Clanfield business reaches national awards final after building community beyond the treatment room

A Clanfield healthcare business which has helped create a network connecting more than 50 other local businesses has reached the final of the National Entrepreneur Awards.

Advance SRM Therapies, founded by John and Jess Hughes, is one of six businesses from more than 70 entries to reach the final of the Best Local Business category.

The recognition comes as Advance SRM Therapies celebrates ten years in business, during which time the clinic has grown alongside a range of initiatives designed to support the wider community around Clanfield, Waterlooville and Petersfield.

In the last year alone, the thriving company has doubled its team from three to six and delivered 2,557 appointments.

Around three quarters of new clients now come through personal recommendations, with some families using the clinic across different generations.

However, Jess Hughes believes it may be what the business has done outside the treatment room that helped catch the attention of the judges.

That includes The Village Network, which Jess created after struggling to find a local business networking group that offered the collaborative approach she wanted.

What began as an attempt to solve her own networking problem has grown into a community involving around 55 local businesses.

Members have gained new customers, formed collaborations, bought from one another and actively recommended other local businesses, while the network has also provided a support community for people who might otherwise spend much of their working lives alone.

Jess said:

“I started The Village Network because I wanted to network locally myself and couldn't find anything that felt quite right. Some groups were too far away, some were expensive and others had rules that didn't really encourage the sort of collaboration we believe in.

“So we thought we'd create the kind of thing we wanted ourselves.

“There are now around 55 businesses involved, but the number isn't actually the bit that makes me proudest. It's hearing that somebody has found a new customer, discovered another local business they now buy from, created a collaboration or simply become more confident because they've got other business owners around them.

“We've always believed that when the community thrives, so does our business - and vice versa.”

Community involvement has been part of Advance SRM Therapies since its early days.

John previously worked within the SEN community and has continued to use that experience to help people who may find accessing traditional healthcare more difficult, while Jess came into the business with a background in community investment and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Over the past decade the business has volunteered its skills with Rowans Hospice, supported local schools, charities and grassroots sport and worked with organisations including Maddy's Mark.

When Advance SRM Therapies reached its tenth anniversary, the team also created its Local Heroes initiative to recognise people making a difference within the local community.

John added:

“This is actually the first award we've entered in ten years of trading.

“Writing the entry forced us to stop and take stock of what has grown around the business as well as what has happened inside it.

“We've mostly concentrated on doing good work, looking after people properly, creating opportunities as we've grown and saying yes when we think we can make a useful contribution locally.

“To then discover we're one of six finalists nationally from more than 70 entries feels incredibly special.”

Run by Entrepreneurs Circle, the National Entrepreneur Awards are now in their 14th year, celebrating the entrepreneurs who build, inspire and transform the UK economy.

Nigel Botterill, founder of Entrepreneurs Circle, said:

“Advance SRM Therapies is a brilliant example of what being a local business can mean. Jess and John haven't simply built a successful clinic - they've used the business as a platform to connect people, support other businesses and contribute to the community around them.

“The fact that Jess couldn't find the local business network she wanted, so went out and created one that now brings together around 55 businesses, tells you a lot about the entrepreneurial attitude behind Advance SRM Therapies.

“That's exactly the sort of contribution we want the National Entrepreneur Awards to recognise and celebrate.”

The winners of the National Entrepreneur Awards will be announced on Monday 7 September at the ICC Birmingham across 10 categories, including the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year.