A Stafford couple who launched their estate agency business five years ago and accessed county council support have taken on a new team member and scooped their first industry award.
Mike and Rachel Bailey, who run EweMove Stafford, have had their thriving business recognised as this year’s winners of the Customer Service Excellence Award at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Business Awards.
And from the outset they’ve established strong community roots by working with college students and supporting a local charity.
Now they are urging other new businesses to find out more about the comprehensive business support package being offered by the county council. These include Get Started and Grow – offering expert advice in marketing, legal, finance for business to companies up to five years old – and the Start-up Mentoring Scheme.
People can find out more on the county council’s business support webpage.
Mike said:
Launching our own business was daunting, but we have strong backgrounds in sales and knew we could make it work.
We looked around for support and found that there were a variety of programmes available from Staffordshire County Council, which enabled us to invest in the kit we needed and plot a route to growth.
That support really helped put us on the right trajectory and lay solid foundations for the business.”
As well as successfully running their own business, the couple also made a commitment to build strong community connections through Ewe Move Stafford.
Mike added:
Rachel grew up in Stafford and there is so much about the town to celebrate and appreciate.
From the outset we knew that giving back was going to be a key part of our business model and as part of that we now work with Stafford College to provide work experience and paid opportunities for their students.
A proportion of our fees from each sale is also donated to House of Bread and our employment policy is based on flexibility so we can broaden opportunities for people.”
WATCH: Mike and Rachel talk about their business expansion and county council support.
Robin Hall, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, said:
EweMove Stafford is a great example of what can happen when ambition, the right business support and a genuine commitment to the community come together.
In just five years, Mike and Rachel have built an award-winning business, created employment and learning opportunities, and supported an important local charity.
Small and micro-businesses are the backbone of Staffordshire’s economy, accounting for around nine in ten businesses across the county. We want more entrepreneurs to know that practical help is available to get their ideas off the ground and support them as they grow.
Mike and Rachel’s success shows that the right support at an early stage can help a business build firm foundations, create jobs and make a real contribution to its local community.”
