“Listen to and consider the opinions of others but don’t let them lead you. An outsider’s perspective might offer a whole different view on things; value that outlook by all means, but stay true to your goals and your journey.” – Vimal Patel

Founder@ Interview

With Vimal Patel

“Listen to and consider the opinions of others but don’t let them lead you. An outsider’s perspective might offer a whole different view on things; value that outlook by all means, but stay true to your goals and your journey.” – Vimal Patel

Today we feature Vimal Patel, the founder at Giant Digital. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.

Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?

Sure! My name is Vimal, and I am the Managing Director and founding partner at Giant Digital. I founded Giant Digital in 2011, along with founding partners Jon Atkinson and Simon Evans, in the hopes that we could provide a service which offers digital solutions that are accessible, inclusive and tailored to users’ needs. Since then, our team of dedicated strategists and technologists have been working with non-profits to tell meaningful digital stories, delivering lasting positive impact through innovative digital strategies and solutions.

A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?

I started off studying conveyancing and land law at university but, after a stint at a law firm in London, I quickly realised that it wasn’t the right fit for me. After leaving the law firm, I had the opportunity to join Bluhalo as a business analyst and then, over time, my role became more focused on business development which I found really interesting. That experience, paired with a computer science degree from the Open University, really started my interest in tech and digital solutions and, I guess you could say, is what led me to co-found Giant Digital. I think my co-founders and I also had a real passion to build something more meaningful – something that would make a real-life difference. I am super proud that I can say that is exactly what Giant Digital has given us.

Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?

I think the team would agree that we do a lot but to summarise, Giant Digital is an industry leader in digital innovation and web development – providing consultancy and website design, as well as online community building and digital fundraising innovations, for charities and ethical organisations. We’re hugely committed to social and environmental good so work predominantly with those in the third sector. Since changing our working habits during the pandemic, we decided to move out of our offices and commit to a fully remote working model. So I guess we wouldn’t say we’re based in any one place, but rather across the UK!

What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?

I don’t necessarily know if there was an ‘aha moment’ as such or even one single thing that has got the business to where we are now. I think what has been most important to me and has really helped us grow has been finding a balance between keeping our clients happy and keeping the team happy. My team are directly involved in the day-to-day work and running of the business, so I think it is fair to say that the success of the business so far has been hugely down to having such an amazing group of people to work with. Transparency and honesty have also been guiding principles for me. When things don’t go according to plan, I believe in being honest with the team and encouraging them to do the same. This way, we can make the best use of the team’s skills and expertise to address any challenges and come out stronger on the other side. To put it simply, I think our success has been driven by fostering a supportive and open work environment, where collaboration and trust are prioritized. By embracing these principles, we’ve been able to overcome obstacles together and achieve the level of success we enjoy today.

Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?

Learning not to underestimate the importance of effective communication and honesty within the team is a huge lesson I learned. Misunderstandings and miscommunications happen all the time and can make things go so easily wrong but can be equally as easy to rectify. I soon learned that establishing clear channels of communication within the team and fostering an environment of open communication can really encourage business development. Also, the clients and the team are far happier which makes for a much better and more productive work environment! I think that the last 12 months have also been a huge challenge that we’ve had to overcome together. The pandemic really rocked the boat for us, but we came together and developed creative solutions to support our clients as much as possible. We were forced to come up with some innovative solutions and, honestly, the business is better for it I think. Being forced to think of new ways of doing things really encouraged the team to get creative.

If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Someone once told me that the key to business success is finding the right team to support you and making sure you look after them, and I think that is definitely something I’d tell my younger self. When you’re starting a business I think it can be easy to go it alone but it is important to value those around you. Treating people with kindness and respect, going the extra mile to support them when they need it and recognising their efforts and saying thank you all help create a working environment where people feel valued and appreciated. A happy team generally means higher productivity, greater pride in the quality of output, and as a result, happy customers.



We’re nearly halfway through our interview so it’s a great time to ask how does your business run. What three tools make your business run better?

From a team perspective, I would say that one of the most essential tools in our business is Microsoft Teams. At Giant Digital we are a fully remote organisation, and Teams has been central to keeping us all connected, informed and equipped with the resources we need for an effectively run business. We use it for general team communications, we have separate channels for each of our customers so that we can interact with them quickly and efficiently during projects, and it integrates with other platforms such as document and project management tools, to streamline our working practices. From a personal point of view, I spend a lot of time reviewing finances and find Xero a great addition to our business. It provides me with an accurate, up-to-the-minute picture of our financial situation so I can adjust activities accordingly and has proved to be an invaluable way of automating our financial processes, saving both time and administration. Finally, and perhaps surprisingly, I would say that the third tool I really find invaluable is a simple Excel spreadsheet. As a business grows and evolves it can be easy to go searching for tools and apps that will make life easier. I believe you need to find the right tools for the job, and whilst sometimes that can be a shiny new app, at others, it can be looking to what you already have and using it to best effect. It is easy to overcomplicate your work and waste valuable time with apps that provide functionality you don’t actually need. Often a spreadsheet is enough.




What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?

One of the biggest highlights of my career has been having the opportunity to build a business that I am truly proud of. Founding Giant Digital and seeing it go from strength to strength over the years, despite a few hurdles along the way, has been incredibly fulfilling. To see the positive impact that we’ve had on organisations in the third sector brings a great sense of accomplishment – there are a variety of metrics we use to measure our success as a business, but seeing the real-life positive impact of our work is the best feeling.

What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?

I think if we can continue to do the amazing work we already do, for even more clients across the world, then I’ll be chuffed. There are so many advancements in tech, such as AI, and I really want to continue exploring how that can work in our industry and for our clients.

To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?

Listen to and consider the opinions of others but don’t let them lead you. An outsider’s perspective might offer a whole different view on things; value that outlook by all means, but stay true to your goals and your journey.

“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and Giant Digital”

To learn more about Giant Digital Visit https://www.giantdigital.co.uk/

Find on social media @

https://twitter.com/Giant_Digital_

https://www.linkedin.com/company/giantdigital/

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For more inspiring founders stories check out Founder Stories.

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