entrepreneurs 19


Pictures by Angus Thomas


Running your own business has its ups and downs; what keeps you awake at night?


Having too many ideas about thinking how things can be improved and done better. I see hundreds of opportunities every day and have to try to heavily filter them all down to the most achievable ones.


Governments harvesting everyday data has been a major news topic thanks to Edward Snowden’s revelations; as a company which hosts very sensitive customer data, is it a good or bad thing (personally) and how do you reassure clients?


This is often people’s concern and personally I think the news is a good thing for our industry, to highlight how insecure data can be. One of the reasons to move your data to a data centre or cloud provider should be to make it more secure. In an office, data is often at high risk, with unwanted staff


potentially able to access it, risk of physical break- ins out of hours, or the risk of staff accidentally bringing or opening viruses in the network. These risks are gone in a secure data centre.


Governments or any unwanted party can only intercept data on insecure networks or where they have been given access to by the network providers. Connecting to data over the Internet is secure, as long as it’s encrypted properly. Where we provide the network and the colocation/cloud, then this data is secure end to end and does not even touch the Internet. We can keep the Internet securely separated out.


Did you pass school science exams and what’s your take on the academic route, as entrepreneurs frequently bypass a conventional path?


I did do the usual school, college and university route. My courses were all around maths, computing and business, and gave me a rounded knowledge. University gave me a good understanding of many areas, but if I had not gone I would have started a business full time a lot faster. I don’t regret university and the Internet wasn’t mature enough in the mid 90s to really take advantage of it, but I think now as a true entrepreneur, spending those four years on building your business would be a much faster path to making it successful, as businesses can grow substantially faster now. However if you are an inventor/entrepreneur, then the resources of a university can be equally invaluable.


Who’s inspired you and would be a great dinner guest?


Richard Branson – I have read his book and admire the way that he has built his businesses over the years, originally starting from nothing. I have similar aspirations in growing businesses.


What’s downtime involve?


Home is just around the corner from the office at Sandbanks. I am addicted not only to my work, an obvious passion, but also to high-risk adrenaline


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – SEPTEMBER 2013


sports, such as rock climbing, snowboarding, jet-skiing, and I really enjoy learning new skills or improving myself.


Do you have a bucket list of things you would like to do or achieve and, if so, what’s on it?


I didn’t, but I’ve started writing one and it includes: cage diving with great white sharks, diving the Great Barrier Reef, jumping out of a plane and having a family. Also to go near to space or space flight, and invent something amazing that can help to improve the planet. I would like to visit Tibet or the Himalayas, climb one of the top 10 mountains and complete my pilot’s licence.


Awards, quite a cache (data pun intentional)... What do they mean to you other than obvious recognition for all the team?


In 2012 the company was named winner of HSBC’s South West Business Thinking initiative and runner up nationally, ranked in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA, Fast 50 UK as well as the Times Tech Track 100.


Beyond recognition and pride that the team receive from it, these awards can really help your business grow further. You can write as much of your own material as you like, but being seen externally as a leader really helps give confidence to potential new businesses; it demonstrates we are going in the right direction to support them going forward.


We also find, for our ongoing recruitment, awards show potential staff that we are the sort of business they want to put their future career into. We are doing everything we can to create the best working environment possible and awards like this help increase enquiries for positions.


If I called your best friend right now, how would he/she describe you – in three words?


I’ll ask him... He said: “Visionary, technologist, elusive.“


Details: www.C4L.co.uk www.businessmag.co.uk


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