About Us
The Story of how it all began…
Picture this familiar scenario, it’s 5am and you are getting ready to attend a networking breakfast meeting. You pack everything in your briefcase ready for your day. You arrive at your meeting for 6.15am and greeted by the same faces you see every week. Following the customary meet and greet, you get your 60 seconds to promote your business and scan the room for new faces to target, not surprisingly you realise that there is no one new in the room.
Everybody focuses as the special box containing everyones business cards at it gets passed around the room each of us make a mental note of who takes your card.
Disappointingly you look on as they just take your card out of habit and deep down you know that you probably won’t be doing business with them as you have been down that road before. The final insult is when you watch as your cards are folded and stuffed in wallets or tucked in back pockets or even worse .. discarded in the bin as they leave.
It was at one such meeting that after witnessing cards being trashed, that the idea of the Digital Business Card was hatched, but what cemented the idea from a passing thought to a concrete concept was what happened next.!
Having previously scheduled a meeting with a potential client after this particular breakfast meeting, the focus was on getting there on time and making as good impression. On arriving at the next meeting the customary shaking of hands and exchange of business cards took place… however the sudden realisation that there were no cards left in your wallet, briefcase or any of your pockets, would send shivers and panic through the sternest of business men and all you can focus on is the recurring video playback in your head of that person throwing your card in the bin when they left the breakfast meeting only an hour ago.
At which point, you vow to never let that happen again and start creating the most obvious solution… Go Digital. As far as we are aware, no one throws away there mobile phone after a meeting!
So here we a few years later sharing 10’s of 1000’s of Digicards in many languages for 1000’s of organisations across the globe allowing business to thrive and keeping the world connect.
Barrie Sapsford
CEO
Like so many creatives, it took a few years for me to find my feet ! I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so at the age of 18 much to the disappointment of my parents and back when the world seemed a safer place, I left a very good job in art, design and advertising to go backpacking around Europe and got my extended education at the university of life. Two years later , having experienced robbery, mugging, hospitalisation, homelessness and near death situations in between some great jobs, I arrived back in the UK a different man, I had a different outlook on life and having been destitute and left with nothing on several occasions, going forward, nothing seemed too far out of reach because the only way was up.
My new found confidence landed me some cool jobs, in Catering & Hospitality, Marketing & PR, Design & Advertising and in 2002 after making my bosses multimillionaires, I decided it was time to do it for myself and since then, I have never looked back.
I’ve had several businesses since then and I have always believed in rewarding those who deserve it. It can be as simple as a nod of acknowledgement, a well done, or thank you. It doesn’t always have to be about the money. A favourite quote of mine has alway been: ‘Recognition’ Soldiers die for it, Babies cry for it’, yet in one way or another we all crave it. I have learned that a simple ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’, goes a long way with your colleagues and work associates.
Fast forward to 2019, I’ve made millions and lost millions, been tricked, conned and swindled, yet I keep going. I have forged great friendships and surrounded myself with people I trust. I believe fundamentally that people are good, it is just their situation that determines their decision making, so in the words of Zig Ziglar “If you help enough people get what they want in life, you will get what you want”.
Zoe Vikki
Office & Support Team Manager
Patience and understanding are qualities that can only come with experience and time. Being a mother, I believe has only added to the experiences I’ve encountered throughout my career. The world of hospitality as always been my passion. Whether is be customers service, HR or running a support team. My greatest achievements and experiences have been with the Hilton Group at the Langham London and then being part of the opening team of One Aldwych, Londons first five star deluxe hotel. From their being head hunted to go into Office Management and then becoming a PA which took me around the world.
I’ve been with B2Bdigicards since it launched as the office manager. Organisational skills can be applied to anything, you simply need to start every task with the end in mind, you lay down your plan and ask what is it you aim to achieve when you set out. With B2Bdigicard we aim to deliver, and ensure that our customers user experience is as easy and friendly as possible.
We live in a competitive world, the success and failure of any company rises and falls with its customer support, put simply, if you don’t deliver, there is always another company happy to take your customers from you.
Ben Alexander
IT Support Team Leader
Even-though Ben is the youngest of our team, like all millennials he has his finger on the pulse with tech and social media and coordinates between Saul & Steve to ensure a seamless transition on any IT issues we have with individual Digicards. Between them they have a wealth of experience in IT and Internet user experience.
Ben works out of the UK office and specialises in Social Media, Saul is based in Sydney Australia and Steve in South Africa and are exceptional code writers. Between them we can offer a 24 hour service in IT support. Saul also heads up the Australian Sales Team and manages new accounts on the other side of the world. We also have an exceptional support service from our web designer in the UK, whom have surpassed our expectations in web development and technical support.
Stefan Tanfield
Design Team Leader
A background in design and art is always handy, however Stefan has managed to surround himself with a pool of talent that he can call on as demand grows. From book cover and poster illustrators to artists and art teachers They, along with Barrie look at each individual client to see how they can make each digicard unique and reflect the organisation it represents.
Stefan has worked with Barrie on many projects for over 20 years and has been the voice or reason, encouragement and bought some seriously great skill sets to the table. Experienced in business, art & design and legal practices, Stefan has always been a valued member of the team.
James Feary
USA Accounts Manager
James is an ex-pat residing in Atlanta Georgia. When asking James to join the team it made sense to choose someone already established in business. James is also the director of TaylorMade Events, with is years of experience he has managed to secure his reputation in delivering great experiences for clients and the latest innovations to help them reinforce their message and brand in the marketplace.
James has introduced B2Bdigicards to some of the biggest corporations in the US and his continued belief in the product and its contribution to the environment and reducing our carbon footprint has helped B2Bdigicard and the digital business card concept become the success it has.
Jose Sales
Global Sales Manager
Jose has been our most recent team member. With the continued growth in Europe, it became all-to apparent that customer and agent support would need to be established closer and more central to the majority of our European customers.
Jose is based in Barcelona and liaises with our agents in Spain, Portugal, Greece & Latam. An experience businessman, fluent in many languages, Jose brings his exceptional business acumen and team management skills to our growing organisation.
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Digital Business Card & Marketing Tool