York: a great place to do business

By Alan Millard, Chief Operating Officer, Hiscox UK and Ireland

The last 12 months has been another stellar period for York as a great place to do business, and Hiscox is proud to once again be headline sponsor of The Press Business Awards, and sponsor of the Technology Business of the Year award for the third year in a row.

Each year these awards celebrate the outstanding work that is taking place in this amazing city, and each year the bar for excellence is raised even higher.

This will be the third year that I have been involved in judging these awards, and each time I cannot fail to be impressed by the creativity, commitment, and tenacity of every single business man or woman that enters the awards. I am sure this year will be no different, and so I anticipate another passionate debate with the rest of the judging panel when we reconvene in the coming months to select the winners.

Having now moved into our permanent office in Hungate, Hiscox is itself proud to play a part in this city’s burgeoning business community. We have been welcomed, supported and encouraged by all those we have met – from City of York Council members, local business owners, leaders from York’s great universities and local residents. Our decision to come to York has proven to be the right one at every turn.

We may be a big corporate, but we’re also committed to doing our bit to support up-and-coming businesses. That’s why we’ve turned over some of our own office space to local entrepreneurs.

The Hiscox Business Club, which we launched in April 2016 and was officially opened by HRH The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, in May, is open to local entrepreneurs and business owners with up to four employees, operating in any field from accountancy to web design. Members of the Business Club have access to desk space, meeting rooms with video-conferencing and projection facilities, wi-fi and printers, bike store and the Hiscox Art Café. A free of charge facility, we’ve had another overwhelmingly positive response to the Hiscox Business Club with the support of Make It York and York St John University. It has attracted 76 members so far – from luxury ice cream companies and hot tub hire firms, to technology providers and social media consultants – but there are still more spaces available. To find out more or apply to become a member, visit https://www.hiscox.co.uk/businessclub/

All of this goes some way to demonstrating that York has so much more to offer than being a tourist hotspot. It’s a city with committed leadership, a focus on innovation, and a skilled workforce. So don’t hide your light under a bushel – enter these awards and share your own personal success stories. Best of luck to everyone hoping to pick up one of the coveted The Press Business Awards 2016 and I look forward to meeting many of you at the awards gala dinner in November.