"Cambridge has a vibrant mixture of University, business and focus groups providing science, innovation and thought leadership often on a global scale,” he says. “It’s also a fabulous tourist destination, combining majestic architecture with inspiring museums and galleries. Cambridge has a charm, a confidence and style all of its own, and there is much to celebrate amongst its businesses of all kinds.“
Andy won last year’s Granta Park sponsored Businessman of the Year Award and RealVNC, which provides remote control software which lets you see and interact with desktop applications across any network, have also won the Barclays Corporate and Small Business of the Year Awards in previous years. The company also won the Business Weekly Private Company of the Year award. He is now urging other companies to have a go.
“It’s not onerous to enter and it’s a wonderful to have the recognition of being a finalist, or hopefully winning,” he says. “It can really help to raise your profile locally, which is good for recruitment, and it also makes staff feel proud to work for the company. Both the Cambridge News and Business Weekly Awards are rigorously judged by panels of experts who really know their stuff, so the awards are prestigious.”
His advice for those who make the shortlist and go up in front of these judging panels is “be yourself” and not to worry so much about fancy PowerPoint presentations and gimmicks, but more about telling a story.
“Try to get across your passion and commitment, belief in what you’re doing, how the business started, what has driven it and where it is leading.” He also advises companies who make the final to look at their category carefully and address what the judges are looking for.
"RealVNC have always been very active in the wider Cambridge community, sponsoring local events and charities, and giving free help and advice to business start ups. “We are very proud of our corporate citizenship” says Andy “and last year we were able to support the Cambridge Summer Music Festival, the Vermeer exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Cambridge News Community Awards.”
2011 also saw RealVNC become the only winner in the country of two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise that year, and was also a finalist in the National Business Awards Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year category.
Anyone organising an event during the week or would like further information should contact Cat Bonner at Granta Park cbonner@mepc.co.uk or visit www.cambridgeawardsweek.co.uk