Celebrating resilience and success in West London businesses

Winners of the 9th Annual West London Business Awards make excellent examples on how to thrive in business during uncertain times, as the Feb 10 awards ceremony in Twickenham continued to celebrate resilience. West London SMEs were recognised for their impressive financial results and robust growth strategies in the face of challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Their winning stories are inspiring as well as varied, whether they were commended for excelling in an industry experiencing severe resource shortages or for pivoting towards disrupting existing markets. Businesses were awarded according to six themes: SME Sector Leadership, Sustainable & Responsible Business, Economic Resilience, Corporate Leadership, Individual Leadership and this year’s new theme; Next Generation celebrating West London's young entrepreneurs. Awards went to businesses from a diverse range of sectors and industries including hospitality, property and construction, health, and wellbeing, creative and media, logistics, health and wellbeing, education and training, export and international business. Outstanding apprentices and kickstarters were also recognised, as were innovators and start-ups, incubators, and accelerators. The 2022 West London Business Awards also celebrated businesses for their innovation, investment in workforce skills as well as corporate responsibility. Environmental sustainability was also a key focus, with accolades such as the Green ‘Race to Zero’ Business of the Year and Environmental Corporate of The Year awarded to businesses demonstrating exceptional efforts towards achieving London’s net-zero goals. (Visit West London Business Awards’ website for the full list of winners and their success stories) For winning and highly commended businesses, the West London Business Awards serves to heighten their profile. Winning an award is seen as a credential for business excellence, helping businesses stand out from the crowd when they apply for funding or submit a tender. Being recognised at the West London Business Awards also make them strong contenders for regional and national awards as well as trade awards, says Elliott Parker, Member Services and Communications Manager of West London Business, the business leadership forum that organises the awards. Winning and highly commended businesses also receive increased exposure through West London Business’s social media and newsletter platforms, as well as becoming featured speakers at West London Business’s year-round events. This can be a tremendous help particularly for SMEs just getting off the ground, adds Parker. By rewarding excellence and consistency, the West London Business Awards aims to encourage more SMEs to raise their business standards through friendly competition. The awards can also inspire individuals looking to start their own businesses, by providing them with an exemplar of business values and ethics to embrace in their start-ups. About the Awards The West London Business Awards are organised by West London Business, the voice of business in North-West London governed by a board that includes Brunel University London. The awards are open to those ‘doing business’ within the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Richmond or Spelthorne. This year’s awards ceremony was the first to be held in-person since the onset of the pandemic, providing West London businesses with the opportunity to come together and celebrate their successes with an evening of entertainment and networking as well as supporting local charities. The event has been described as an extraordinary celebration of diverse talent, entrepreneurship, and businesses. “We had a great time at the awards ceremony and welcomed the opportunity to network with other businesses in West London,” said Kiran Kachela, Managing Director of Continuous Improvement Projects which won the Business Services Company of the Year award in the SME sector Leadership category. According to its Policy and Events Coordinator Rohan Gupta, West London Business has been commended for creating a community that local businesses want to be a part of, not just for networking opportunities but also for the support that it provides companies, both large and small, in West London. As a Founder Sponsor of the West London Business Awards, Brunel University London is a partner of such efforts to celebrate local businesses for their resilience, innovation, environmental sustainability as well as corporate responsibility and leadership. These are among the goals that Brunel Business School has championed for the SMEs it supports through its engagement efforts, particularly with the Help To Grow programme. Winners of the 9th Annual West London Business Awards include members of Brunel’s alumni. Ariana Abawe was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Ariana Magazine, her successful Afghan magazine in English, while Bishan Neromand’s A & B Films was highly commended for its contribution towards the people portrayed in the company’s films. Sahan Cares, a social enterprise that participated in the Small Business Leadership Programme at Brunel Business School, was recognised for the Community Investment Award as well as in the Health and Wellbeing Business sector. Listen to its co-founder Iman Sheel speak about business challenges and recovery strategies on the Brunel for Business podcast series.