Clearview National June 2016 - Issue 175 | Page 88

INSTALLERSUPPORT Online Service Celebrates Growth Checkatrade.com founder and CEO, Kevin Byrne shared his successful story as one of the leading entrepreneurs at the Acumen Business Convention last month. »»THE NETWORKING event, which was held at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, marked the seventh year of the prestigious event and saw over 250 CEOs, MDs and decision makers all in attendance for both networking and outstanding speaking. Having most notably won the London and South East Director of the Year Award, Kevin was keen to share his experience with others. The CEO discussed how he took an idea with no investment to a business turnover of £16million that generates a £2.7 billion a year for all of the trades on board. Kevin commented, “This was a great evening and I was extremely pleased to speak about my success story with like-minded individuals. My story is very unique and it is great to share with others on how to build the right company culture and how to drive a business.” The evening also saw Founder of Cobra Beer, Karan Bilimoria, Author of Brand Famous, Linzi Boyd, and Founder of Acumen Business Law, Penina Shepherd, all sharing their business stories. Guests at the Acumen Business Convention were treated to a three course lunch, public speaking and two interactive workshops. In the month prior to the convention Kevin had celebrated a night of success at the London and South East Director of the Year Awards in the luxury Nash and Waterloo rooms at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall, London. The prestigious awards, presented by sought after TV and Radio DJ Jeremy Vine, saw the Checkatrade CEO win th e London and South East Director of the Year Award with a turnover between £10m-£99m. The awards ceremony celebrated the best directors in UK business and was a recognition of the role that Kevin plays at Checkatrade and his win individually emphasised his excellence and achievement as a well-established business entrepreneur. Kevin commented, “I was extremely pleased to win the London and South East Director of the Year Award, for me it’s not just about the recognition but about how far Checkatrade has come since the small business I set up in my bedroom all those years ago.” Kevin now qualifies for the national Director of the Year 88 » JUN 2016 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M Awards, which will take place on the 21st October 2016. The Checkatrade CEO will be up against regional winners from across the UK and at the forefront of leadership excellence. In the same month as Kevin’s award win also saw Checkatrade. com celebrating its latest partnership with the Trading Standards Authorities by hosting a successful opening day on the 18th April for local tradespeople in East Sussex. The opening day, which was held at The View Hotel in Eastbourne, saw over 40 tradespeople attend to find out more about what the Trading Standards Authorities can do for their hardworking businesses, along with providing information about what the partnership means for tradespeople and consumers whilst continuously delivering exceptional customer protection. Kevin was in attendance throughout the day and said of the partnership, “It was great to showcase our scheme and fantastic partnership in East Sussex. Our aim is to provide excellent work to the local community by protecting their properties through the security of the Trading Standards Partnership.” The Approved Trader Schemes helps consumers choose traders they can trust and rely upon and demonstrate that approved businesses follow all rules and regulations. This is done by proving they have an excellent track record of fair and honest dealings with their customers. Traders are monitored on an ongoing basis and, should issues arise and depending on the severity of the problem, a trader may be advised, suspended or removed from the scheme entirely. This ensures that only the best traders are provided by Checkatrade and the Trading Standards Authority. Checkatrade is a free, online service that is dedicated to helping find the right trade or service. With over 25% of UK households using Checkatrade, it ensures that its tradespeople are fully vetted before they become a member of Checkatrade and once they join, members agree to have feedback from their customers put online for all to see. Checkatrade has gained over 2 million reviews of tradespeople to date. www.checkatrade.com