Richard Hooper started PS4B in 2005 from a desk in Steeple House, a Coventry City Council building, on the back of two decades working for regional IT companies.
He put in some of his own savings. The rest came from a small business loan, and getting that loan turned out to be harder than it sounds.
“When you start a business, you never know just how successful it might be and whether there will be any longevity,” he said.
“I knew I had a good business plan but needed working capital on top of some of my own money I was investing. I saw several banks and, at the time, they weren’t interested, apart from NatWest who could see the vision I had for the company.
“They gave me a small business loan, I took a desk in Steeple House and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Fifteen years on, PS4B supports well over 100 clients, mostly across Coventry and Warwickshire and out into the wider Midlands. 2019 was a strong year for new business, including taking on a portfolio of clients from a Black Country IT company that was winding up. The same year, the company took on its first apprentice.
“We’ve grown steadily over the past decade and a half, adding to the team and bringing in new clients,” Richard said.
“Although we are a technology business, we pride ourselves on great service and there is no doubt that people still buy from people.
“A business’s IT system is everything to them these days and we understand that we have a big part to play on a day-to-day basis when it comes to an SME, providing support and also advice on the latest technological advances.”
A lot of the current workload is migration. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 in January 2020, which leaves any business still running it without security updates.
“We are helping businesses to understand the risks of using unsupported operating systems in terms of security but also the benefits of migrating to the latest system,” Richard said.
“It’s all about building trust with clients so they know that you have their best interests at heart when you are offering advice. It is something that has stood us in good stead for 15 years and long may that continue.”