How to grow your business around your staff and clients: company culture
Black Nova Designs grew from Kyle and Danielle, both working 24/7 to support our customers and grow the business, to hiring 7 staff members in just 18 months. This caused a huge shift in the way the business worked. Company culture is the shared ethos of a workplace, the goals, values, and attitudes which permeate from the top down. Like so many other important parts of life, company culture isn’t about what people say, it’s what they do and what they say.
A positive company culture has developed at Black Nova. We are proud to share how we operate and continue to grow as a business. In this blog the share our core values that create such a positive company culture, service, integrity, teamwork, respect & family.
Service
At Black Nova our focus has always been to simplify technology and be an approachable, in-person service to all. Our clients are at the heart of all that we do. We take pride in providing outstanding service and strive to make a positive impact on our community. Everyone from our senior staff down share the same ethos. We get a lot of feedback online and face-to-face telling us how lovely it is to be able to discuss and fix technology issues with an actual human instead of a telephone or an online bot. We care about you getting value for money, while also caring about your business’s success.
Integrity
We demand of ourselves the highest standard of integrity. We are compliant to all laws & policies set, especially with regards to safeguarding responsibilities. From our staff and clients to the PC building days and charity events which involve children. At Black Nova we are driven to provide an expert service by being the best we can possibly be. Whether that is through education, community work or customer service, our goal is to be a friendly but reliable face to all.
Something we feel important to ask ourselves and our employees are the following:
● Do your employees celebrate each other’s wins?
● Is there a clear team effort on projects?
● Have employees become friends with each other, asking about external matters?
● Can employees express their honest opinions to each other?
● What about with senior staff and directors?
● Do your employees feel they can try new things and be bold?
● Is there trust in the workplace?
● Can people admit to mistakes?
The team here work within an environment where their integrity is protected and pushed to the highest standard. To learn more about our team please view our ‘Meet the team’ blog.
Teamwork
We also want to make sure everyone feels that they are heard and valued, and that they are happy to express their opinions – even if this sometimes causes issues on the tea-making rota…
When you create a culture that is positive, honest & trusting, everyone pulls their weight and feels they can speak up. In the Black Nova office everyone is happy and positive which then reflects in our business outcomes such as customer satisfaction and sales delivery and revenue. Whether you are a staff member at Black Nova or use us for any of our services, you will notice that we care most about your success, ensuring you feel comfortable about asking anything whenever you need. Remember, there is no job too small or question too silly. We are here to bring solutions to your business needs.
We’ve learnt that being happy, supportive bosses leads to happy employees who are likely to be positively helpful with our customers.
Respect
Every member of staff is an expert in their own field and is respected for their knowledge and expertise. We are all free to express ourselves, provide solutions to problems, bounce projects between each other and discuss what we’re working on. We operate with perfection and continue to improve where possible as an integral part of our culture as professionals and a business.
Family
Our office has always been a real blend of ages, cultures, and genders and this has worked very well for us. This inclusive and supportive culture has a huge effect on customer service. It is a cycle that generates not only an enjoyable workplace, full of new ideas and diverse opinions, but also a consistent flow of sales and happy clients! Just as our team view areas in a different angle, your customers too will be wildly different from each other and need different approaches to serving them. Additionally, happiness tends translate!
What do Black Nova’s employees have to say?
In recognition of this collaborative and open approach we thought we’d ask around the office here and see what our own employees have to say about the company culture here at Black Nova. As we mentioned in the intro, we’re lucky to have a diverse bunch of fantastic people here, and we know this has contributed to our success over the past 7 years.
‘I only joined Black Nova in May 2022 and the friendly greeting I got from the team was unmatched. Almost instantly I made great connections with everyone and have many who I happily call my good friends now.’ – Dean
‘Working with Black Nova has enabled me to progress in my role in a supportive space. I have had access to courses and training throughout my time here which is amazing.’ – Erykah
‘The best thing I love about the company culture at Black Nova is the freedom we have in the office. I have never felt unable to discuss my work or make suggestions with the team, everyone is very welcoming and open-minded. We bounce ideas off each other all the time!’ – Steve
The team is available on the phone, email, and most social media channels. Black Nova also provides top tips on YouTube to enhance the confidence of our clients, and there is a huge knowledge base that is free for anyone who would like to start learning more about IT and what Black Nova can offer.