It’s important that new businesses don’t grow too fast too quickly, according to the founder of Sheffield-based HiveIT.
Based in the Electric Works but set to expand into larger offices over the next few months, the digital consultancy says that its growing team has actually faced relatively “few challenges”.
The young company, which launched in early 2014, touts the secret to its success as not saying yes to everything – which can seem counterintuitive for a new firm.
“A weird challenge was not growing too fast too quickly, because you can do,” MD and founder Jonny Rippon told BusinessCloud.
“We’ve deliberately done a lean business and business model and not taken too many risks so that you’re basically chasing your losses. We don’t employ 10 people when there isn’t work for 10 people.
“So the challenge was really self-restraint and also being a bit choosy about the work we’re doing.”
This is a potentially risky strategy for a young company, admits HiveIT account manager Sooze Tooze.
“On the face of it you look at a start-up business that potentially could turn down work if doesn’t fit our ethos and culture, but it’s something that personally I’m really proud of,” she said.
“Everyone we work with fits our culture and ethics and it’s all work we’re really proud of. I don’t know quite how we’ve managed it but, for a business that’s only three years old to be in a position to stick to projects and clients they really want to work with, it’s quite an achievement.”
This emphasis on values is something that’s seen throughout the company and is a selling point for recruitment, says Tooze, who followed Rippon from Technophobia, the company he was working at before he left to start HiveIT.
“It’s something we’re working on as we grow and something that’s growing with us,” she said.
“We obviously have a complete culture that we’re really proud of and we all care about the same things so we like to work on projects where we see some kind of social and environmental positive impact if possible.
“That’s not always possible because we’re still a business and we want to make a profit and grow but being able to work on those kinds of projects is one of the big reasons a lot of people want to work here.”