Yvonne Gorman, owner of Essential Print Services on Pride Park in Derby has been shortlisted for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards acknowledge the hard work and inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and businesses. They celebrate the incredible stories that have taken entrepreneurs to where they are today, regardless of size or turnover.
The shortlist accolade recognises how Yvonne, alongside building the company, has also developed her own professional reputation and network. Her entrepreneurial flair and spirit extend beyond Essential Print to help boost the local community too, as she is also a director of Marketing Derby, a founding member of Derby Hub, a Small Business Saturday UK Champion which has seen her visit Downing Street twice, and she also recently launched the East Midlands’ first “Happy Café”.
Since launching Essential Print Services in 2011, Yvonne has built her business to be one of the leading print companies in the East Midlands, having now had more than 1,500 customers, most of which return on a regular basis.
Essential Print Services has averaged a 5% year-on-year sales increase for the past four years. Part of the company’s success is based on the principle of a client account never exceeding over 10% of the company’s turnover, which protects the business from payment issues with customers impacting upon the business. As part of Yvonne’s continued philosophy of giving back to every customer and delivering increased value, she has also begun a series of free Essential Workshops for her customers to attend to help improve their business.
All of which has been recognised by the Great British Entrepreneur Awards committee. The judges will now review the shortlisted entries and the results will be announced at an awards event in London in November.
Discussing the accolade, Yvonne commented: “I can’t quite believe it! It’s such an amazing recognition to have been shortlisted. I’m incredibly proud of Essential Print Services and the work that I do within the Derby community, and I couldn’t have achieved it all without my fantastic customers. Customer experience is at the heart of everything we do. As a result, the company is one of the most positively reviewed, non-ecommerce printers in the UK, proving that small businesses can make a big impact.”
