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Success for small businesses comes at a cost: it is not unusual for the owners of small businesses to work more than 50 hours a week. But despite this heavy personal and professional commitment, running a small business remains attractive with many owners saying that being their own boss is a large part of the appeal.
With small businesses contributing so much to the local and national economy it is worrying to see many struggling as a result of the recession. Small businesses can be particularly hard hit when consumers tighten their belts and it is vital that all small businesses work out a strategy for dealing with the downturn.
Some key areas that should not be scrimped on are training, marketing and innovation.
• Enthusiastic, committed staff are key to the success of any business, but especially so for small businesses, where each member of the team is an ambassador for your product or service. Keeping your employees motivated is vital and providing training to help them develop their skills and fulfil their ambitions can be the key to keeping staff happy and productive.
• Marketing should always be a priority. In times of recession the marketing budget can be one of the first areas that is cut, but making sure your customers know you are still actively trading is critical. When the downturn ends, those companies that have continued to promote their brand and carve a market share will be best placed to benefit from new growth.
• Innovation and new technology can save you time and money and improve your working practices. Developing your products or refining your services could also give you’re the edge when recovery comes. Smart thinking could be the key to riding a recession and coming out on top.
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Small Business of the Year (under 5 employees)
Winner: Greenpower
Greenpower is an organisation set up to promote engineering and design and technology to young people by challenging teams to design, build and then race single-seater electric cars.
“Winning the Small Business of the Year (under 5) Award is a great opportunity to raise our profile locally and hopefully get more businesses and schools involved in the projects we are running in the Arun District. We would like to thank all those who nominated us for this award.”
Greenpower
01903 715915
www.greenpower.co.uk
Sponsor: FSB
“The FSB represents the small business sector and we feel it is important to recognise the contribution that small businesses make to the local community. Small businesses are not only the backbone of our economy, but it is they who have many of the best ideas - over 60% of all commercial innovations come from small businesses.”
Elizabeth Francis, Regional Organiser West Sussex, Federation of Small Businesses
01903 740930
elizabeth.francis@fsb.org.uk
Small Business of the Year (under 10 employees)
Winner: Just Wood Flooring
Just Wood Flooring specialises in all aspects of hardwood flooring, from renovation and refurbishment of old floors to fitting new, state-of-the-art floors.
Owner Alastair Smyth says he is honoured to win the Small Business of the Year (6-10) Award: “This award is a great accolade and an endorsement to the hard work of our staff. I would like to thank our customers for all their encouraging feedback.”
Just Wood Flooring
01243 629780
www.justwood.co.uk
Sponsor: HSBC
“We are committed to supporting business in the local community. The locally based HSBC Commercial Team of dedicated commercial relationship managers and support staff typically serve owner-managed businesses and professionals in the Arun District and throughout West Sussex.”
Adrian Wood, Deputy Area Commercial Director, Worthing and Brighton HSBC
0845 583 1567
Small Business of the Year (over 10 employees)
Winner: Ferring Nurseries
Ferring Nurseries scooped this year’s Small Business of the Year (over 10) Award. The small and vibrant team go that extra mile to ensure that the finest landscaping and town flower displays are pruned to perfection.
David Courtenay Luscombe, partner, would like to thank his staff for their constant dedication. “At Ferring Nurseries we have a small team who pull together 12 months of the year, to maintain the highest standards possible. Everyone is passionate about the plants and attention to detail is key. Our customers deserve 100% commitment and we strive to achieve this. I would like to thank all my staff for their continued support.”
Ferring Nurseries
01903 241122
www.ferringnurseries.co.uk
Sponsor: Moore Stephens
“We have sponsored the Awards for the past three years. We are very supportive of local businesses as they underpin the economic fabric of the area and they are the way forward to achieve a sensible work life balance.
”We believe that the Arun Business Awards allows the spotlight to fall not only on the bigger, more established companies but also on the new start-ups, which are essential to ensure the continuity of the business life cycle.”
Mike Scott, Chairman, Moore Stephens
01243 531 600
