As part of International Women’s Day, we interview Helen Tanner on her role at Data3, her views on women in business and what a more gender-balanced world-view means to her.
Tell us about your role?
I’m the founder of Data3, the award-winning Bristol-based data agency. We help businesses to make & save more money using data. So I spend my days removing the jargon, making data simple for our clients, and recommending ways to use data to fuel business growth.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I LOVE helping businesses, primarily SMEs, to use cutting edge technology to drive business growth. I work with ambitious, high growth businesses, who want to transform their business to become data-driven and to remove the manual processes slowing them down today. I LOVE making a real difference and I’ve helped businesses to increase their profit by > 10% using data they already have within their business.
And what are the most challenging aspects?
EVERY business has disconnected data…because EVERY business has multiple data sources. So even the smallest businesses end up with islands of disconnected, disparate data. We help businesses to overcome their data confusion, mistrust and complexity, to provide them with a single source of truth. So the most challenging aspects of my job are also the most fulfilling and impactful.
What 3 things do you think you need to progress as a woman in business?
The same as a man…
1. Tenacity & perseverance – you need to work hard and never give up.
2. Vision – you need to know where you want to get to and what the end goal is.
3. Perspective – you need to focus on what matters…and not be distracted by the small stuff.
4. Passion – you need to love what you do and have fun.
What can the next generation bring to business that previous generations may not have?
A fresh approach, less hindered by what’s come before…so with less baggage! I see a generation of smart, young women who are more entitled (in a good way) and will be more demanding. That’s awesome.
How has the innovation support you received helped you as a woman?
I’ve benefitted massively from the Bristol tech scene including SETsquared, Natwest Entrepreneur programme, ICE, WECA, Business West and more. The founders and business leaders are a fantastic source of support, help and camaraderie.
Practically, and financially, the government’s R&D tax credit scheme enables us to invest in technology development and we’re launching our SaaS product this summer.
What does a more gender-balanced world-view mean for you?
It’s simple – equality. Beyond gender, there are tons of studies out there that have proven, time & again, that diverse teams are higher performing than homogenous teams. We simple need diversity, in all its formats, inclusion, tolerance and acceptance. We’re a beautifully diverse city/country/world…let’s embrace that in the business world.
What women inspire you and why?
My fellow female founders in SETsquared – they’re smart, talented and super lovely too.
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