This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Danny Scott, general manager of tech specialists Howard Conrad in Harrogate.

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does.

We are an independent tech repair centre. We repair most devices and offer callouts, one-to-one sessions, and have recently expanded into Windows repairs.

What does it require to be successful in business?

Definitely trust. The devices we take in every day have people's lives on them, and we often have to ask for their passwords, so establishing a level of trust with them is essential.

What drives you to do what you do every day?

I find a huge element of satisfaction in problem-solving and genuinely love being able to help people. People can feel a sense of panic when they're cut off from their device, and it's nice to be able to help them.

I also like the environmental side of what we do. When customers are faced with the decision to repair or replace, it's great to be abe to help them hang onto the device they're used to, and save it from landfill.

What has been the toughest issue your company has had to deal with over the last 12 months?

People's reluctance to spend money. The cost-of-living crisis has really had an effect, so we've adjusted our prices to help people through it.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why?

Definitely Folk coffee house on Leeds Road. Sally [Lumsden], who runs it, has thrown a different spin on the familiar coffee shop mode and really knows how to develop the social side of the business, with late-night openings and other events.

From a cool aesthetic point of view, I really like Pizza Social too. In a similar way, they've taken a familair concept and flipped it to elevate it to another level. It's very pleasant, with great food.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders?

Sally from Folk, and also Ian [Bainbridge], who runs the post office on Leeds Road. He recently celebrated 50 years in the job, and achieving that kind of longevity in business is absolutely incredible.

What could be done locally to boost business?

One thing that we've done is create a local discount card. We've teamed up with other local businesses, such as Folk, Porters, Prologue, The Harrogate Vet, The Electric Bike Shop and H2K, and we all offer discounts to each other's customers.

Best and worst things about running a business from Harrogate?

The best is the people themselves. Harrogate does seem to be a more cheerful and happy environment than some other places I've worked in.

The worst is the traffic. It appears to get busier and busier every year.

What are your business plans for the future?

We're expanding into other devices, not just Apple products, and we're looking to widen the range of repairs we offer.

For the last year, we've been running Spotlight, an IT support service for four business customers, in a test phase, and we now want to really push that. What we've already done has given us a good foundation that we can build on.

We also want to get back into selling more refurbished devices, which helps divert more tech away from landfill.

What do you like to do in your time off?

I'm a bit of a cinephile. In fact, I'm obsessed with cinema – I go multiple times a week.

I'm also one of those strange people who collect tattoos!

Best place to eat and drink locally? 

Folk, Pizza Social, Paradise Tap & Taco, Stuzzi. They're all different experiences, but all just so good. I very much enjoy them all, so which one I choose just depends on how I'm feeling.

If you know someone in business in the Harrogate district and you'd like to suggest them for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.