An IT business overcoming the barriers to success

“My teachers at school told me I’d never get anywhere without a C in maths,” says Helen, Director of the local IT support company, RedFez. “Yet here I am running my own business.”

Helen and her husband, Robin, set up RedFez four and a half years ago after both found themselves between jobs and looking for their next challenge. Robin was good with computers, and Helen had a gift for talking to people, which was a great recipe for starting a new venture. Since then, RedFez has grown into a business trusted by an increasing number of small businesses to look after their IT worries.

“We want to do business differently, and I think that is attractive to our clients”, Helen continues. “We have a strong set of values which underpin everything we do, and people like that”.

Those values involve giving chances to those who otherwise would be excluded from employment and sees the team at RedFez made up of those who are neuro-diverse and often struggle with job interviews and the standard recruitment process. “They make great techies,” adds Helen, “they often have a calm, unruffled demeanour and a real attention to detail.”

Helping others to overcome obstacles comes from Helen’s struggles to cope with a world that is often against her. Quite aside from those early non-encouraging words from her teachers, Helen is also registered disabled, owing to hip issues which seriously limit her mobility, and has always found it challenging to find employment that would fit around her limitations.

However, she has not let this get in the way of finding ways to overcome these obstacles. Running a business is a testament to that determination not to let her disability be a barrier.

“In many ways, it is an enabler. I see the world differently and how much of a struggle it can be. I want to help people, whether that’s a fellow small business owner who needs their IT just

to work or a young person who just needs to be given a chance.”

Helen looks after the finances and day-to-day running of the business, allowing Robin to look after the technical side of things. Recently, she has also become more involved in the sales side, especially now that she has been in the IT industry for some time. Helen continues,

“I’ve picked up much knowledge over the last few years, and whilst I still leave the technical stuff to Robin, I love being able to offer solutions to our clients”.

Helen also loves coffee, so if you are ever passing Craven Park, where RedFez is based, pop in and say hi. You’ll get a warm welcome, and the kettle is always on!