In 2013 Gemma Lighting won the Business of the Year Award at the Portsmouth Business Awards. In 2015 they will be sponsoring the Start-Up Business of the Year Award at the same ceremony. Clearly, this is an indication of success in the industry, but what else demonstrates success within business? There are a set of five factors which, if analysed favourably, are strong indicators that a business is booming.
The first thing is one that probably occurs to many, and that is the profitability of the company. It’s common sense after all; if a business is covering all bills and wages and still has money left over then it’s looking good. If not, then its chances of success diminish significantly. Gemma Lighting are a perfect example of demonstrating profitability, having just recorded a fifth year of double digit growth.
The second sure sign of success is that you are effectively reaching the target market, because this is what business is all about. If you fail to secure a solid customer base, your success will always be limited. Long-term growth must be considered and this is something of which Gemma are well aware. Having gathered a plethora of new clients over the last few years, Gemma have shown a clear understanding that achieving the ability to reach the customer base and expand to accommodate long-term goals is an essential ingredient to success.
By demonstrating customer satisfaction, this is a good indication that a company understands the needs of its customers. This in particular is crucial to the strength of the business. Just one dissatisfied customer can negate the many that are satisfied. Strong customer policies can only add strength to a business. And with quotes like the following from its clients, Gemma Lighting demonstrate clear achievement in this field.
““Through Gemma Lighting’s quality service and leading edge LED lighting solutions we have achieved a significant reduction in our energy bills and carbon emissions. All staff at the factory have noticed a great improvement in the lighting and feel the benefit of a better working environment. We are looking forward to working with Gemma Lighting on further LED lighting projects.” (Mr David Sharp of Premier Vegetables, Lincolnshire).
The next factor which is key in industry success is employee satisfaction. A good and well-performing work environment is crucial in recruiting and retaining high quality employees. If they feel valued and appreciated, these employees will work harder for the business. In addition, they are more likely to pull together in a difficult situation. Employees are the face of a company – and they are indispensable. Charles Young, a new employee of Gemma Lighting, had this to say about his new position:
‘As more and more customers look for a UK LED lighting manufacturer, Gemma Lighting was an obvious choice to develop my career and I am genuinely excited about this new role and challenge’.
And finally, if the owner of the business is satisfied, then all is well. It seems a simple concept but the owner is the one who oversees the operation as a whole, and if they are happy with the structure and performance of the business then that is a good, solid sign. If they are dissatisfied then this will soon spill over into the employees and breed a bad atmosphere. Happily, this is not a problem at Gemma Lighting. As they sweep up award after award, this is one company which can demonstrate industry success in all areas.
