2021 Global CEO Excellence Awards

38 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021 39 , , Leading Pet Product Wholesaler of the Year (Denmark): Winnie Siig Founded in 2009, Whesco Trading is a pet product wholesaler/distributor that goes the extra mile to provide pet parents with the best accessories for their little ones. We speak toWinnie Siig to find out about her success in such a competitive market. Since beginning its journey over 10 years ago, Whesco Trading has built up a selection of products innovatively designed and marketed towards those with pets. It believes in the finest quality of products for a fair price. Owner Winnie Siig says, “We distinguish Whesco from our competition by having our own brand on many of our products. Our customers know that our brand stands for good quality and fair prices”. Whesco supplies its products to pet shops, veterinaries, grooming salons, kennels, and large online shops. It provides pet supplies for a variety of species such as dogs, cats, birds, and rodents, selling products from harnesses, leads, cages, and treats, to hair care, such as shampoos and conditioners. Whatever your needs, Whesco has you covered. In doing so, Whesco has won multiple awards as a wholesaler/ distributor for its excellent services and products. Not only does it supply products for pets, but Whesco also sells products such as coats and umbrellas for humans – so that you can spend quality time outside with your pet without getting wet! Winnie says, “Our mission has always been, and of course still is, to support our customers with good products to the best prices on the market. Whesco has and will always listen to customers and what they look for in the pet industry. It will always follow the new ideas and trends on the market”. As it looks into the market with expert eyes, Whesco finds angles to provide customers with the best products. By doing this, it has grown vastly each year. In addition, by having a user-friendly website, it makes sure that the customer can find everything they need, with ease. By starting from the ground up, Whesco was born through careful consideration of the market and needs of the customer. Winnie tells us, “I have been in the pet business for several years before me and my husband Henrik started Whesco in 2009. In the first year, we spent time visiting manufactures around the world, to make sure we had good quality products. After that, we visited shops, kennels, and veterinarians so that our brand would slowly grow. Today, we have the salespeople to make sure our customers are well served”. “To become a customer of Whesco, we need to make sure that the shops have a VAT number that is related to the pet industry,” Winnie explains about the process of connecting with customers. “Then our sales team Franchise Development CEO of the Year 2021: Paul Mitchell Accentia Franchise Consultants is a specialist franchise consultancy that has years of experience helping hundreds of clients to create gainful franchises across the UK and beyond. Following his recent success at the Global CEO Excellence Awards 2021, CEO Paul Mitchell talks to us about the success of the business and his development as its leader. A leading specialist franchise consultancy with offices distributed across the UK, Middle East, and India, Accentia Franchise Consultants works with a wide variety of clients across a range of sectors and industries including hospitality, education, business services, commerce, construction, care, financial services, health, tourism, technology and more. CEO of Accentia, Paul Mitchell says, “Our goal is to boost our client’s business through franchising, dramatically increasing their earning potential and increasing the value of their businesses. Franchising is a proven method in accelerating business growth and with our knowledge of the industry, we are well equipped and well placed to assist business owners in achieving this.” Accentia strives to assist clients in their expansion through franchising into new national and international markets. By working closely with the franchise network, it promises a fresh approach that will allow for training and development of the clients’ company. “Our ‘turn-key’ franchise solutions make Accentia Franchise Consultants stand out,” continues Paul. These unique solutions include the way that the business generates a full recruitment service with a focus May21033 May21039 visit them to make sure they know what to buy to give the end consumer the right service, and to know exactly what they are selling”. This is also so that the end customer can receive the best service from the place that they are buying their goods from. Winnie tells us that the hardest parts of being a CEO is that you never truly have time off, as you are always thinking about the next move for the company. It is also your job to make the tough decisions in the company, which can be challenging for some people. But, essentially, to be a successful CEO you need to have the target audience at heart, and you must be consistently finding ways to grow and expand your business. These responsibilities may not always be fun, but they are necessary for success. In the future, Winnie says, “We are focusing on expansions to more countries, in line with the great demand we have for our products”. Whesco is looking to grow and develop the quality and number of products that it sells and will continue doing so for the benefit of its customers. Winnie tells us that it is looking forward to visiting exhibitions again so that it may meet customers on a face-to- face basis and connect that way. When it comes to progressing as a CEO, Winnie is building her business on honesty. With such an important service, it is imperative for customers to know that they are in the right hands and that the company is trustworthy. The way Winnie and Whesco does this is by building long-lasting relationships with customers - relationships that stand the test of time and keep them coming back for more. Contact: Winnie Siig Company: Whesco Trading Web Address: www.whesco.dk on finding, interviewing, and recruiting potential franchisees. This means that each client may rest assured that they are in the right hands, as a typically stressful process is managed efficiently and effectively. As a bonus, Accentia offers a free initial review meeting and report to provide potential franchisors with a clear view of marketing and strategy, that will encourage growth and weed out any problems that they may face whilst starting up the franchise. When talking about his experience in the industry, Paul says, “I have spent a number of years as Director on numerous boards largely contributing to the success of businesses. My previous experience as a broker in residential, commercial, and corporate property both in the UK, Spain and further afield, has equipped me with the knowledge to advise companies in a range of different sectors on their expansion, as well as licensing and franchising strategies. My experience in the franchise industry comes from being a franchisor for over 35 years. This has allowed me to share my expertise with my clients, helping their businesses to thrive through growing franchise networks”. After having founded The Business Partnership in 1998, Paul then sold this business to a group of franchisees in 2002. With Accentia, Paul tells us “Our expansion, although very much welcomed, happened very quickly. With our growing client base, we needed to employ the right people to meet our demand. An expanding team meant we had to move to a new office and adjust to accommodate. I am of course elated that the above has led to such rapid success and I hope this continues to be the case”. However, when the pandemic hit, there was a huge impact upon Accentia’s business and its clients. “Some clients understandably paused or cancelled their contracts with us due to the impact the pandemic had on their business,” Paul explains. “Despite this, I spent time seeking and signing up new clients that were interested in franchising. It taught me a lot: the ability to adapt and change due to unforeseen circumstances is highly important as a business owner. Nobody could have predicted the pandemic, but it also gave many people new perspectives on their careers and goals and as a result, some people have become franchisees.” For the future of Accentia, it has a new franchise aggregator marketing site under development. This will home in on matching potential franchisees with the ideal franchise business for them. “I am looking forward to bringing onboard many new clients and introducing them to the many benefits that franchising allows,” concludes Paul. “Further international expansion is a huge drive for me and the team with the hopes of expanding our offices and number of Directors located across the world”. He is currently working on more personal projects such as talks, events, and conferences, including The International Franchise Show. This will enrich his wisdom, knowledge, and success for the future of this business. Contact: Paul Mitchell Company: Accentia Franchise Consultants Web: www.accentia-franchise.co.uk