Kyle Holmes of Black Nova Designs shares their busy August!

August is upon us – it’s the month of holidays, summer fun and time off for many people. It’s also the time of the Olympics (from July 26) and the Paralympics (from August 28).

So how are small business owners coping with the month often known as ‘silly season’?

Today we’re talking to Kyle Holmes who is the original owner and director of Black Nova Designs and Black Nova Technologies. Both companies focus on helping businesses and individuals with their technology and issues surrounding this.

How was August for your business?
August can sometimes be a quiet month for us, but this year we’ve seen loads of new work and leads coming in, which is fantastic. Of course, it’s also been the school holidays so as a family-run business we’ve had the kids around helping with tea/coffee making and learning the ropes of WordPress - or on other days, my wife and I have been juggling childcare with work.

What were your personal plans for this month? 
Getting through the month without going mad?! But all joking aside, with six weeks of the kids being off school, and as much as I truly love my family, Danielle and I work around the clock to ensure the kids and business are taken care of. That takes a lot of juggling and organisation, so I feel for many parents who find the holidays hard – working around school term time is something we juggle.

What advice/tips would you give to small business owners trying to navigate the ‘holiday’ period? 
Give yourself a break, breathe, work when you can and enjoy the quality time with the kids. And be upfront with your team, staff and clients. We are lucky enough to have a team, so Black Nova Designs stays fully available and open for the full six weeks, but many small businesses have to alter their hours – set the expectations and stick to your boundaries.

It’s the Olympics or Paralympics this month – any thoughts, memories or relevance to you or your business or organisation this month? 
We’re proud to count Paralympians Suzie Hext (swimming) and Chris Hunt Skelley (judo) as clients, so of course the whole team wishes them the very best of luck! The Paris Paralympics kick off this week, so we’ll be keeping an eye on the TV and cheering them on, along with the test of Team GB.

August 13 was International Left Handers Day. Are you left-handed and what issues, if any, have you ever had around being left handed?
My developer Steve is a lefty, the only one in the office. It doesn’t create any issues for us but as an inclusive office, we build all our team member's PCs bespoke - so his desk is built to work well for him as a southpaw.

August 20 was World Photo Day. Can you share a photo which means something to you this year so far
My personal pride and joy is my Supra, it was an absolute childhood dream of mine to own one of these iconic Toyota sports and grand touring cars, and now I do! I am a huge car enthusiast, and if you fancy following my car journey I am on Instagram as @kh_supra 

Did you know August 21 was World Entrepreneurs Day? What does this word mean to you and do you apply it to yourself?
This means a lot to me. I was often turned away or not given a chance to show off my skills when I was younger, but I’ve thrived working for myself. I’m passionate about giving people the chance to show their skills which is why we provide at least five positions for work experience every year and we also allow our own kids to learn about websites and WordPress if they are interested. Helping and encouraging the younger generation is so important, so we are also the main sponsor of the Esports gaming team at Swindon College. It fits well with our ethos and I’m an avid PC gamer myself, which not all our clients know!

Can you name one business you’d like to give a summer shout out too?
I would like to give a shout out to our longstanding IT client Chalkland Vets as they have a new surgery opening in Calne next month. We are true animal lovers in our office so being able to mix IT support with animals is a true privilege. 

Have you got any events planned for the autumn you’d like to shout about?
We’re exhibiting at Blenheim Horse Trials next month and looking forward to that. It takes place from Thursday the 19th to Sunday the 22nd of September at Blenheim Palace near Woodstock, Oxfordshire. If you love a good countryside day out and high level equestrian sport, it’s a great way to spend the weekend - and you can come and see us!

Have you got any services or special offers you’d like to mention?
We’re actually running a competition to win a website in partnership with TotalGuide! And everyone who enters can book a free intro chat with Danielle to chat about all things websites/web hosting and SEO which is an amazing opportunity. If you’d like to enter, just click here:
 

Find out more about Kyle and the team at www.blacknovadesigns.co.uk