christmas, but I do love the Christmas dinner and spending quality time with my family. 

This year we were without the children as they’re with their other parents so it was a quiet one, unfortunately. 

At work, being a 24/7 hosting company comes with responsibilities. Our customers come first despite it being Christmas, so do not hesitate to contact us if there are emergencies! We will be there!

What’s on Santa’s List for your business in 2022? 
We have so much going on next year. We will be starting to work with our new PR manager, Fiona Scott, to increase our reach when it comes to the services we offer. 

Additionally, we are launching a new social media management package with our marketing and graphics designer, Erykah. This will aim to support small businesses and increase their online presence, keeping their profiles up to date with the ever-changing trends of social media. 

As well as launching a brand-new package, we want to increase our Wi-Fi installation and optimisation awareness online by advertising the incredible work we have already completed on sites such as Iford Manor and Olivemead Lakes.

We will also be showcasing the IT solutions we can offer to bigger companies and teams where connectivity, security and secure back up are integral to success.

And what’s on your list personally? 
Personally, next year I plan to attend more charity events and push fundraising further where possible. The team and I are participating in a 24-hour gaming day later in the year to raise awareness for National Video Games Day which gives gamers the opportunity to get together in real life and boost their confidence socially. 

Another event that Kyle is doing are the 3 peaks in 3 days in June in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. They are a charity that saves lives at sea with the help of lifeboat search and rescue, lifeguards, water safety education and flood rescue. 

We chose this charity not only because many of us in the office enjoy surfing and going on holiday by the beach, but because I lost a friend to the sea around six years ago now feel it is so very important to bring more awareness for the sea and the dangers surrounding the water.

What has been your greatest business lesson this year? 
‘Don’t get comfortable’ is a quote often used around here, our business has been lucky to grow continually year on year even with all the changes and challenges in the world that have been happening, but that does not mean things will stay that way. 

It's all too easy to do the same thing, day in day out, and expect different results. Tech advances, updates and opportunities change daily. We are in a fast-paced industry and therefore keeping up with the most recent tech, trends and hardware is important for us to manage. 

Keeping in touch with my mindset daily, having set plans and goals are key for keeping us here at Black Nova on track. This pushes us to not get comfortable and strive for the best for our clients and team.

What have been your business highlights in 2021? 
Surviving the year is our biggest highlight. As a business we still feel incredibly privileged to still be here and able to support so many clients current and new, it means a lot to us.

Another highlight of the year is hiring more staff, we just love growing our team. It allows us to be more available for our clients.

What have been your personal highlights in 2021? 
Having such an incredible team is one of my biggest achievements. Personally, it has always been a dream to increase the BND team, so to have such great staff who assist so many clients in every way they can really does mean everything to me.

Being a dad and a step dad - and these are roles which are a contant work in progress!

What will you do differently in 2022? 
More PR to build on our vision from 2021. This will mean we can achieve higher brand awareness locally whilst advancing our services to meet a wider audience. 

For me, this year I am now qualified in copper and fibre installs which enhances my skills in wi-fi optimisation and can ensure business and home users can start to see the value of good Wi-Fi. So, 2022 will mean we can push for Wi-Fi installs much more than this year because our customers can have more confidence in us. 

Is ‘giving back’ important to you?
We take pride in giving back to our local community. Not everyone has the same opportunities in this world, and it's important that where possible we can give back to those less fortunate. 

Throughout lockdown we created a campaign to provide our local school with refurbished laptops for children that needed assistance working from home due to isolation or lockdowns. We asked people to donate laptops, we upgraded and refurbished them and provided them to the school for free.

Will you have a nominated charity for 2022? 
Royal National Lifeboat Institution. They are a charity that saves lives at sea with the help of lifeboat search and rescue, lifeguards, water safety education and flood rescue. This is very personal for me for reasons already explained.

We are also looking to support a secondary charity which involves the welfare of animals. We will continue to search for a relevant charity that means something to us all and will announce this soon via our social media, @blacknovadesigns. 

If you are planning to recruit in 2022 – share a little of your hopes around the growth of your team. 
With the increased need for businesses to have a good online presence and the rise of working from home, the need for tech and wi-fi is much higher and therefore we have plans to ensure we can not only cover that need but provide advice and support to many more.

With that in mind the next staff member will likely be a multi skilled technician. 

What would be your best piece of advice for anyone in business for 2022? 
Keep going and listen to your gut instinct, know when something is wrong and be confident to make the change if necessary. You know your business better than anyone else.

And finally:
I’d just want to give a special thank you to our fantastic team, staff, and customers here at Black Nova Designs. We wish everyone a Happy New Year.

For more information visit www.blacknovadesigns.co.uk