Steph Walker co-founded web development agency Delicious Media with Dave Pullig in Huddersfield in 2012. Here she tells us why the ‘good vibe’ among small businesses in Sheffield made it the obvious choice for them to relocate their main office.
I was inspired to start my business by …
I had been running an online restaurant guide for nearly a decade and was re-evaluating options. I thought about getting a job as a web developer, but realised I’d picked up a lot of other skills and experience running an online business and could do more than just write code. It was at this point Dave and I decided to setup our own agency, Delicious Media.
My favourite thing about running my business is …
The broad range of projects I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years! From creating brochure sites for micro businesses through to an e-learning platform and from blogs to e-commerce. We have forged long term relationships with a lot of our clients – it’s really rewarding to see them grow and succeed.
The three words that best describe my business are …
Approachable, Transparent, Specialists.
I relocated to the Sheffield City Region because …
Delicious Media had been trading in Huddersfield for a few years when we were planning the future. We identified Sheffield as a potential market for us to grow.
When the opportunity arose personally to move to Sheffield, we took the decision to relocate the main office here too.
It has been a positive experience for us and we gained three major new clients in our first three months here.
Sheffield City Region is a great place to relocate a business because …
It’s a great place to both live and work. I came to university here 20 years ago and I barely recognise the city now compared to how it was.
I love that there is always something to go see, there’s a blossoming tech meetup scene and some really well-attended networking events.
There’s such a good vibe amongst small business here. Everyone is friendly, and there is lots of support here for established growing businesses.
The best advice I ever got was …
Take the time to qualify leads early. This means no one is wasting their time. Remember to take a break. It’s very easy, especially in the early days to work constantly and feel you can’t take time off. It’s really important that you look after yourself.
The worst advice I ever got was …
I think I’ve been lucky, I don’t think I’ve ever had bad advice!
The organisations that have supported me and my business include …
Since relocating we have been welcomed in to the community here. Sheffield Digital are doing great things to promote digital in the city. We’re also grateful to Business Sheffield for their support. We have a business advisor with them and it’s great to have someone to run big decisions by.
The main challenges facing my industry/sector are …
- Keeping up to date with changes in technology – there are so many web technologies that it’s impossible to be an expert in all areas. We opted to go niche with custom WordPress development for this reason.
- Inexperienced developers – Getting involved in the web industry is very accessible, but that can also result in people that think they’re helping, causing more harm than good!
- Skills shortage – The digital sector is booming, but it’s not always easy to find people with the right skills. I’m getting involved with Code First: Girls, teaching women how to code.
In 5 years’ time I expect my business to …
Be the go-to company for WordPress development in Yorkshire. We want to grow our client base in Sheffield and expand our team by two or three over the next few years.
I also want Delicious Media to have a positive impact on the digital sector in Sheffield. We are getting involved in a few projects in the coming months which should start to deliver this.
