Harvey Morton IT Support offers a range of services including social media management, web design, app development and media production. We spoke to founder Harvey Morton.
I was inspired to start my business by …
The BiG Challenge – a competition for schools and colleges where teams are given a £25 investment by their school/college, towards their business objective of increasing that amount by making as much profit as possible.
I first entered in 2011 with a keyrings and greetings cards business I ran with a friend and we were lucky enough to be invited to The BiG Challenge Final Awards 2012 where we won ‘Best Presentation to Judges’ and ‘3rd Prize in the Key Stage 3 Category’.
Being recognised in a regional competition was the first time I realised I was capable of running a successful business.
My favourite thing about running my business is …
I love waking up each day, knowing that everything I’m going to be working on, I’ve created for myself.
When I first started, it was just something I enjoyed doing as a hobby. But fast forward a few years and I’m doing things the 13-year-old Harvey that entered the BiG Challenge would have never even contemplated!
The three words that best describe my business are …
Focused, innovative and creative.
Sheffield is a great place to start a business because …
There is so much expert support available including free business coaching sessions and skills sessions from Business Sheffield and The Growth Hub.
Both universities also provide free start-up support to their students and graduates and their enterprise teams are excellent. Sheffield is one big supportive community and that’s what I love about it. I don’t think you’d get that in many other big cities – we’re extremely lucky.
Sheffield is a great place to grow a business because …
There are so many opportunities to get crowdfunding and meet likeminded people. My favourite events include Sheffield Soup, Start-up Weekend and Founder Brunch which are open to any aspiring or active entrepreneur, to pitch ideas, meet co-founders, and build products with the support of people who have been there and done it.
I’ve met so many fantastic, lovely people since starting my business and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support and encouragement I’ve received.
The best advice I ever got was …
Go and create a business you love and don’t let anyone stop you!
The worst advice I ever got was …
The support I received from my school and sixth form was mostly fantastic – however, there were a few teachers who told me my business wasn’t as important as my education and that I should focus my efforts entirely on studying. I loved proving them wrong, plus it’s allowed me to study Business and Enterprise Management at Sheffield Hallam and created so many fantastic opportunities for me.
If I’d listened and stopped my business, I can’t imagine what my life would be like now. Don’t let anybody tell you that something is impossible or that you’re not good enough!
The Sheffield organisations that have supported me and my business include
The Enterprise Team at Hallam, The Company of Cutlers, OSL Group, The University of Sheffield, Sero Consulting Ltd, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Theatres, Steam Yard, DLA Piper, Henry Boot Construction, Giraffe Learning and Nabarro.
The main challenges facing my industry/sector are …
The IT and social media industry is extremely competitive. Everything is so fast-paced and this brings new challenges with it.
A recent challenge has been identifying the right kinds of social media influencers, and building profitable and equitable relationships, according to the objectives of our clients’ campaigns – it’s important that we continue to get this right to achieve the best results for them within budget.
In 5 years’ time I expect my business to …
I love this business so much that while I’m in the process of setting up other businesses and moving forward with new ideas, I can’t imagine myself not being involved with my IT company.
I’d love to continue my charity work with Youth Employment UK and the Prince’s Trust as it enables me to inspire others and make a difference to other young lives.
I’m also looking to expand my team and start employing people which will allow me to expand into other areas and cities and take on larger projects.
