A moment to celebrate
March has been a tumultuous month, but the Mayor’s Business Awards were a moment to mark local success, writes Karl Lanham of Complete Commercial Finance.
We certainly live in unpredictable times. From the outbreak of war in Ukraine to the rising cost of living, the past month has been dogged by troublesome headlines and many of us are hunkering down to ride the storm of increasing inflation. It was then, a moment of real joy to come together as a business community at the start of this month and celebrate the success of companies in our region who have weathered the pandemic and achieved so much over the past 12 months.
As sponsor of the Leisure & Tourism Award at the 2022 Mayor’s Business Awards, it was our absolute pleasure to announce this year’s winner as WhataHoot, an artisan gin maker which has invested in King’s Lynn with the development of a distillery that offers gin-making workshops and tours. What an incredible asset in our town which, along with shortlisted entrants The Angel at Watlington and Majestic Cinema, demonstrate the entrepreneurialism and tenacity of local businesses, particularly against the challenges of the past couple of years.
The awards were a fantastic occasion to celebrate companies of all sizes and types, from the West Norfolk Deaf Association which won the Customer Care category, to international firm Jordan Fitness, named Mayor’s Business of the Year, and individuals too – huge congratulations to Apprentice of the Year Georgia Mountain of GH Hair Design and Business Person of the Year Michael Baldwin of Bank House. We are proud to have been involved with the Mayor’s Business Awards and raise a glass to all who were both shortlisted and named winners.
In spite of the headlines, it’s never been more important to celebrate these successes and there are many good things happening in our community. We are also pleased to have supported KES Academy and sponsor King’s Lynn Town’s U19 squad, a great example of an initiative to encourage young talent in our region. It is often by reaching out and lending a helping hand that even small businesses can make a difference to develop economic growth and the creation of job opportunities.
Our own team is growing too with the appointment of consultant Colin Gathercole, based in Colchester, who will extend our reach across Essex and Suffolk. With more than 40 years’ experience in banking, like ourselves, he has seen tough times before and we are all here to help businesses to prepare for the coming months. As ever, those who ready their finances will be in the best position to stand strong and not be vulnerable to potential disruptions to cashflow, rising costs and labour shortages. Just like those award winning companies and KES’ young players, planning and preparation will make all the difference to your chances of success – make this the month you set out your intent to succeed too.
