August Talk with Kyle Holmes

August is upon us, and the weather is heating up. It’s the month of holidays, summer fun and time off for many people. So how are small business owners coping with the month often known as ‘silly season’?

Today we’re talking to Kyle Holmes, 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 is August looking in your business? Does this month hold any special significance in your business? 
This year is set to be our busiest August yet, since founding the business in 2015. We have always found the month to be quieter than others, so I am extremely pleased at the change! Since having our trade stand at Badminton and attending a range of networking events, the hard work is paying off. We have another stand at MAGIC MILLIONS FESTIVAL OF BRITISH EVENTING 5-7th AUGUST 2022 (Gatcombe Park, Stand 15) which is very exciting. During set up we have supported another incredible team, Pivot Productions with the network and Wi-Fi infrastructure at the event. Having such a busy month and with Dean & I onsite every week, we are in the midst of hiring additional staff. It’s such an exciting process and hopefully by next month we will be introducing someone new to the team.

What are your personal plans for this month? Can you give us a ‘tip’ for places to visit during this summer month?
With the business taking up every inch of my working days this month, Danielle and I have booked some well-deserved breaks for September and October. We went to Paris in May and fell in love with the city so will be returning next month. I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to visit and enjoy the world while the business runs itself back home. So proud of our team and clients who continually support us. None of this would be possible without them!

August 20 is World Photo Day – can you share a photo which means something to you this year so far? 
The image I’d love to share was taken on my final day of the 3 peaks challenge in which I raised money for the RNLI and in memory of my friend Ant who passed away at sea. The training, the journey, and the ambition it took to complete this challenge has changed me for the better and I couldn’t be prouder of Danny and me.

Did you know August 21 is World Entrepreneurs Day? What does this word mean to you and do you apply it to yourself?
Being an entrepreneur is nothing like I expected. Having worked within corporates for my entire life before Black Nova, I always aspired to have the freedom that my bosses had. However, being an entrepreneur has given me an entirely new perspective on life and drives me to work harder. The 20-hour days, working from home till late and fixing issues while on holiday really takes its toll but it isn’t spoken about! Though it is all worth it. I believe that a true entrepreneur never stops and that is something to be proud of.

Can you name one business you’d like to give a summer shout out too? Who has gone the extra mile for you recently?
I was invited to the most incredible convention hosted by Pax8 at the Williams F1 Conference centre in Oxford. Being a software reseller, Pax8 are a great benefit to the business, and we work with them regularly. More recently, I have made stronger connections with a few members of the team, our partnership is growing, and they are one of our preferred suppliers for cloud solutions.

We are in a cost-of-living crisis at the moment? Is that impacting you at all in life or business? Do you have any money-saving tips you can share?
My top tips for money saving as a techie would be to check all of your device subscriptions. Don’t pay more than you need too and try to limit certain spendings if you feel they aren’t necessary. Reviewing your subscriptions should be a monthly occurrence, regardless.

My next tip is to check the tech you use as it could be affecting your electric usage and bills. Using devices until they break to save money is a common misconception with technology. The older your device, the more electric it will use. My advice would be to purchase or upgrade your devices, once the initial price is paid you will see an immense change in your bills in the long run.

Have you got any events planned for the autumn you’d like to shout about – either that you are running or attending?
Our PC building events are back and better than ever, starting in September! The first three events that I hosted were such a success and I cannot wait to help more children find their passion for technology. The tickets are on sale now so please follow the link below to sign up to the event – I cannot wait to see some of you there!

Have you got any services or special offers you’d like to mention?
We don’t have any special offers, but we have plenty of space on our brand-new servers for expert, high-speed hosting that will boost your website performance and speed!

And finally, August 16 is National Tell a Joke Day? Can you tell us a joke and raise a laugh?
1. There’s a band called 1023MB. They haven’t had any gigs yet.

2. Why did the developer go broke?

Because he used up all his cache

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