Running a business with the backing of two awards

One Business, Two Awards, One Night,

The owner of a two-year-old company explains why winning two awards has helped him run

his business WORDS BY LEVITHA BIJI

Truinvest and Mark Smith were two of the many winners at the Niche Business Awards 2021 in September, as they proudly received the Best New Business and Businessman of the Year awards.

Winning these awards has created real local interest in what they are doing and what services their business provides. It particularly created opportunities on the corporate benefit services they offer to small and medium sized companies. They also guarantee to be open, honest, and transparent with you every step of the way, as it is their key to building a professional relationship.

Truinvest’s goal is to help businesses in the UK become part of a financial planning group. Being part of the group means members don’t have to worry about the administrative aspect of their own business, the regulatory and compliance burden and other duties through a streamlined support function. This means that advisers can focus on what that they do best – looking after their clients.

The business started with Mark and Micky Johal, as they had worked together before and planned over coffees at Wistow Garden Centre café to bring Truinvest to life. After establishing the company in 2019, it is the first awards ceremony they have attended and won! It doesn’t stop there, as they made the finals of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2021. In such a short time frame, this really is an achievement.

Their award success has had a massive impact on their team who were able to see the benefit and be recognised for all the hard work in getting the business to where it is already. Mark said: “As a new brand, it has allowed the team to feel proud of the business we are creating.”

Mark felt immensely proud of what they have achieved in their first two years of trading. He was absolutely delighted to receive the Businessman of the Year award. He commented: “It’s a fantastic accolade to receive in Leicester and Leicestershire, which has so many great businesses.”

The awards were adjudicated by a variety of judges and Truinvest believe they were chosen to be the winner of the Best New Business award because the judges were able to recognise their innovative ideas, which were implemented over the course of the last two years across the backdrop of the pandemic, successfully delivering their strategy in turbulent times.

“Establishing a new business is difficult enough at the best of times, let alone in such circumstances. Despite the pandemic, we did manage to complete our first business acquisition exactly a week before the UK entered the first lockdown in March 2020. We immediately took action and had to operate remotely and provide a seamless client service whilst still getting to know our new team.”

Truinvest has ambitious plans to double in size again over the course of the next two years. They are one step closer to this goal, as they have been busy creating new products and services lately, having just launched their mortgage service which allows new and existing clients access to their experienced mortgage team. Not only are they working hard for themselves but they have also been involved in charity fundraising. Mark was involved in the Bonkers Bake-Off charity event which helped raise over £10,000 for LOROS earlier this year.

Find out more about Truinvest at truinvest.co.uk/blog.