Greater London Enterprise Awards 2020

36 | Greater London Awards 2020 37 | Greater London Awards 2020 Sep20872 Best Corporate & Specialist Cleaning Services Provider – UK Founded in 2005, Elite Support Services Ltd specialises in professional corporate and retail cleaning solutions. As winners of Best Corporate & Specialist Cleaning Services Provider for the UK in this year’s Greater London Enterprise Awards, we profile the firm to find out how they came to be so successful in this growing market. Elite Support Services Ltd started its life as a soft services training organisation, but quickly changed direction when its first client requested a fully functioning service delivery contract for their head office in Marylebone, London. That company was Woolworths, and after a three-week review Elite implemented new operating standards and quality service delivery that resulted in the company taking two service contracts. The company then continued to grow thanks to the positive recommendations Woolworths gave them and requests from other high-profile organisations flooded in. The company now has a wide range of core services such as corporate and specialist cleaning, crime scene and cleaning, corporate security and reception and mail room services just to name a few. As a service-leader organisation Elite focuses on the two core values of vision and commercial integrity, and these principles are embedded within each employee to ensure clients receive the best possible service. As true leaders in corporate social responsibility, Elite regularly participate in community projects whilst managing their own two charities - New Docklands Charitable Trust & Docklands Victims Association DVA Bright Futures. As champions of Quality Standards, Elite posses the drive and determination to enrich peoples lives, improve workplaces and local communities. They continually listen and engage to improve their services and their commercial integrity motivates them to operate in a transparent and open manner to deliver innovation and forward- thinking solutions to their clients. To ensure all staff are equipped to provide the best possible service to clients, Elite tend to recruit new and untrained personnel unless a specific qualification is needed for the role. As a soft-services provider they are confident in their own training methods and ensure best practices are followed. Staff attend regular toolbox talks and appraisals to ensure that a high level of staff wellbeing is being maintained throughout the company. Despite its success the company has faced several challenges this year largely due to the pandemic which has affected so many businesses in the UK, however Elite has continued to work to support clients who have continued to operate throughout the pandemic. The company quickly developed new operational procedures and provided additional training to its service teams, and introduced remote working in order to keep its staff safe but allowing their quality services to continue without interruption. Elite have also felt the effects from the considerable changes that have been made to the London road system due to the governments drive to increase the use of bicycles across the city. This has made it difficult for Elite to manage the daily demands of their clients and managing expected journey times. Despite this, being located in Central London does have its perks and does give Elite the advantage of a huge client-partner opportunity, for both ad-hoc services and long-standing contracts. Currently, owner Frederik Gruba is focussed on how best to forge ahead in the market and is embracing the need for technological advancements such as a CRM system to reduce admin levels, streamline operational processes and improve client-partner relationships. They are also looking at how they can utilise the use of social media platforms to generate new business instead of relying solely on client referrals for their services as they have done in the past. Looking to the future, the company is keen to be established as an employee owned organisation which is an exciting step for the team who have been with the company for the last fifteen years. Its clear to see that Elite Support Services Ltd are truly deserving of their recognition in the Greater London Enterprise Awards, and they will remain dedicated to supporting their clients for many years to come. Contact: Frederick Wayne Gruba Company: Elite Support Services Web Address: www.elitess.co.uk “We inspire our people in the way they live, work, and develop personally” Sep20151 Best Commercial Real Estate Company 2020 The serviced office sector has expanded over recent years and what was initially a focus on central London has now spread across the rest of the UK. However, Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the sector as businesses owners closed their doors and staff adapted to working remotely from the comfort of their own homes. Businesses are now contending with the idea of what to do when employees can return to work and what measures they need to put in place to do this safely, and indeed whether they have enough office space to occupy everyone. This could mean a huge rise in the requirements for serviced offices and could see a shift towards more businesses adopting this approach in London and across the UK. One company leading the way is One Avenue Group, which was founded by Keval Pankhania back in 2013. His vision was to create a place where individuals could flourish in a warm and friendly environment, which would empower them and allow them to put their customers first. One Avenue Group now provide luxurious serviced office space in six locations in the heart of London and have a portfolio of more than 160 clients and over 1700 workstations. The flourishing city has one of the biggest international business hubs in the world and One Avenue Group have had the pleasure of serving some of the world biggest brands who choose to base themselves in the capital. With the city’s diverse culture and vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, One Avenue Group is perfectly located to serve the incredible and varied talent pool London has to offer. Determined to provide their clients with the best office space experience the company offer a spectrum of options ranging from basic functionality to some of the most luxurious offices in the whole of London. Their clients are from across a myriad of industries and of all-sizes and they are approached with the same attentiveness and nervous excitement of a first date or having your boss to dinner for the first time. One Avenue Group pride themselves on their unique culture and their core company values of positive attitude, problem solving and above and beyond are adopted by every member of the team. They operate in this way to break free from the constraints of corporate bureaucracy and restrictive formalities which allows them to create an experience which truly stays with people. What sets One Avenue Group apart from its competitors is its people that live and breathe the company’s core values each and every day. Each employee radiates warmth, friendliness and on- point hospitality to everyone who walks through their doors and this unique service-led experience is what has people going back time and time again. Whilst the recent pandemic has caused disruption to the company this year, One Avenue Group is confident that offices will not become a thing of the past as many business owners have the desire to bring back a sense of normality for their employees. With many companies nervous to committing to medium to long-term traditional leases, One Avenue Group have been able to offer short to medium-term flexible office environments to assist employers through the pandemic and beyond. The company has also adapted to offer business owners a best-in-practice consultation which focuses on team re-deployment, people/role assessments, advice on remote working policies, risk assessments and workplace strategies to help keep employees healthy and safe. The final component of this service looks at office design, and its impact on the mental wellbeing of employees to ensure that the social and psychological needs of its people are being considered and met. Moving forward, One Avenue Group is keen to offer apprenticeship schemes and work experience days for school leavers. With unemployment continuing to rise in the UK, the company believes that providing this experience and insight for the younger generation is essential and will give them the confidence they need to face the current job market. The company are also avid fund raisers and have raised almost £20,000 for the NSPCC through previous charitable events, and in 2021 will be focusing their efforts on supporting small businesses and upskilling the unemployed to help people get back to work. In the coming months their new serviced office will open in the highly sought-after area of Mayfair just off Park Lane: 64 North Row. This workspace will provide a truly luxury experience with its dedicated VIP lounge serving afternoon tea, a dedicated concierge service and of course the exceptional hospitality offered by its employees. It’s clear to see the passion and care One Avenue Group has for its employees, clients and the community and are truly deserving of their recognition in the Greater London Enterprise Awards and will continue to thrive for many years to come. Contact: Kerri McMahon Company: One Avenue Group Web Address: www.oneavenuegroup.com Founded in 2013, One Avenue Group is an award winning and unique provider of Luxury serviced offices in the City of London. As winner of Best Commercial Real Estate Company 2020 in this year’s Greater London Enterprise Awards, we profile the firm to find out what makes their innovative workspaces so desirable.