Ashes Memorial Jewellery crowned Online Business Award winner
On the 14th July 2022, the LilaConnect team attended the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Business Awards 2022 to celebrate the very best in business talent that Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire has to offer.
For the second consecutive year, LilaConnect was the proud sponsor of the ‘Online Business of the Year’ category – an award that shines a light on local businesses that have taken an innovative approach to online sales. Our Head of Deployment, Sarah Grange, was delighted to announce and hand over the award to this year’s winner, Ashes Memorial Jewellery (AMJ).
In meeting the nominees and judging this category, LilaConnect was blown away by each shortlisted company’s use of online to grow, provide a better customer experience and improve business efficiencies.
Online Business Award Winner, Ashes Memorial Jewellery
AMJ turns ashes into jewellery, handcrafting specially built pieces through the technique of rolling cremation ashes or hair onto silver or gold as a way to encapsulate lost loved ones forever.
As an established jeweller of over 14 years, founder Julia Usher had three retail premises. The demise of the high street led her to shut down her stores and set up AMJ as an online business in 2017.
Over the past five years, AMJ has bucked the trend in a traditional industry, where digital was barely a consideration. The business is firmly rooted in the digital space, harnessing the power of social media, effective online marketing and SEO tools and techniques.
Julia has used digital to maintain the personal touch that face-to-face interaction within a bricks-and-mortar store generally offers. Not only does she take the time to meet with customers to talk about design via zoom, she conducts Facebook Lives with her online community each week. By creating videos of her workshop and explaining her process, customers can see it in person, and rest assured that their loved one’s ashes are in safe hands.
AMJ is relentless in its pursuit to harness the latest in technological advancements – even creating an interactive Christmas bauble decoration complete with QR code and app – to diversify its offering and add to the customer experience. It’s an embodiment of what online should be all about: not technology-led but technology-enabled for the benefit of people.
A Rundown of the Finalists
Habitans Lettings
Habitans Lettings, property lettings and management start-up, supports local and out of area Landlords with the management and upkeep of their properties. Its service ensures rental properties remain compliant, safe, and are maintained to a high standard to provide quality housing for tenants.
By integrating modern features into its offerings, including paperless online systems, professional photography and videography, and direct client contact, Habitans has already established itself in a traditional and competitive market. Despite attracting Landlords and property investors from all over the UK, Habitans stood out for its focus on impacting and building a legacy in the local community. The business has supported several charity projects and aims to work with local councils, charities and landlords to reduce homelessness and provide much-needed accommodation to those who need it.
JSP Credit Management
JSP Credit Management offers clients credit risk reports, credit control, debt collection, debtor tracing and debt litigation management services. The offering helps businesses prepare themselves for extending credit to their customers by offering advice on processes and policies they can implement to prevent late or no payments.
JSP Credit Management has become the fastest growing credit management company online in the UK by its social media following, in particular on LinkedIn. In addition to its clever use of social outreach, the team has a disruptive approach to applying technology to improve its services. With plans to automate the debt recovery process underway, the judges anticipate 2023 to be a breakthrough year for the startup.
MADE on Demand
MADE on Demand is an online wellness platform offering fitness classes, yoga, coaching, nutritional and mental wellbeing advice in an affordable and convenient package. Its founder, Penny Weston, began her MADE journey with a wellness centre. The centre was hit hard by the pandemic and consequent lockdowns, but Penny didn’t let this stop MADE.
In just three months, MADE on Demand was built, with all members of the initial centre given access to the platform free of charge to continue accessing physical and mental support throughout lockdown. While the platform came from a dire situation, the site is now thriving. The LilaConnect judge panel was impressed by the resilience and adaptability of the company, rooted in a desire to support the community’s mental health.
A huge congratulations to the winners, Ashes Memorial Jewellery and all the fantastic runners-up. It was a pleasure to learn about their online businesses. Buying ‘local’ is about investing in the community’s future, and from the entries this year – Staffordshire’s future is very bright.
To find out more about all the finalists and the other categories in this year’s Business Awards, click here.
