One of the fashionable metrics for startup businesses in recent years has been that of client acquisition.
However looking after the customers you already have is just as important, says Digital Pathways MD Colin Tankard.
“There are so many people that go for the new customer all the time,” the cybersecurity MD tells TechBlast. “We see it in insurance, where you often have to move to make savings: I think it’s a terrible shame that we got into this area.”
Tankard, a private pilot who recently began stunt flying lessons, advises that they keep their feet on the ground: “Retain your customers. Build with them. Look after them and make sure they’re happy.
“Having worked with companies that have exited or sold, some of the biggest benefits they’ve seen is they can say to a prospective purchaser, ‘I’ve had this customer for five or 10 years, they’ve been renewing’. That speaks volumes.”
Cybersecurity
Digital Pathways is a mature business founded in 1996 which prides itself as a trusted security partner of organisations, particularly important during the industry-wide transition to cloud technology.
“A customer might ask: how do I fix my cloud security? How do I know that no one’s touching my data when it’s in Microsoft 365? How do I back up my data? There are a raft of products – but what’s right for me?
“We’re becoming a trusted partner with long-term customers because they keep coming back to us,” says Tankard.
COVID-19
He adds: “The dynamic of the type of employee we have has changed. A few years ago, we had engineers that would go out and install products, helpdesk people… now the vendors are doing a lot of that.
“As we saw professional services coming up, that’s a whole different skillset. We started to take on some people with those skills – then COVID kicked in so I kept everything quite low. But our growth this year will be in taking on more of those professional services consultants.
“The increase in revenue in that sort of model tends to be a little slower because you have to engage with the customer and build that up, so I expect the benefits will come in two years’ time.”
The company, which employs 12 people, migrated to a fully work-from-home policy two months prior to COVID-19, which he says led to a spike in interest but not actual business.
“It was one of those things where we were really busy doing proposals, doing webinars, talking to people about different ways of working, remote desktops and the cloud – everyone was interested,” he recalls.
“Then it would die a death. And to be honest, that is still the situation today.
“It was the uncertainty. Are we going to continue working from home? Is our business model going to continue this way? There was a reticence from the board and senior managers to sign off on new projects.
“There was also a worry about business in general – is it going to collapse? We saw loads of companies struggling during COVID. I can understand the reluctance to invest – to keep the money in the bank – in that scenario. It’s been a challenging time.”
Flying high
Tankard secured his pilot’s licence 15 years ago. The entrepreneur – also a former DJ who used to play his mobile disco in nightclubs – says his wife isn’t keen on his stunt flying shenanigans.
“My daughter got me a trial and it was great fun so I’ve had more lessons. Victory rolls, where the plane flies vertically and it gets to the point it can’t do any more and it falls… my wife says it’s far too dangerous!”