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  • Oketcho Oketch - Managing Director of OrthoBed UK Limited trading as UnikBed

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Oketcho Oketch: UnikBed designs and manufactures individually customised and healthy solutions for good quality sleep. In addition we offer Sleep Ergonomic Training to companies who want to improve their employees’ productivity. The products originate from Finland. The founder suffered from Scoliosis and wanted to improve the quality of his sleep. My wife and I came across the products when we were researching for a solution to elevate my sleep deprivation due to my cardio pulmonary disease. After a careful consideration and a detailed ergonomic sleep assessment we concluded that this particular product could solve my sleep issues and my wife's chronic back pain. After a relatively short period of time I realised that my wife was no longer complaining about her chronic back pain and my sleep quality had improved that was when I knew that the bed was doing what I was told it was supposed to do. Few weeks later I sent my wife back to Finland to arrange a contact between us and the manufacturer. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Oketcho Oketch: Ergonomic Sleep Assessment , Ergonomic Sleep Training, Individually Customised (Bespoke) Mattresses, Carbon Fibre/Temperature Regulating Bed linen, Ergonomic Pillows. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Oketcho Oketch: We use UnikLab 3D®- mattress measurement system, which carefully measures the pressure that a body creates on the mattress and produces 3D-pressure charts of the body. In addition to the UnikLab 3D® measurement system, we carry out three additional sleep assessments. The results of these assessments and the pressure charts are sent to the factory physiotherapists and ergonomists who have the knowledge of human anatomy and physiology to design a customised sleeping surface to support the individual musculoskeletal structure. In addition to the sleep ergonomics we consider the sleep environment, temperature regulation, improved sleep hygiene, allergens and sleep comfort. All our mattresses and mattress toppers have removable covers that can be washed at 60°C. One of our mattress toppers has a 3D-mash material which can be washed or steam cleaned to improve the sleep hygiene. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Oketcho Oketch: Sleep is a very personal and sensitive issue for many. Lack of sleep and effects of it can be even more personal and many people are either unaware that some of their health issues are caused by lack of sleep or they feel that they have already tried all the remedies on the market. Although the concept of sleep ergonomics is not new, our products have been on the market since 1985, many have not yet heard about it let along experienced it. Many view a bed as a piece of furniture even if it has the capacity to be so much more. We spend one third of our life in bed, what happens while we are asleep has a significant our day to day performance. Not sleeping properly can mean that both your body and brain don’t function properly the following day. It could impair your attention span, concentration, strategic thinking, risk assessment and reaction times. This is even more important if you have a big decision to make, are driving, or are operating heavy machinery. So getting good quality sleep can help you to stay sharp and focused all day long. In short we sell sleep and not furniture. Our body is an amazing, complex system that needs restorative sleep. To get this sleep, the body needs individually customised sleep surface and not furniture. Researchers agree that sleep is a biological need, like eating and drinking. Sleep performs many restorative functions in our body, and plays an important role in effective functioning of brain. Sleep affects our memory, linguistic and mathematical skills, speech, creativity, innovative and adaptable thinking, and lots of other cognitive skills. Another issue we face is convincing people that one does not fit all, which is a current trend in bed industry. We at UnikBed believe in protecting your back and increasing your restorative REM sleep. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Oketcho Oketch: My answer is the 3Ls which are love your work, love your product, and love the people you serve. People do business with people because they love them; it is that personal connection that will make you different. In addition to the personal connection you need to show that you have the knowledge and the knowhow. One thing I have learnt over the years is that for customer to be convinced, the sale person has to be convinced that the product he/she is selling can solve the customer’s problem. In other words you have to love your product to sell it to another person. Best value for money; we consider combination of factors to meet the customer’s needs. We consider cost, quality and sustainability to meet our customer’s requirements. The business to be successful you need be innovative and look for new and fresh opportunities within your network of connections, partners and acquaintances. Know what they prefer, need and require and combine that knowledge into a product or service that benefits them for years to come. Form lasting connections based on trust and quality. Maintain your customers or service users while expanding your customer base. Put quality above quantity.

  • Aishwarya Arora - CoFounder of Herbally Enchanted

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Aishwarya Arora: We are building Herbally Enchanted on rock solid beliefs of helping people and catering our customers with ethereal freshness and luxury. We practice ‘business with purpose’, our purpose conjures up from aiding people with concerns like PCOS, PCOD, Acidity, Thyroid, Weight Loss and more through a 100% Organic and Plant based Health care range. Alongside, stepping into the Beauty Industry with a twist of personalisation and customisation performed by specialists for each Hair and Skin care product for our customers to suit individual Health, Skin and Hair requirements. Sparked by the desire to use fresh ingredients in Hair and Skin care that we produce, and an emphasis on absolutely no preservatives. Health and Beauty have been mediums I’ve always felt called to, while mindfulness and healing are important themes in our work, I feel, every customer teaches us something new to ponder on and that keeps our creativity unfettered by industry trends, thriving on passion, innovation and the excitement of the next invention. The web allows everyone to self-inform and reach their own conclusions. Then they can buy accordingly. It’s now your individual choice, you can look and you can judge and if you believe in us then you can spend your money with us. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Aishwarya Arora: We cater to Health and Beauty segment with a range of Organic and Plant based exquisite ingredients. All our products are customised by professionals based on different types of Hair, Skin, Health type and their areas of concern. Our product range diversifies from Health care including herbs for PCOD, PCOS, Weight Loss, Acidity, Menopause, Diabetes and more to Skin and Hair care products including Soapless Face Cleansers, Face Masks, Flower and Fruit Face Oils, Nut Scrubs, Hair Rejuvenators, Soapless Shampoo, Organic Hair Cleansers and more. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Aishwarya Arora: If you go to a market, you are going to go where you get the best value. That’s how people weight their purchase. If you’re kind enough to trust us, then we're going to give you the luxury for every pennies worth. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Aishwarya Arora: Challenge is an inevitable part of a business, we take all our challenges as possibilities and it sparks our innovative and creative side while keeping us on our toes to be at par with the trends. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Aishwarya Arora: A business will prosper if the Moto is set with clear mindfulness of healing while catering our customers with optimum quality. Every feedback and suggestion is accepted with a sole purpose to evolve paralleled by catering the olden luxury of ancient Ayurveda with a twist of Herbalism.

  • Richard Morris - CEO of TheGivingMachine

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Richard Morris: 4 of us wanted to build a company that gave money away to help community causes. We met on Thursday nights over beer and pizza and felt it would be like a giving machine and so the idea was born. We started as a social enterprise and became a registered charity in 2014. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Richard Morris: We provide free to use platforms for all good causes across the UK to generate regular income and engage with supporters in meaningful ways. We work with over 2,000 online retailers to provide a marketplace where we can refer them business and they can give back to the causes supported by customers as a reward. We work with about 100,000 shoppers who can buy online from great retailers and donate for free to good causes they choose. We have raised almost £2m in this way so far. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Richard Morris: We are the only charity doing what we do in the UK, allow users to support multiple good causes. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Richard Morris: Probably awareness of what we do to grow faster as we build a very engaged audience help thousands of good causes but we could do so much more with more awareness. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Richard Morris:The ability to adopt new technologies into your business to increase flexibility and effectiveness The ability to always look for the opportunity and be prepared to evolve and change To remember to have fun and laugh at yourself.

  • Mr Duncan Richardson - Managing Director of JDI INTEGRATED MARKETING LTD

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Mr Duncan Richardson: Marketing agencies today can only work in silos so their advice is poor, lacks objectivity and their strategies often don't work. JDi is the opposite - we have a highly experienced team that's worked across all disciplines and knows both the best old school and new school marketing techniques. We create amazing campaigns based on proven strategies, fantastic creative and the best media team ever known. In 25 years we have never had a campaign failure, which proves our unique approach works in any market. This is because we strive to reduce our client's risk and generate significant sales increases quickly, while avoiding the costly mistakes others often make. This methodology is so effective, we don't actually cost our clients any money to use our services. Return on investment is an inevitability. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Mr Duncan Richardson: All marketing services: Strategy, Creative, Media Planning & Buying, Production and Campaign Management - including Digital, PR, Advertising, Direct Marketing, Social Media and Content Marketing. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Mr Duncan Richardson: In 25+ years we've never had a campaign failure. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Mr Duncan Richardson: There are a lot of cowboys now in our industry with no training, no experience. They lie to clients, over promise and under deliver. This brings the industry's reputation down. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Mr Duncan Richardson: Having successfully grown post 9/11 and the 2008 crash we are now growing again in this environment. How is this possible? This is because we have never forgotten the single most important thing to remember: Marketing is all about capturing and controlling market share - not sales. The more you have the bigger the sales, margins and therefore the profits will be.

  • Kevin Dunn - CEO, Owner and Founder of UK Digital Marketing

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Kevin Dunn: After working with a few global agencies in London and Bristol I decided that there was a gap in service levels and transparency. Most customers have been burnt by poor SEO agencies, we offer a pay as you go contract to give them piece of mind and more importantly give the a portal so that they can actually see their rankings improve. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Kevin Dunn: We are a full service digital agency, however due to the strength of our SEO services we have naturally grown into having 99% of our work being SEO. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Kevin Dunn: Potential clients can speak to our current clients, that way they will get an honest and accurate account of the level of service and results that we provide. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Kevin Dunn: There are a lot of SEO agencies that promise the world and don't deliver, giving our industry a tarnished name. Once they have spoken to our clients these concerns are pretty much alleviated. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Kevin Dunn: Honesty, Integrity, trust and transparency. Manage expectations and over deliver whilst building strong relationships.

  • Rob Danby-Hammacott - Director of Far 2 Kleen Ltd

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Rob Danby-Hammacott: I brought into the business when we were just mobile valeting, now we are solely workshop based and in our second workshop that can hold up to 10 vehicles at one time Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Rob Danby-Hammacott: Body repairs, Wheel refurbishments, Performance upgrades, ECU Remapping, Airlift performance and Accuair installers. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Rob Danby-Hammacott: No one is in our field. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Rob Danby-Hammacott: Tight deadlines. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Rob Danby-Hammacott: Social media updates and customer relations.

  • Dawid Joubert - Founder of Kingdom Houses

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Dawid Joubert: Having lived in shared accommodation ourselves we were shocked at the quality considering the high price point. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Dawid Joubert: We provide full property management services, rent guarantee, and investment advice. Typically we specialise on HMOs. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Dawid Joubert: Having done this over many years I have helped many landlords maximise their yield and rental income. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Dawid Joubert: The largest challenge we face is preconceived ideas about sharers and whether they will look after the property. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Dawid Joubert: A realistic business model and an owner who works hard on it and leads by example.

  • David Votta - Owner of Votta Lettings

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? David Votta: My business was funded by a business loan i took out and I built it from the ground upwards in my loft-room office where I created a business model that was not only sustainable but mobile and full of technology as well as maintaining my ability to converse to a high level. I advertise on all the major portals and our marketing strategy brings in buyers and renters from all walks of life and we are a completely customer obsessed business. I'd worked for larger corporations that were forgetting about people and putting profit and self-promotion above all and therefore my customers were requesting I set up my own because they felt important and in the safest of hands. I saw a niche in the market for a true expert and I went for it, 12 hours a day 6 days a week until the business was functioning and nearly two years in we are well thought of in our area as an award winning agent, Bronze award for best agent in kent for customer service and gold for best in Ramsgate 2019-2020. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? David Votta: lettings, property management, sales, investor advice, contract negotiation, property consultancy, our partners supply an array of products from insurance, will writing, financial planning. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? David Votta: I'm Kent regional representative for the UK's foremost professional lettings body and have expertise that set my skillset above others. One of the highest rated letting agents on Google for 5 star reviews in such a short space of time. We are fun to deal with and give honest hard hitting advice. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? David Votta: Agents flouting the laws and regulations as well as conducting business in an unethical manner and yet they are still allowed to trade and dominate market share by making promises they are unable to keep. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? David Votta: Delivering on what you set out to do, treat everyone as the an individual, being passionate about people and their property, going above and beyond not for financial gain but gratification which leads to repeat business, genuinely care about peoples goals and needs. being ahead of any industry changes.

  • Mrs Emma Culley - Founder of Rest Assured Homecare (UK) Limited

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Mrs Emma Culley: Whilst working within a family business, I was caring for my grandparents at the same time. When I visited my grandparents, I wanted to be there as a granddaughter. To spend time with them, laugh with them and create new memories with them. Not do the washing up and make sure they had had their daily medicine. So, inspired by my experiences, I started Rest Assured Homecare in February 2019 with the aim of providing the same standard of care and dignity, both in turns of physical and mental well-being, to all my service users as I would expect to give my grandparents Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Mrs Emma Culley: Live-in care, Sit-in care, Long term care, Short term care, Respite care, Hospital to home care, Well-being visits and Medication, although this is not exhaustive. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Mrs Emma Culley: I understand that getting care needs right for families ultimately starts with creating and nurturing an exemplary culture within the business. It is therefore my desire that every single member of the team, no matter their role, is able to play to their strengths every day, continually learn, grow and better themselves within an organisation where they feel valued and part of a family. When you place your care, or the care of your relative with us, then I am confident that you will not be disappointed. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Mrs Emma Culley: Currently, our biggest restriction is the ability to freely market our business locally. COVID-19 has meant many restrictions, however people seem to be 'coming to terms' with the situation and are not quite so nervous about having carers in through their door. Our staff all adhere to strict guidelines and we reassure all service users of this. Recruitment can, at times be a struggle, those we have employed have all passed our 'Nan' test and we have a great team of growing carers. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Mrs Emma Culley: Self Discipline, Integrity, Persistence, Determination, Clear sense of direction and open to listen.

  • Wendy Hill - Founder of HillStart Nutrition Health & Wellness

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Wendy Hill: After 27 years in the building trade wanted a new challenge and fascinated by the relationship between food, nutrition and our health. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Wendy Hill: Ditch the Diet membership, an alternative to restrictive diets where education is the key and clients create their own realistic diets. 1-1 supports for those with long term digestive issues including inflammation, abs, chrohns and low energy. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Wendy Hill: I believe that I am a voice of reason in the mass of conflicting information. A real person that understands life is about balance. Education and the power to choose is key. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Wendy Hill: Juggling the many factors of running a predominantly online business. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Wendy Hill: Understanding your clients’ needs Remaining true to your message Persistence.

  • Merlyn Kurian - Founder of Evershine Holidays

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Merlyn Kurian: There are many reasons why humans have loved to travel over the centuries. From discovering new lands to interacting with different people, travel really does broaden the mind. And my reason was no less than this! For the love of travel, I started planning trips for my friends and near ones. One success trip led to another. And we've been carefully planning trips over the last 16 years and counting. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Merlyn Kurian: We specialise in curating immersive and extraordinary journeys to some of the world’s most spectacular destinations. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Merlyn Kurian: We are the curators of your memorable escape! You could confidently choose us so that we could help you discover your next adventure and we guarantee a tailored experience that you’ll cherish for a lifetime. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Merlyn Kurian: There are hard times for small-sized travel companies. The traditional reasons you would approach a travel company are growing less meaningful by the year. Why go to a travel company, to ask questions about faraway destinations, when Google can answer all the questions? Why remain loyal to a particular travel company, when there are thousands at your fingertips? These are some of the challenges that we face on a day to day basis, in order to evolve and stay relevant. Travellers are getting smarter and so we need to be too. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Merlyn Kurian: Business is Simple. Your main goal is to sell something to a customer. Ensure you provide the best product or service possible and make it easy for your customers to buy it. If you do those things well, and have a customer base that really wants what you have to offer, your business will be a great success.

  • Angie Phillips - Owner of A.N.G. Design Consultancy

    Great Companies: Please tell me something about the business and how did you come up with such an idea? Angie Phillips: I love design I have only ever been a designer from a small child drawing birthday cards and making boxes for family and friends to the present day creating design and branding for SME's across UK. From Art College I worked as in-house designer at a print packaging company then moved to London to work in a cosmetic and pharmaceutical design company in the west end - following that i worked as packaging development and in house designer for Assi Doman European Packaging Development and travelled supporting the sales team with samples and marketing literature. While bringing up two boys I freelanced until it was possible to really devote my time to developing and growing my business. Knowing my marriage was ending strengthened my determination to build my business and make it a thriving profitable concern. I love creating design for my clients from to help build their businesses from business cards exhibition stands. Great Companies: What are the various services and products provided by your company? Angie Phillips: Logos and branding, sales and marketing media, leaflets, brochures, business stationery, illustration, book covers, book layout, promo banners, webdesign, packaging. Business marketing and branding advice. Great Companies: Why should one choose you over others in this field? Angie Phillips: I feel that I become personality committed to my client. I ensure I meet their professional objectives by listening carefully and I take time to understand their views and discuss and explain the whole design process. I use my intuition and expertise to deliver prompt and efficient design that not only meets the brief but generally over delivers. I will be committed to the project from beginning to end and beyond. for me it is all about the client. I look at your content and your message from a consumer’s point of view - what I would want to see and information that I would want to know, what would attract me to buy then create the design around that. In other words I create design that attracts my customer’s customer! It’s not what you think they want to read it’s what the need to know to make that buying decision. I like to work with the client not for them. It is important to get to know them and create a relationship to trust and support. I continue to support my client after the project is finished by promotion on both social media and face to face whenever the opportunity arises. I have a strong belief in helping others grow but introducing people who can benefit from mutual strategic relationships making great connections which will hopefully develop profitably for all parties concerned. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Angie Phillips: Having a life-work balance, I love what I do so would choose design work over house work any day.  Because I want to help and get involved easily, it is easy to trust people, sadly I occasionally find the odd one or two people lack the integrity I expect and fail to pay for the work completed. The design industry suffers from this more than others as our creative thinking and ideas are sometimes not valued as our 'saleable products’.  My knowledge, talent and design experience enables me to produce powerful designs and layouts, its a skill that gets results and is a commodity not a charity. I am happy to say the professionals I continually work with value our relationship and the work we do together. Great Companies: What do you think are the few main things which are most important for a successful business? Angie Phillips: Honesty trust integrity, admitting to mistakes and helping people where you can.

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