We are honoured to have been nominated for various franchise awards, and we love seeing our gardeners receive recognition for their hard work.
Female entrepreneur of the Year
We are so proud of our Ed’s gardener, Sarah Whaley, for being the runner up in the The Zimbabwe Achievers Award for Female Entrepreneur, for which Sarah had to demonstrate a commitment to excellence.
“When I received the call about my nomination I was knee deep in well-rotted horse manure, and feeling anything but the entrepreneurial business woman flying her national flag high!” Sarah said. “It is an incredible honour to be nominated by this burgeoning bud of positive Zimbabweans who are striving to make a difference here in the UK.”
Sarah described how grateful she is for the support Ed’s provides, saying “Ed’s has been a hugely supportive part of my business growth, and a mix of wonderful clients and hardworking, passionate employees have allowed me to grow my business during a time of recession.
“I think a large part of this is due to my Zimbabwean upbringing,” she continues. “A phrase I was weaned on was ‘We’ll make a plan’ if things went wrong. Friends in the UK have taught me a new one: ‘Fancy trainers and kissy lips won’t get you across the finish line’ – something I often repeat to myself during the wettest, bleakest and lonelist days.
“My parents and brothers taught me the importance of integrity, of doing what you say you’ll do, and of supporting those around you. I have aspired to bring this with me into my business and have been lucky to have clients who have been flexible and supportive during the growth stages.
“People often ask me if I want to go ‘home’, but Zimbabwe is with me in the way I speak, the person I am, the friends and family I have, and in so many of my memories.
“The UK has offered me an incredible opportunity to start and run a business, and I have been overwhelmed by the positivity and support of both professionals and friends here. A lot like the horse manure, I think the best option for now is to spread the love for both!
The London Garden Society Awards
James Leonard, our North London Operator, came 2nd in The London Garden Society Awards. James earnt his award for maintaining a square in central London. “I was very excited to receive this award,” James said. “It was a great evening.”
Franchise of the Year
Because James is on fire with his gardening, he also impressed the judges of the Franchise of the year award, who said if he keeps things as they are he will be running an empire in the near future.
James said: “I was very pleased with the judges comments and it was also a big team effort from everyone at Eds.”
Franchise Marketing Awards
Ed’s Garden Services were finalists in the Best Website category at the Franchise Marketing Awards 2012.
We put a lot of hard work into our website, and having enhanced it to earn top position in a Google search, we were delighted to be recognised for our efforts.
Ed’s also launched a mobile phone app in 2011 which runs across all devices, providing further accessibility for our customers and on-the-go access for our gardeners.