After record numbers of entrants it is our pleasure to announce the winners of the Kingston Borough Business Awards 2021.
Excellence in Customer Experience Award
This award highlights organisations, teams or individuals, who strive to enhance the customer experience they offer in an innovative and sustainable way.
Criteria
• Demonstrate how you ensure a high standard of customer experience across your business?
• Demonstrate the methods/strategies have you introduced to enhance the customer experience or improve operations?
• Demonstrate a real-life example where your approach significantly improved customer experience?
• Demonstrate why your work is deserving of the Excellence in Customer Experience Award?
• Provide evidence of customer satisfaction (such as a case study or testimonials).
Winner: Summers-Inman
Summers-Inman provides a diverse range of construction consultancy services, specialising in Quantity Surveying, Project and Programme Management, Building Surveying, Health and Safety Management, and Environmental Advisory services. They have been operating for over 100 years, challenging convention, applying a can-do attitude, and committing to quality and service excellence.
Health & Wellbeing
This category recognises businesses that have prioritised and raised awareness about mental health and wellbeing, food and fitness, providing new initiatives for employees or the business community. Sponsored by Unilever.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for businesses to show a commitment to health and wellbeing, clear objectives and effective implementation and tangible results.
Criteria
- Provide the objectives of your health and wellbeing strategy and the audience it is aimed for
- Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors
- Demonstrate new initiatives and implementation of training
- Provide details of the challenges faced and how they were overcome
- Demonstrate a clear evaluation as to how the project made a real impact for the person / business.
You may provide further information that supports your submission.
Winner: Ubitech Ltd
Ubitech’s online services platform development provides a distribution platform for specialised services, notably in healthcare. Working with specialist game developers and healthcare professionals, the online platform UbiTheraPlay is providing therapeutic patient services for children with motor impairment. The medical gaming platform is for children with neurological limitations affecting motor functions.
Digital, Marketing and Social Media
This category is for businesses who have been innovative and agile in digital, marketing and social media. It is open to individuals, agencies or organisations, of any size, who can prove their campaigns have had a measurable effect.
Judging overview
Judges will be looking for a clear description of an outstanding campaign/project that has made a significant impact, shown creativity and made a lasting impact.
Criteria
- Clearly identify the need or opportunity, defining the brief objectives, an indication of budget and target audience
- Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors
- Demonstrate how innovation and creativity provided results that achieved / surpassed the client brief
- Demonstrate how the campaign was evaluated and measured
- Demonstrate evidence of customer satisfaction (such as case studies, testimonials, customer retention / loyalty).
You may provide further information that supports your submission.
Winner: Figment Agency
The Figment Agency’s goal is to get you found on Google with a personalised SEO strategy. When you partner with Figment, you’ll get all you need to grow your business and smash those SEO goals, from a family-run team that knows how to get lasting results.
Creative Effectiveness
This award recognises and rewards the Borough’s most fresh and progressive creative talents. The work can cross a diverse range of formats, genres and industries, creating essential works of art in their respective fields. Sponsored by Wolters Kluwer.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for creative talent to showcase innovative and creative approaches that achieved / surpassed the creative brief.
Criteria
- Clearly identify the objectives of the brief and the target audience
- Demonstrate evidence of how creativity was employed and implemented
- Demonstrate how the campaign or project has made a real impact or gained significant traction
- Demonstrate evidence of customer satisfaction (such as case studies, testimonials, customer retention / loyalty).
You may provide further information that supports your submission.
Winner: LeBoo Media Ltd
LeBoo Media creates an enormous variety of written content for a wide range of businesses. In the last year they have written about property development, tattoos, international removals, eco-friendly automotive solutions, career advice for the next generation of African entrepreneurs, business transformation for Government departments, coffee, wine, sports betting and more.
Independent ‘Love Local’ Retailer Award
This award recognises independent businesses that have gone out of their way to provide an entrepreneurial commitment and spirit to local customer satisfaction.
Criteria
• Demonstrate the ideas you have used to grow your business in a competitive marketplace?
• Demonstrate your biggest challenge as an independent retailer, and how have you overcome it?
• Demonstrate how you foster loyalty among your customers?
• Demonstrate what differentiates you from your competitors.
• Provide evidence of customer satisfaction (such as a case study or testimonials).
Winner: Tony’s Fruit Stall
At 3am most mornings, Tony goes to his wholesalers for the best fresh produce he can find. Displaying and selling at Kingston’s Royal Chartered Market, for the local community, he talks daily to his customers who he describes as the best. Tony feels proud, privileged and lucky.
Excellence in Food and Beverage Award
Excellence in Food and Beverage Award will reward food, hospitality and beverage providers who are passionate about delivering quality food and drink, and great service. This category includes hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafes and outside caterers.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for businesses who show a commitment to the service and delivery of food and beverages, and an adaptation to consumer / trading trends.
Criteria
- Demonstrate that customer service has been clearly incorporated into your core business strategy
- Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors
- Demonstrate commitment to staff training / personal skills development
- Demonstrate your commitment to local quality products and supply chains
- Demonstrate evidence of customer satisfaction (such as case studies, testimonials, customer retention / loyalty).
Winner: Incognito Cocktail Bar
Incognito Cocktail Bar provide a unique, multi-sensual cocktail experience, that pushes the boundaries of traditional cocktail bars by finding ever more creative ways to engage with customers.
Developing Young People’s Skills Award
This award category will showcase organisations that have shown they have a firm commitment to developing the skill sets of young people (under 24 years), to dramatically improve their educational prospects and enhance their employability and life progression.
Criteria
• Demonstrate your commitment through a clear plan, detailing objectives, strategy and delivery.
• Demonstrate how the project has made a real impact for the young person/ people involved.
• Provide details of the challenges faced and how they were overcome.
• Demonstrate inspirational qualities that are appreciated by customers, staff or employers.
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for organisations that show exceptional commitment to delivering the very best in the development of skills for young people.
Winner: Sensational Kids
Sensational Kids Therapy is a Paediatric Occupational Therapy practice which offers therapy and assessment to children and young people aged 1-19. Through their specialised services, they empower children to be happy and independent through providing therapy and training at homes, schools, colleges and our purpose-built clinic.
Best Start-Up of the Year Award
This award celebrates the achievements of the best, brightest and most innovative new businesses (up to 18 months old) in Kingston.
Criteria
• Demonstrate what inspired you to start this business, and how did you identify the market need?
• Demonstrate the key strategies that have contributed to your company’s early growth and success?
• Demonstrate the challenges have you faced while developing your business, and how did you overcome them?
• Demonstrate why your work is deserving of the Best Start Up of the Year Award?
• Demonstrate what has been your most important business decision so far, and why?
Winner: JOLT LTD
Jolt ltd is a local, carbon neutral, independent Electric vehicle (EV) Chargepoint installation company whose mission is to make the transition to EV ownership an easy and enjoyable one. They will always put the customer first and are always happy to have a chat to share our knowledge.
Excellence in Professional Services Award
This award showcases the very best work in professional services (such as legal, consulting, advertising, finance, HR or banking) that truly benefit business or clients.
Criteria
• Demonstrate the benefits and values that you provide to your customers?
• Demonstrate the strategies have you implemented to enhance professional services in your business?
• Demonstrate why excellence in professional service is so important to your business.
• Demonstrate how you measure the success of your professional services?
• Provide evidence of customer satisfaction (such as a case study or testimonials).
Winner: The HR Dept
Running a business can be like a Christmas episode of Eastenders! Plenty of highs and lows and often a drama around the corner! The HR Dept supports business owners to protect their business and resolve their people issues fairly and quickly. They pride themselves on taking the hassle out of HR.
Sustainable Business
The Sustainable Business category is designed to recognise environmental and sustainability initiatives and reward those who place sustainability at the very heart of their business. Sponsored by Willmott Dixon.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for organisations who show exceptional commitment to delivering the very best in sustainable initiatives.
Criteria
- Demonstrate that sustainability has been clearly incorporated into your core business strategy
- Demonstrate innovative approach to delivering creative results that achieve / surpasses the client brief
- Demonstrate the tangible benefits for the local community / businesses
- Demonstrate how a green approach to business is helping achieve your key performance indicators (KPI’s).
You may provide further information that supports your submission.
Winner: SunrayRecycle
Created in March 2019, SunrayRecycle is a 100% volunteer run initiative. They raise funds for the local community as part of residents’ association. They reduce the waste going to landfill or incineration by connecting donors to various schemes locally & nationally. Nothing goes to waste
Creative Use of Technology Award
The winners of the Creative Use of Technology Award will have shown how they have utilised technology to provide an improvement or efficiency in their business, their clients or broader community.
Judging overview
Judges will be looking for a clear description of a creative use of technology, with indication of budget. This may include ‘off the shelf’ products if they have been implemented in a way that is beyond its original intention or creatively utilised to solve a problem or need by the business.
Criteria
- Clearly identify the need or opportunity, defining the brief objectives, an indication of budget and target audience.
- Provide details about the innovation, technology or product including its implementation and delivery.
- Demonstrate how the success of the innovation was evaluated and measured.
- Demonstrate the impact of the creative use of technology, challenges that were faced and what has been learnt from this.
Winner: Ubitech Ltd
Ubitech Ltd has been prized once more. In this category, their efforts have been applauded as a recognition of the technology and innovation techniques, which have led to an improvement and efficiency in their business, their clients and broader community.
Outstanding Sole Trader/Freelancer
We understand sole traders/freelancers are an important and hard-working sector within the economy. This category is designed to celebrate the best and brightest sole traders/freelancers in the Borough.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for sole traders/freelancers who can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to delivering excellent customer service while showing creative and fresh initiatives.
Criteria
- Outline a project where you used a creative approach to meet a clients brief
- Provide details of the challenges faced and how they were overcome
- Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors
- Demonstrate evidence of customer satisfaction (such as case studies, testimonials, customer retention / loyalty).
You may provide further information that supports your submission.
Winner: Brodies Dry Cleaners
Brodies Dry Cleaners at Ewell Road in Surbiton, provides a dry-cleaning service. They describe themselves as honest, open and the ones, who greet each customer with a smile which leaves them returning. They anti-bacterially clean duvets, bedding, shirts and provide a laundry service wash. They dry clean curtains and garments and provide shoe repairs, garment alterations, rug and leather cleaning service.
Outstanding Business Social Impact Award
The nominees for this award category will show how they have been committed to delivering an outstanding business contributions to the community and will be able to demonstrate the local impact made. This community investment can cover commitment of time, effort and/or money to deliver positive outcomes.
Criteria
• Demonstrate how the objectives, plans and/or strategies were effectively implemented.
• Demonstrate the benefits for the local community/positive impact of your work.
• Demonstrate tangible results and evaluation.
• Demonstrate evidence of satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for business organisations who show exceptional commitment to delivering the very best in their contributions to the community.
Winner: Staywell
Staywell is a local, independent, grassroots charity supporting older and vulnerable people, their families and carers. They offer a range of services and activities, designed to support people’s independence, help them stay well and foster connections to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Resilience and Adaptation
This special category recognises businesses, teams and leaders who have shown resilience, collaboration and adaptation in their business, to persevere through the crisis.
Sponsored by Kingston Council.
Judging overview
Judges will be looking for clear evidence of how a business has shown resilience and adapted to change, including their ability and resourcefulness to respond to challenging situations.
Criteria
- Provide details of your specific challenges faced and how they were overcome
- Demonstrate how the service adapted to consumer / trading changing trends
- Demonstrate pro-active leadership, collaborations and management
- Demonstrate how the lessons learnt have changed your business plans for future sustainability.
You may provide further information that supports your submission.
Winner: The Wych Elm Kingston
The Wych Elm, family run by independent owner-operators, this great little pub nestled in the heart of North Kingston packs a punch. Their resolve is to keep this neighbourhood pub a proper local with great food and drink, delivering a 5-star friendly service for drinkers and diners alike.
