Wow! We are well chuffed!

Scruffymonkey are finalists in the Bolton and Bury Business Awards 2017 for ‘Family Business of the Year’. I’ll be quite honest, I have mixed feeling about awards – some I am sure are just money makers with expensive ticket prices. This feels different. This feels like something special. Of all the awards to win ‘Family Business of the Year’ fills me with deep pride.

I’m writing this on a sun lounger on a very hot Florida day with my little one having a great time in the pool playing with her cousins. To be able to have this family time is truly incredible we are very lucky and creating these opportunities are very much what our business is about – giving us the time we want as a family and creating those special memories. People will probably read this and think ‘Florida? must be doing well’. Yeah we’re doing ok. We just really understand more than ever what’s important – a byproduct of self-employment and the trials and troubles we all go through.

Without doubt, the bit that makes me proudest with being a finalist is the fact it feels like confirmation that the decision for Lindsay (my wife and fellow Director) to come on board was the right one. She believed in me, and for me to be able to say to her ‘come on board’ was a great feeling. It feels like some sort of seal of approval.

Family. Its what its all about. A mentor of mine recently asked ‘What do you want from your business?’ My answer ‘I want to pay the mortgage, have a flexible lifestyle and go to Disneyland every year’. Its not about, a big house, car and all that nonsense. The road ahead is long but we are getting there slowly but surely.

Cheers everyone! Wish us luck.

Chris