Awards Archives - Astute Financial

After 12 years in business, Astute Recruitment Ltd has become one of the premier accountancy recruitment businesses in the East Midlands. We’re also the only East Midlands recruitment expert to have secured over 15 business awards as finalists or winners. You can see some of the awards our team and Directors have received clicking on the following link www.astuterecruitment.com/about-us/awards/

So, we were thrilled for the Derbyshire Life magazine to contact us and ask us if we would like to be included in their special 90th edition in their feature on award winning businesses in Derby!

Great for Astute Recruitment Ltd to be featured in this very special 90th edition of Derbyshire Life

Why have we strived to secure business awards?

Over to one of our MDs – Mary Maguire – who does all our award entries herself, and manages all Astute’s marketing and social media.

“The biggest hurdle setting up a business and brand is getting that brand and what it stands for ‘out there’. Being able to showcase multiple business awards is a brilliant way to show your target audience that you are a recognised expert in your field. It flags to potential clients that they can have total confidence in using your services.

Winning business awards also builds trust for potential staff who may be researching local businesses to see whether they would like to work for that company too. So, from an Employer branding point of view, success in winning awards is key.

As most people recognise, there is a talent shortage of workers skilled in several business sectors currently, from finance and accountancy professionals to skilled IT software developers to drivers, healthcare specialists, hospitality workers and so many more.

So, What better way to help your business and team attract the very best staff than to demonstrate credibility from successful business awards! You could be flagging your company to potential clients, but also raising your company’s profile to potential staff of the future as a credible potential employer!”

For Astute Recruitment Ltd, this means that our current and potential clients can see that we’re a thoroughly professional business and are acknowledged experts in our field. Our awards have also been an additional attraction in our recruitment strategy to appeal to the very best potential recruitment staff wanting to develop their careers and also to experienced recruitment professionals seeking to utilise their knowledge and relationships in a really professional but friendly, fun environment!

Business awards are awarded by impartial business organisations. For different organisations, this means targeting specific awards relevant to your industry.

Sarah Stevenson, our MD of Astute Recruitment Ltd with Dominic Heale, after being presented with the IoD’s prestigious Director of the Year Award – Small SME Business

How to start winning awards for your business?

While Mary has been hugely successful in writing awards entries for Astute Recruitment Ltd over the years, this is not something that every business owner has the natural flair or time for.

Instead, there are ‘go to’ experts who will be able to understand your company, and successfully craft an award-winning application for you. One such expert in crafting winning words for an array of businesses is the Founder of Derby’s ‘Ask the Chameleon’ – Rachel Hayward.

Rachel herself has had a tremendous 12 months in winning several business awards including: Female Entrepreneur of the Year, by East Midlands Chamber of Commerce (EMCC) and Derbyshire Live Business Awards in the Professional Services category.

Business Owner Rachel Hayward and some of her business awards in 2021

We asked Rachel to sum up why Business Awards should be a critical part of every company’s marketing and branding strategy. Over to Rachel!

“Awards really do confirm your place in the marketplace. They help in the buying decision and are hugely motivational for your staff team as well as yourself. Running a business is challenging and to be judged as excellent by your peers is extremely rewarding.

The key is often choosing the right category for you and your business. Certain categories will be hugely competitive, so consider other areas in your business that you shine. Maybe you have an excellent apprentice or can demonstrate consistently high levels of customer service? Maybe you go the extra mile as an employer, or you are a third-generation family business? With over 3,500 awards at any one time, there really is an award and category for everyone. “

“My top tips are:

Do your research, look at your competitors and peers, even those businesses/entrepreneurs who inspire you. What awards have they won?
Do you fit the criteria, can you prove it (you will always need factual information to demonstrate success)
Give yourself plenty of time to create those winning words.
Don’t wait for a secret nominator – many award organisers fully expect you to write your own application.

Make 2022 your year to gain your first award success”

We completely agree with Rachel! Its great to hear from Rachel being an award winning expert on winning business awards for her clients! Her insights and tips are really useful. You can contact Rachel at her business, Ask The Chameleon on her website askthechameleon.co.uk/about/

For our own team at Astute Recruitment Ltd, from the ICAEW’s award of Best East Midlands SME Business, to the IoD’s Small Business Director of the Year award, our awards have pride of place in our new office in Derby’s Cardinal Square and on our website!

What our business awards mean to us at Astute!

Business awards reward exceptional business success, ultimately building trust to use your company. Awards inspire confidence to our clients, candidates and potential staff of the future, as we continue to grow, that Astute’s team are unrivalled leaders in financial recruitment.

Sarah Stevenson and Mary Maguire receiving their award for Best East Midlands SME Business by the ICAEW for Astute Recruitment Ltd

We want to bring our business to the attention of new audiences to truly stand out, and for us, securing business awards

really is the best way to cement our reputation as the ‘go to company’ in our sector, Financial Recruitment.

So, be ‘Astute’ and give your marketing strategy a ‘reboot’.

Strive for awards to boost

your business to the next level!

Article by Mary Maguire, MD Astute Recruitment Ltd

Other articles by Mary on career tips, business strategy, tips to recruit the right person and more are below!

Do you know what time it is on your career clock?

How great things can happen when business people get together – a growth mindset really matters for business owners and hiring managers

From Abacus to AI – The history of ‘Accountancy’ and why its a great career choice!

How to manage a successful relationship with your recruitment consultant? Our ‘astute’ tips!

Why its OK to talk about mental health at work! New free initiative for East Midlands employers

Think of St George and you’re probably picturing a heroic knight, slaying a ferocious, fire-breathing dragon! As the country’s patron saint, today, the 23rd April 2020 St George’s story is as iconic as his white and red flag.

However, like many early saints, the exact details of his life remain a mystery. Here, we separate the facts from the fiction, establishing the truth behind the legend of St George.

1. ST GEORGE WASN’T ENGLISH!

St George might be hailed as a national hero, but he was actually born – in the 3rd century AD – more than 2,000 miles away from England in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey).

He is thought to have died in Lydda (modern-day Israel) in the Roman province of Palestine in AD 303. It is believed that his tomb was in a place called ‘Lod’, a centre of Christian pilgrimage.

2. ST GEORGE WASN’T A KNIGHT!

Often portrayed as a knight in shining armour, the truth is less fanciful.

Whilst St George was depicted from the 11th century as a heroic knight or a warrior on horseback, it is more likely that he was a humble officer in the Roman army.

3. ST GEORGE WAS A MARTYR

Like many saints, St George was described as a martyr after he died for his Christian faith. It is believed that during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century, St George was punished by execution, for refusing to make a sacrifice in honour of the pagan gods at that time.

4. HE NEVER VISITED ENGLAND!

Yep, St George never actually visited England. However his reputation for virtue and holiness spread across Europe and his feast day – the 23rd April – was celebrated in England from the 9th century onwards.

He became popular with English kings. Edward I (1272-1307) had banners bearing the emblem of St George (a red cross on a white background) and Edward III (1327-77) had a strong interest in the saint and owned a ‘phial’ or ‘relic’ of his blood. It was not until the reign of Henry VIII, that the cross of St George was used to represent England.

5. THE DRAGON WAS ADDED LATER

The story goes that St George rode into Silene (Libya) to free the city from a dragon who had a taste for humans, but it’s a story that post-dates the real George by several centuries!

Images of George and the dragon survive from the 9th century – 500 years after his death. Originally these may simply have been symbolising the battle between Good and Evil. In the Middle Ages, the story was developed and popularised in a compendium of stories about saints’ lives called ‘The Golden Legend’.

6. ST GEORGE WAS A SAINT FOR 1000 YEARS BEFORE THE ‘HOLIDAY’

St George was canonised in AD 494 by Pope Gelasius, who claimed he was one of those ‘whose names are justly revered among men but whose acts are known only to God’.

A feast day of St George has been celebrated in England for hundreds of years on 23 April, which was possibly the date of his martyrdom. Following the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, St George’s Day became one of the most important feast days in the English calendar.

7. ENGLAND ISN’T THE ONLY COUNTRY TO CELEBRATE ST GEORGE

St George is truly an international saint and England is not the only country or region to claim him as its patron. Something that in todays multi-cultural England, ought to be celebrated!

England shares St George with Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Ethiopia and Catalonia among others as their patron saint and many of these places have their own celebrations and ceremonies in his honour.

8. PEOPLE TURNED TO ST GEORGE FOR PROTECTION

During the Middle Ages, people believed that St George was one of the ‘Fourteen Holy Helpers’ – a group of saints who could help during epidemic diseases. St George’s protection was invoked against several nasty diseases, many fatal and with infectious causes, including the Plague and leprosy. It is a shame we cannot invoke his name to defeat the Coronavirus!

From around 1100, St George’s help was also sought to protect the English army. In William Shakespeare’s Henry V, the monarch calls on the saint during his battle cry at the Battle of Harfleur in the famous, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends” speech, crying “God for Harry! England, and St. George!”

Five hundred years later – during the First World War – a ghostly apparition of St George is said to have aided British troops during their retreat from Mons, and the naval commander of the Zeebrugge Raid, cited the saint as inspiration!

9. ST GEORGE REPRESENTS THOSE WE HONOUR

The Order of the Garter (founded by Edward III in 1348) is the very highest order of chivalry in the country, with Queen Elizabeth II at the helm as ‘Sovereign of the Garter’.

To this day, St George’s cross still appears on the Garter badge and his image is the pendant of the Garter chain.

In 1940 King George VI created a new award for acts of the greatest heroism, bravery or courage in the face of extreme danger. The George Cross, named after the king, bears the image of St George vanquishing the dragon. The image of St George also adorns many of the memorials built to honour those killed during World War One.

Poignantly, perhaps in 2020, we should use this legendary award for bravery to honour the frontline workers and NHS staff working so valiantly to help those affected by the Coronavirus and COVID-19.

Why Awards Can Make You Win Big Press Article Written By Mary Maguire MD Astute Recruitment Ltd

Mary Maguire, Managing Director at award-winning Chamber Member Astute Recruitment, assesses how business can improve their chances of award success – and what winning can do for your business. This article was featured in the EMC’s Business Magazine.

Let’s go back to March 2014. I was a new business owner who had tried entering awards for the first time. I wasn’t consistent. I wasn’t disciplines. I did not have a strategy or plan. However, this changed the following year when I was encouraged to re-think my approach.

Scroll forward to 2018. It has been an amazing four years with awards successes from the IoD, ICAEW and the Chamber’s own Business Awards in 2011, 2015 and 2017. At the end of 2017, we won a couple of prestigious global awards too.

Entering and winning awards has introduced the company to a bigger audience, gaining credibility and new business in the process. Our company is now more appealing to potential hire. We have achieved a record year of turnover, secured record amounts of new clients and hire two new, experienced recruitment experts into our team.

I recently talked to fellow Chamber member Owen Conti, Founder of Code 56. Owen recently won Marketing Derby’s Rising Star Business Award 2018, and I asked Owen what winning the award meant to his business in real terms.

He said: “To be recognised as the winner means experienced business professionals have heard and trusted our story. You can’t buy that kind of third party trust that this panel of business leaders have given to me and my Business.”

“People are already taking us more seriously. For example, contracts I have built up over the past year have come back with requests for how we can help develop their business strategies using the latest technology. “

“My audience reach has increased on social media which in turn has driven increased enquiries and new business. This award acted as a catalyst in inspiring confidence for other businesses to use my company, so if you have recently started your own business, entering awards is an accelerated pathway to increased awareness of your brand and what you stand for.”

The institute of Sales & Marketing Management discovered more than 70% of consumers are influenced by awards when buying products and services, so unlock this potential for your business.”

So, what are you waiting for? Enter your business for an award. You have nothing to lose and may just win a lot more than a trophy.

Four Key Steps to Successful Awards Entries

Recognise what makes your company successful.
Select the right awards to enter. Local awards recognising local businesses are the best way to start. Make sure the awards you choose have categories that play to your strengths.
Read and then answer the questions – not what you think they want to hear. Be clear, concise and passionate. Judges are not looking for the next poet laureate but love to hear your passion and enthusiasm come across.
Leave enough time. Awards take a lot of time to complete. There are often word limits and specific financial information you will need to provide from your annual accounts. This all takes Time.

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Mike

16:04 13 Mar 23

Highly recommended! Josh and Sarah have been fantastic at Astute. They've found and placed me in 2 jobs now between them, both really responsive and excellent at keeping you up to speed with things. Very knowledgable about the roles and happy to talk to companies with any queries you have.

C R.

10:45 27 Jan 23

Great agency one of the best ones I've worked with! Liz has been a great help and support in helping me towards a new direction in my career life. She is very attentive and keeps me in the loop at all times! She makes the extra effort to work with my preferred requirements for work and even if it isn't completely attainable she meets me in the middle and does as much as she can to help! Also Liz is very funny might I add 😂 and I'm happy that I can now put a face to the name after all these years! Thank you again Liz for all your help and support! 😊

Christine

10:32 20 Dec 22

Josh and the Astute team was very swift to help me to find roles that matched my profile. They are really reliable and will help through every step of the recruitment process going out of their way to assist and follow up when needed. Could not find a better recruitment agency!

Helen Pinegar

16:19 18 Dec 22

Fantastic recruitment agency.. Josh was extremely enthusiastic, encouraging and clearly knowledgeable about what was needed from both the employee and the employers point of view. Extremely supportive especially in regards to interview preparation and endeavoured to procure feedback promptly. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Astute in the future to both candidates and recruiting businesses particularly for the right fit for the role!!!

Lisa Leigh

11:56 30 Nov 22

I have worked as a candidate for Astute and they have been excellent. Super friendly service and professional agents keen to fit the right person to the right job. It has been a pleasure dealing with them and I would happily work for them again in the future. Highly recommend this agency.