Daniel Bumby, MD of Simoda, tells us why Sheffield is ‘the best city in the UK’ and praises the support of the tech community in driving his business

I was inspired to start my business by …

I have held the desire to build my own business for many years and I often get asked ‘why now’? Well, it is quite simple really. I have always been interested in technology & how technology can help drive future innovation and today we see technology driving disruption and innovation all around us. Helping business leaders and IT teams is a real passion of mine and you know what they say, if you enjoy what you do then you will never work another day in your life!

My favourite thing about running my business is …

I love the variation from day to day. Over the last seven months we have had highs and lows but the key is to remain agile and as our chairman keeps reminding us – stay focused and don’t have mission drift.

 The three words that best describe my business are …

Simplify, Modernise, Accelerate = SIMODA.

 Sheffield City Region is a great place to start a business because …

We are in the best city in the UK so why would anyone want to locate anywhere else! I am proud to be from Sheffield, the help and support we receive from the local tech community is brilliant.

 Sheffield City Region is a great place to grow a business because …

I really like the acceptance of a diverse workforce in our region, the tech industry is renowned for being very white male orientated but like nowhere else in the UK the SCR is driving diversity as well as innovation.

 The best advice I ever got was …

Don’t be afraid to fail and always be learning.

 The worst advice I ever got was …

Always be closing & do everything you can to get the sale, thankfully I ignored this most of the time.

 The organisations that have supported me and my business include …

This could be a long list almost like a Oscar award speech! I will keep it brief.

Sheffield Technology Park, Sheffield Digital, Iland, IPriver, Avant, One2Call, Zerto, Secure Power, plus many more to come – mutually beneficial partnerships are the key to our success.

 The main challenges facing my industry/sector are …

Education, knowledge and acceptance. Not a day goes by when we are not talking to businesses about the opportunity that digital transformation and data intelligence brings. To summarise: ‘The key to success is through an open understanding of what is possible’.

In 5 years’ time I expect my business to …

Continue to help business leaders and IT teams solve issues, address challenges and achieve objectives but with advanced technologies. We are excited to see the wider adoption of A.I and the battle between the big 7 players (Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, SalesForce, IBM).

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