I am Dan Barrett, the Founder of NRCM Web Design. I live in Northampton in the UK after honing my skills for more than ten years in various high-profile organizations around the world.
I learned as much as I possibly could about WordPress and specifically plugins, and this enabled me to go on to become an authority in Web Designing services.
The Journey Began
It was in 2010 that I first took my first steps into the world of WordPress. I had no knowledge or experience, but I was keen to learn, and I was ambitious.
This was enough to get me started, but it wasn’t enough to get me where I wanted to go, which is why I put my nose to the grindstone and began taking in as much information as possible.
Meeting with web developers, understanding plugins, looking into what apps could do, and why bespoke WordPress apps were indeed the future. This was all part of my work, and I loved every moment of it.
Every time I gained a new piece of information, I knew I was taking the next step toward making my dreams come true.
The Need For NRCM Web Design
NRCM Web Design Logo
All the learning and fine-tuning I did in those first few years of understanding web design brought me to one shining moment; the moment I knew I was ready to start my own company. That company was NRCM Web Design, and it was definitely needed.
I began NRCM Web Design in 2018, and the main reason I did, so was that I could see what was missing in the web design industry.
Web developers are very skilled in what they do, understanding how WordPress can be used to enhance a business or personal profile.
However, what they are – generally – less skilled at is working with actual people. The connection was usually missing.
This is something I wanted to change; I wanted to make a people-first business that cared (and showed it cared) about its clients, not just about the end results.
So this is what I did. NRCM Web Design is a company that truly understands people and uses that understanding to create bespoke WordPress designs, plugins, and apps that actually help.
This is something we’re very proud to be able to do for our clients, and it really does make all the difference.
Remember, people buy from people, and if your website feels human, that will boost your sales and engagement.
NRCM Web Design Wins Web Excellence Award
Myself With My Brilliant Team
It’s impossible to do this all alone. Yes, I worked hard to get the skills and knowledge to help me start NRCM Web Design, but I understood that I didn’t have all the information I required and I didn’t have all the necessary skills.
This is why I have an amazing team behind me who understand my vision and who want to achieve the same goals as me.
There are four of us working in the head office at NRCM Web Design. I am the founder and digital director.
Then there is Hollie, head of design. We also have Sumit, our lead developer, and there is Fabio, our SEO, and marketing specialist.
If you look at these skills, all of them different yet complementary, you can see how we fit together to create the ideal web design team and business leadership group.
This is why it all works so well, with everyone playing their part and owning their own responsibilities, and yet we all come together with a common goal.
It might sound like a cliché, but I genuinely could not have got where I am today without them.
NRCM Web Design Team at Event
Advice For Business Owners
However, advice is important, and you need to hear it and take from it what you can. You’ll know what works for you and what doesn’t.
And that’s my main piece of advice. Go with your gut, understand what works for you and follow that path because it’s the path that will give you the most satisfaction and the most happiness.
Remember, you’ll be working 40, 50, or 60 hours a week for years. Why choose a path that makes you miserable? It’s not worth it. Find what you want to do and do it.
Stay in Touch
WordPress and Beyond
All I know for sure is that the future of WordPress is an exciting one. It’s going to change and change for the better, even if it’s hard to see how that would happen right now.
There’s no denying that WordPress’s user interface has gotten more intuitive over time. WordPress websites are becoming easier to develop with the arrival of cutting-edge block editors like Gutenberg, GeneratePress, Elementor, and Oxygen, and this trend is only expected to continue.
Yet web design will still be needed – otherwise, we’re going to see lots of very similar websites that aren’t going to be helpful to businesses at all!
I’ve always taken a keen interest in how WordPress will develop, and I hope that I’ve made an impact in terms of that as well. That’s why our new venture, WP Extended, came into being.
WP Extended – WordPress Plugin
Plugins can be confusing, and when you have many of them on one site, things can be complicated.
WP Extended reduces the number of plugins required which means your website is faster, easier to manage, and loses none of the important human elements we discussed earlier.
My Love For The WordPress Community
Echoing some comments above, I wouldn’t be where I am without the WordPress community – I owe it a lot! This community is full of people who are just like me, and that’s comforting, and also useful.
Being able to offer up ideas and listen to advice about things that I care about is a crucial part of moving forward and getting better at what I do. I thank the WordPress community for this.
How I Keep Myself Updated
We’re very lucky to live in a digital age where all the information we might need is right there at our fingertips.
Online journals, LinkedIn (of course), blogs, vlogs, and so much more all serve to help me stay as up-to-date as possible.
I’m also aided in this by the WordPress community and by the various events and conferences I attend, all of which give me lots to nourish my mindset.
I Have a Life Other Than the Work
I enjoy playing football/soccer – I set up a Dads and Lads club every Monday evening which has helped a lot with mental health in my local area for men of all ages.
I spend time off with my Wife, kids, and family. I cherish this time as it’s away from, the screen and a chance to recharge and refocus.
I live in the UK and there are several beautiful locations myself and my family loves to visit such as the south coast, North Wales, and Edinburgh in Scotland to name a few.
We have 2 beautiful children, and that is enough of a responsibility!
I Reward Myself by
Starting from scratch and building up a healthy, happy, successful organization like NRCM Web Design is nothing to be sniffed at. It’s not something everyone can do, and it’s a huge amount of hard work.
And, of course, that hard work doesn’t end. No matter what happens in the future, I’ll always know I will improve in every aspect, and that’s how I reward myself.
