Chrome Telecom Managing Director Daniel Woodham has proved over and again that he is not averse to taking giant leaps into the unknown.
His proclivity to try something new led to the formation of his business, and it’s a trait that will also ensure its long-term sustainability as he seeks to keep abreast of technology in key markets.
Woodham displayed the entrepreneurial spirit that will ensure Chrome Telecom’s long-term success early in his career – on coming straight out of college in fact when he entered the leisure industry and opened his own gym, but financially and professionally the venture fell short of expectations. He then took a low paid sales role in comms with long hours, having identified great potential should he make a go of it. “With one child and another on the way it was time to run headfirst into the unknown and make it work,” stated Woodham.
Having started his journey into a career ‘unknown’ based on a hunch, and having shown true foresight in coming good and realising his potential, Woodham established Chrome Telecom in 2014 with a friend. The origins of the business lay in necessities Woodham had identified, on a personal level and among a business community in need of a telecommunications service boost. “By this point my wife was due our third child, I had worked my way up in comms, going from telemarketing to sales management and finally a field sales position,” he explained.
“I had seen enough to learn three important factors that prompted me to set up Chrome. There was a niche in the market for a telecommunications company with a one-stop-shop portfolio for customers, I was a good salesman and believed in helping people in business, and I was not great at working for people. I needed to go out and build a team with a drive equal to my own.
“Now my priority is for staff to embark on the company’s mission, which includes evolving our culture and embracing changes throughout the stages of our journey. I like to see my staff flourish personally and professionally. This is integral to Chrome as we are a small company, but with a big heart.”
With one child and another on the way it was time to run headfirst into the unknown and make it work
Chrome Telecom quickly established itself as a standout Pragma reseller and collected a partner award last year which reflected company growth of 67 per cent from June 2016 to June 2019. Woodham forecasts growth of 57 per cent on June 2019 with an estimated expansion of 300 per cent to 2023. “I believe in organic growth, but I also have a few tricks up my sleeve in the form of calculated risks with the possibility of future acquisitions,” added Woodham.
Chrome Telecom’s primary base of customers are currently within the care and healthcare industry which will remain a core focus area. “We will continue to work within this sector due to a growing need for unified communications,” added Woodham. “We are helping to bring the sector into a new era of call management and technology.
“My interest also lies in UCaaS and the ever increasing growth and adoption of teamwork applications. CPaaS is enabling seamless customer journeys and video will be the new voice. The Covid-19 pandemic – while being a terrible and unsettling time – has highlighted why my interest in video and UC is justified. Technology that delivers multiple means of communication, including video and remote working, has never been more crucial for businesses."
Just a minute with Daniel Woodham...
Role model:
Tyson Fury. He came from humble beginnings, has a can-do attitude and puts his heart into achieving goals.
Your main strength and what could you work on?
I’m intuitive about people and business. I can maximise peoples’ potential and identify latent skills they may not see in themselves. But I can be too much of a perfectionist and could work on delegation.
Best piece of advice you have been given?
From my mother: ‘Keep your word and do what you say you’ll do’. If you shake on a deal and it turns out to be bad, honour it and learn from the mistake.
If you weren’t in comms what would you be doing?
I would have followed my family into property development.
One example of something you have overcome:
Early in my career, being younger and looking younger (not any more), getting people to take me at my word was a challenge at times.