BEST NEW SOLE TRADER
AWARDS 2023
SPONSORED BY CORNERSTONE GROUP
FINALIST
ALEX WILLIAMS DESIGN
Trew Surveying founder Neil Trewick with Gemma Holmes of category sponsor Cornerstone Business Solutions .
WINNER
TREW SURVEYING
For the second year running , a delighted Neil Trewick , of Trew Surveying , was named Best New Sole Trader – and says he was “ shocked ” to do so .
He said : “ It ’ s scarier the second time around . The first time , it was just exciting because I didn ’ t really come to win anything – this year , I suppose I was putting my belt on the line .
“ I ’ ve probably done better this year than I did last year , but you don ’ t know how anyone else is doing out there – you ’ re still on your own , you still don ’ t have anyone telling you you ’ re doing well , you just keep plodding away and then this is proof , I suppose , that you ’ re consistently achieving good results .
“ I would say to anyone that if you ’ re going to bet on anyone , bet on yourself – the proof ’ s in the pudding .”
Neil admits that when he was made redundant , he was “ on the deck ” – only to launch Trew Surveying .
He said : “ I was on the canvas and I had two options – I either crumbled or I picked myself up , dusted myself off and tried to renew , and that ’ s exactly what I did – and I ’ m reaping the rewards now , so I couldn ’ t be happier .”
The business , he adds , is going from strength to strength . He said : “ We ’ ve just booked in over 1,000 surveys now and are close to half a million for turnover , which is bonkers – we ’ re not even two years old .
“ Everywhere else in the country , surveying companies are really struggling , but we ’ re busy . I used to play golf three times a week – last year I played golf three times ! It ’ s a good thing being busy but who knows when it will end ? I ’ ll just keep riding this wave .”
He added : “ There ’ s going to be a new spin-off business next year , so watch this space .”
SPONSOR MESSAGE
Chris Petty , MD at Cornerstone Group , said : “ When we were just a young startup , Cornerstone got a huge boost when we won a Best New Business Award . I still remember the buzz and belief we took from receiving it , so we were chuffed to bits to be able to back the Best New Sole Trader category and boost new startups . Congrats to Trew Surveying on defending their title against stiff opposition .”
With her background in graphic design , Alex Williams decided to start her own business during the pandemic to offer bespoke graphic design and branding services to a variety of businesses – and the result was brand identity specialist Alex Williams Design .
Despite the uncertainty of the pandemic – and the additional responsibility of caring for and home-schooling her children – Alex ’ s determination has led to a thriving , successful business with not only local , but national and international clients .
Her future plans include the creation of ebooks to assist small businesses in establishing or levelling up their brands and promoting creative education in schools .
FINALIST
OFFICE UNICORN
Launched in January 2023 by Darlingtonbased Sarah Rose , Office Unicorn offers virtual assistant ( VA ) services to enhance productivity and work-life balance for business owners , entrepreneurs and charity leaders .
Services include administration , organisation and lifestyle personal assistance , as well as online business management services .
The company offers flexible packages , allowing clients to tailor their support needs . Unlike many other VA services , on-site support is available to businesses in the Teesside area .
Office Unicorn now plans to expand service capacity and become the go-to VA provider for purpose-driven businesses , entrepreneurs , CICs and charities .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 75