Top 5 for People

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Umi hotels

Umi Hotels runs a scheme to help young people get on the hospitality ladder: over 100 interns have been trained up to date. Uniforms were designed by London fashion students and Umi fosters great relationships with the local community and local suppliers.

Andrea's Autos

This MOT, service centre and training organisation offers work experience for students through an ASDAN accredited scheme. Over 300 students, many at risk of exclusion, have come through the programme.

Toy Barnhaus

This independent toy retailer was founded by ex-Woolworths staff after the business went bust. Now, Toy Barnhaus employs 17 other ex-Woolies staff. Customer service is at the heart of the proposition: “If we haven’t got it, we’ll get it”.

Little Kickers Group

Little Kickers targeted stay-at-home mums to develop the franchise model at launch. It has trained over 1,000 football coaches in the UK alone and provides an entrepreneurial opportunity for people of all ages, with some franchisees coming on board straight from university.

Gnewt Cargo

Gnewt is an eco-logistics company specialising in ‘last mile’ drops in urban areas. The firm employs local people, cuts emissions, promoted from within and is closely involved with Government’s ‘Future Jobs Fund’.

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Business are all about people: staff, suppliers, investors and, of course, customers. These five companies have people skills galore, whether it's helping the local community, investing in their people through training and opportunities, or simply making their customers and suppliers feel loved. These are the businesses proving that it doesn't take big budgets or consultancies to truly make a difference to people through your organisation. It just takes some smart thinking and a bit of heart.

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