A Look Back At 2023 & Paving The Way For 2024’s Success

As 2023 comes to its inevitable conclusion, I like to ask myself a few key questions ahead of the new year. What have we accomplished? What does that mean for the future? Could we have done anything better or differently?

We’ve experienced one of our most exciting and fast-paced years yet in 2023, and I’m naturally keen to keep up that pace. Of course, we’ll take the time to celebrate this most wonderful time of year with friends and family, but I’ll also use the festive period to look at maintaining those successes in 2024 and beyond.

That’s a key reason I’m writing this today – journalling about what’s been accomplished helps us to truly appreciate the Herculean efforts everyone has put in. I’ll be taking the opportunity to discuss the biggest happenings – both professionally across all my ventures, and in the wider sphere – and how they’re forming a crucial part of the plans going forward.

7 Pivotal Business Moments For Me In 2023

I’ve distilled our year in business down to just 7 key happenings that I feel best encapsulate the spirit, the drive, and the determination that our companies, our people and I have embodied throughout 2023.

#1 - Churchill Saw Unparalleled ACS Audit Scores

Churchill Support Services has flourished since its inception in 1996. Having seen a meteoric rise in the security sector, Churchill continue to offer a tailormade, revolutionary service in an industry that’s famously been set in its ways.

It’s often difficult to quantify how much of a positive impact that has, but with Churchill’s recently audit scores, there’s concrete evidence of that. Conducted in May of 2023 by a leading initiative in the security industry, the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS), the audit encompasses a full gamete of quality criteria, including financial management, staff training, competency, and service delivery.

It’s not only a beacon of quality and excellence in what’s always been a competitive industry, it’s a key metric which clients and consumers take into consideration when making a decision. Churchill’s unmatched score of 144 out of 145?represents a huge badge of honour, and makes us the UK's #1 ACS-approved security firm.

No other security firm, from the huge range of companies involved, scored so highly in 2023. It’s a massive point of personal pride, of course, but it’s more of a reflection of our amazing people at Churchill who’ve worked exceptionally hard, dedicating time, effort, and passion to make that score happen.

You’ll find more information on the process, what it involves, and what it means for the future of Churchill in their comprehensive blog on the ACS scheme, but suffice it to say that it’s a hugely positive step, and one that’s set to pave the way for future developments and expansion as a leading force in UK security services.

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#2 - Churchill Began Its New Journey With The Acquisition Of Vanguard Cleaning

It’s always an incredible moment when one of our companies takes that next step in the natural lifecycle of an enterprise. I’ve been lucky enough to see it on multiple occasions, not least with my early investments in Elite Comms Group, but it’s always an exceedingly exciting time.

That happened this year with Churchill Support Services, and the long-awaited acquisition of Vanguard Cleaning. At its heart, Vanguard is a facilities management firm, but it’s their ethos and core virtues that really proved to be the draws for both the acquisition.

Already some 300 strong in terms of its staff, and a major player in the medical cleaning sector as it is with various high-value contracts on the books, Vanguard represented a huge step forward for Churchill, and one that had been mulled over and considered carefully for a long while.

John Melling, Churchill’s Chief Executive Officer, encapsulated it superbly in Churchill’s press release announcing the acquisition back in March. He called it “an exciting new chapter of growth for our business [Churchill]”, and for me, that really sums it up.

Business is, as I’ve always maintained, often an adventure, and this new chapter shows just how much of the tale there is to tell. That’s already begun to lay out the blueprint for future acquisitions, and with plans already in the pipeline, the future looks bright for Churchill.

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#3 – The Launch Of The New Era Of Elite Group

As an entrepreneur, I’m always aware of the pressing need to evolve. Change and growth are bandied about as buzzwords in the corporate sphere, but that’s for good reason in my opinion. We’re in a constant state of flux, and every industry demands that forward-thinking mindset.

That’s especially true of the technology sector, and Elite Group are well aware of that, from the senior leadership team to the newest member of staff. The tech industry is the epitome of that – new developments in AI, cutting-edge innovations and changing protocols demand a constant focus and an adaptive mindset.

I’m immensely proud of all my companies, and their leadership that allows that development and evolution to happen on a continual basis. That’s been best exemplified by Elite’s CEO Adam Turton in 2023, with the advent of Elite Group’s new vision for the future.

In a nutshell, this ensures that the company enmeshes with the ever-changing world, placing sustainability, compassion, and unification at the forefront of everything that they do. It’s a smart move, too – corporate news shows just how pivotal a role those three traits (amongst others, of course) are set to play.

That new vision also presented the first look at Elite Group as a Managed Services Provider (MSP), shifting the focus from selling products to providing a solution. It’s a clear presentation of the shifting sands of business, and Elite’s commitment to maintain its upward trajectory.

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#4 – Elite Group Wins Multiple Awards In 2023

While I’ll always highly value everything my staff do, it’s also fantastic to receive that validation and that recognition externally, too. Awards are a huge part of that, and July saw that realised, with Elite Group winning the award for Best ICT Solution at the Comms Business Awards.

This was no mean feat, either. The team worked tirelessly on Eden, our bespoke care-planning software and application, for more than 2 and a half years, perfecting each and every aspect of it to ensure it both met and exceeded its purpose.

The celebrations for Elite Group in 2023 didn’t end there, either. The latter half of the year saw Elite once again deservedly take home an award, this time at the Comms National Award, for the Best Enterprise Contact Centre Customer Solution.

A massive team effort this time, the awards are the largest in the telecommunications sector, and represent the key innovators and pioneers across the industry. To have even been nominated is an incredible achievement in and of itself, but to win is even more exceptional.

Of course, while awards aren’t the be all and end all, they do represent a clear and obvious sign that we’re moving in the right direction. They’re also a blueprint for our competitors and similar industries to try and emulate, and we’re proud to be trailblazers across the comms sector.

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#5 – E-Sign Wins The Digital Transformation Award Before Its Reimagining

A titanic project that saw its conclusion this year, the bespoke redesign of E-Sign, was a true labour of love from everyone involved. Moving from the site’s prior design to its sleek, sophisticated look was something one might’ve expected to be the biggest news for the company that year.

That was eclipsed, however, by E-Sign’s huge win at the Digital Revolution Awards, where the company took home the award for Digital Transformation Project of the Year for 2023. While it was a joint win, the competition was one of the world’s largest digital companies in Cognizant, further underpinning the lofty ambitions of everyone working at E-Sign.

It’s also important to recognise the reason behind the award, of course, and this was another area where E-Sign truly excelled. Working alongside the NHS to digitise prescriptions in the wake of the pandemic, the team was able to use the document management technology to support the initiatives of the National Clinical Homecare Association. Truly inspirational work.

While the article linked above delves more into depth about the far-reaching and often understated positive impacts of the project, the key takeaway is how future-focused the outcomes truly are. We’re in the midst of a huge global shift, and E-Sign’s project is reflective of both a highly technological and an environmentally-focused mindset.

MD at E-Sign Thomas Taylor gave a succinct yet impassioned summation of what the award meant – “It is an honour to be recognised for our commitment to driving digital transformation and helping businesses streamline their operations through our innovative e-signature solutions.”

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#6 – So Many Special Anniversaries Across The Companies

With such a range of exceptional staff on board at every one of our companies, it’s often difficult to keep track of anniversaries and milestones in careers. Where I can, I’ll aim to recognise the accomplishments of the amazing people working at the companies, and that was best exemplified this year with so many anniversaries.

While a full list isn’t feasible, I’d like to draw attention to two of our longest-serving people, and two incredible individuals.

Pam Cafferty, Churchill’s Communications Centre Manager and one of the company’s longest serving members, saw her 15th anniversary. An absolute stalwart, and a key point of contact for all of Churchill’s clientele, she’s a shining example of what commitment means.

Similarly, Elite Comms Group’s Chief Operating Officer Alex Cliffe had an incredible anniversary in 2023 – 23 years, having started at the company at the turn of the millennium.? She’s an integral cog in what makes Elite Comms the superb enterprise it is, and it’s truly been an honour to have had her onboard for so long.

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#7 – We Upped Our Support For Charities

Charitable giving has always been at the core of what I’ve imparted to every company I’ve ever been a part of. It’s something I’ve continually given to, both on a more local level and with my support of national and international initiatives.

That’s perhaps most evident in my continued support of ActionAid and its worldwide endeavours – I’ve been a member of the charity’s Change Makers Club for almost 10 years now, and I’ve continuously offered my support for their endeavours across the world.

I’m also indebted to the Prince’s Trust, which personally helped me out, and that I’ve now had the opportunity to support with my successes. I’m a major proponent of the scheme, and take every opportunity I can to give back to the Prince’s Trust, and to a huge range of local and national charities.

That extends to the companies I work with, too. 2023 saw us ramp up the amount we do for various charities, and more and more of our highly valued colleagues stepped up. From bake sales to arduous bike rides, and the infamous pyjama day in aid of Children in Need, to more independent endeavours outside of the office, it’s clear that this is an area of passion for many.

Elite Comms upped the ante on their own commitment to making a difference, too, with huge donations, sporting and musical events, and food bank drives punctuating the 2023 calendar at the company.

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How 2023’s Changing World Fed Into Business

Outside of my own businesses and ventures, the world continued to spin. New policies were rolled out (and subsequently repealed), new initiatives took flight, and the business world saw the tides of meaningful change ebb and flow.

All of this has naturally formed a crux of implemented and planned changes across our businesses. The chief among these is environmentalism and sustainability – already a hot button issue for many, and quickly becoming a more crucial focus as we barrel towards the global deadline of 2050 for net-zero emissions.

We’re already ahead in that regard. I’ve long been a champion of eco-friendly initiatives, and prioritising the planet. You’ll find that most evidently reflected in Tariff, the service I pioneered to ensure that businesses can make that leap to net-zero sooner rather than later. There are other signs too, with Churchill and Elite Group both being ISO:14001 certified.

There’s also the rapid and unprecedented advent of AI and machine learning. It’s something I’ve been following with keen interest, and that I’ll doubtless formulate an opinion on soon, but one thing I am certain of is that it’s set to shape an as-yet unforecasted future.

In amongst the fast-paced nature of business and its tech, though, there was also time to stop and reflect on the past, especially with the 40th anniversary of the Prince’s Trust. I spoke briefly on this on my socials, especially as I’ve got a personal affinity for the initiative, but it’s a brief look at the next generation of entrepreneurs and changemakers.

With that in mind, then, I’d like to look to 2024, and what it could hold, both on a business level, and on a wider scale.

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A Brief Peek Into What 2024 May Hold

As 2023 creeps closer to its inevitable conclusion, it’s equally inevitable that we’d look to the new year, and to plan for what a new 12 months might bring. That’s true for everyone, but especially so for entrepreneurs and businesspeople, who see the coming year as a chance to improve and refine.

Personally, I’m seeking to capitalise on the successes I’ve seen, both personally and across the companies I own. In terms of Churchill Support Services, they’ve had one of their most successful years to date, with the aforementioned audit results and acquisition just the tip of that metaphorical iceberg.

Elite Group, too, are on the cusp of further greatness. That new mindset and approach to business is a core tenet of what I feel is development and growth in that sector. With the right mindset and the right guiding principles, we’re able to achieve so much, and take an embryonic idea to something that’s truly special.

All of this comes in addition to the plans that are already in motion. I’ve put further investment into industrial premises through our commercial property endeavours, which are set to take off at the start of the new year.

In times of introspection and forward-thinking, I’m reminded of a quote from famed writer Dr Samuel Johnson – “Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance”. It’s this that drives me to pursue that continued success, to persevere in pursuit of that right person, that next success, and that new ground to break.

With that ideology as the fuel which powers our collective efforts onwards, I know that 2024 will hold the same levels of excellence that’s been consistently demonstrated this year, alongside equally incredible things I could never have seen coming.

Here’s to another exciting year!