Enterprise Enfield Business Adviser, Chrystelle Benkhelil, has recently won Start up Adviser in the Institute of Business Advisers’ (IBA), national Business Adviser of the Year Awards. Urban Futures’ helps finance Enterprise Enfield to provide small businesses support in the Objective 2 areas through their North London Business Gateway project. The project provides a one-stop shop for business advice, and Enterprise Enfield is one of the main providers.
Chrystelle was presented with her award at the IBA’s national conference on 12th October 2006, (sponsored by Towergate Professional Risks). Another Enterprise Enfield Adviser, Haider Shakiry, was also selected as a finalist in the same category and he received a highly commended certificate.
Entrants from all over the country were judged on case studies and an interview concerning their work with clients plus their personal ability, experience and commitment, passion and empathy with clients and their preparedness to “go the extra mile” to help others develop and grow their own businesses. The judges, representing a wide range of business organisations, including the Small Business Service at the DTI and the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies, were particularly impressed by Chrystelle’s “passion and empathy with clients, her broad based approach and her commitment to quality in business support..”
Chrystelle, who has been working at Enterprise Enfield for three years, is the youngest of the 45 Business Advisers at the agency, which provides advice, guidance and training to start-up and existing businesses in north London. Chrystelle’s ethnic background as well as the Agency’s Advisers team reflects the ethnic composition of the community it advises and supports, (75% are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic).
She said:- “I’m absolutely delighted to win this prestigious award. My ambition is to ensure my support makes a positive difference to my clients’ businesses. But it is also rewarding when the work undertaken with clients is recognised by fellow business people to be of a very high standard.”
Phil Langslow, Urban Futures Chief Executive is thrilled for Chrystelle:- “We have found her to be a real asset to the programme and as a result, north London’s businesses. We are over the moon to be involved with award winning business advisers. This just proves that north London can provide top class business advice.”
Mike Horner, Chief Executive of the IBA, added: “The standard of entries was very high this year, which demonstrates the calibre of business advisers we attract to the IBA”.
Contact: Sue King, Marketing and Development Manager
Tel: 020 8443 5457
Email: sking@EnterpriseEnfield.org
Notes to editors
Chrystelle can be contacted for an interview and photograph at Enterprise Enfield on 020 8443 5457 or cbenkhelil@EnterpriseEnfield.org
The North London Business Gateway provides you with a single access point for functional, specialist and bespoke support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The support is available in certain areas in the boroughs of Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest.
The project is designed to meet the needs of north London's small and medium sized enterprises helping you to ensure your business's sustainability and competitiveness. The support is free and is funded by the Government Office for London and the London Development Agency and managed by Urban Futures.
Urban Futures is a regeneration agency which provides integrated management of regeneration programmes and contracts.
Through delivering solutions to complex regeneration problems, Urban Futures aims to increase social and economic wealth in some of the most disadvantaged areas of London.
Urban Futures manages major regeneration programmes and projects on behalf of the London Development Agency (LDA), Learning and Skills Council, the Government Office for London, Local Authorities and other public, private and voluntary agencies.
Urban Futures’ services cover five main areas:
- Employment and skills
- Business Support
- European funding
- Working with communities
- Capital programmes
www.urbanfutures.org.uk
Enterprise Enfield is an independent, not for profit, business advisory and training organisation dedicated to helping people start, establish and succeed in business. Services include:
- Business Seminars covering key areas: Business Planning, Marketing, Finance etc
- Confidential Information and Advice Sessions
- Business Mentoring
- An eBusiness Club
- Low cost Business Premises
- Professional Advisers offer specialist help in:
- Business Planning
- Raising Finance
- Boosting Sales and Marketing
- Organising Accounts
- Training
- International Trade
- Business improvement and staff development
Enterprise Enfield successfully manages and delivers business support projects/ contracts for organisations such as Business Link for London, the London Development Agency, Learning and Skills Council (some are supported by the European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, London Borough of Enfield and The RSA Trust).
The Agency is the first and only London enterprise agency to be awarded the Prowess Flagship Award for best practice in women’s enterprise development. It has been awarded the Customer First and Matrix standards for quality business support and is also an Investor in People.
T: 020 8443 5457, website: http://www.enterpriseenfield.org/
email : info@EnterpriseEnfield.org
The Institute of Business Advisers (IBA) is the professional Institute for business advisers, business mentors, business trainers and all business support professionals who give advice and assistance to small and medium sized businesses. It has over 2,000 members across its 18 regional branches
It is open to anyone working in the field of business support, subject to them meeting specified criteria relating to their experience and professional competence
The IBA Conference is THE conference for business support professionals. It took place at the Holiday Inn, Garforth, Leeds on Friday October 13th 2006. Speakers included Meg Munn MP, Broadcasters James Bellini and Phil Kennedy and Entrepreneur Jay Cousins. Details at http://www.iba.org.uk/
Chrystelle is a member of the London of the IBA. For further information regarding membership please contact Neaz Ahmed, 020 7609 4198.
