And just like that, Champions is celebrating its 20th anniversary!
As all the members of staff prepare to enjoy the festivities of our 20th anniversary summer bash, we thought we would briefly reflect on the past 20 years...
"I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last 20 years building a £30 million business from an investment of £12,500 with my wife Donna and my eldest son Matthew. The journey over the 20 years has been one of the same from a point of view, positive thinking, good old fashioned hard work and trying never to let anyone down.
"It has been enhanced in the last 14 years by the way of my other 4 children joining Champions and all working so hard to make sure the company continues to grow. We have employed over the 20 years some fantastic people who have given so much to the company, and I will always be indebted to those members of the team that have and continue to go the extra mile.
"It really has been a great team effort. We have been incredibly lucky to have had some superb clients. A lot of them being likeminded family businesses that we have helped to grow.
"We have always looked upon our customers as partners.”
John Hayes
It’s never easy starting a business – but we did it
As many of you know, Champions has humble beginnings, operating as a bedroom start-up and quickly blossoming into the successful business it is today.
We’ve faced, and overcome, many challenges over the years, but we believe these very challenges have been the catalyst to our success.
Taking learnings from each experience, we grew to unprecedented heights, backed by the highs and lows of entrepreneurialism.
The initial idea behind the Champions business was to reject the traditional industry models that confined agencies and restricted their ability to deliver, and instead, embrace a multichannel ethos.
We’re proud to say that this has stuck with the business over the years, going from an initial plan in 2003 to being the backbone of the business in 2023.
Read more about our extensive history here: https://championsukplc.com/about-us/history
“Very proud to have reached another milestone in the business that we started in Feb 2003. The stats show how difficult it can be to start a business, so entering our 21st year with a team of nearly 100 people and a broad and international client base is very rewarding.
"Proud to have won 6 awards in 2023 alone already, we continue to be innovative and award winning, however, the ethos of the business today is exactly that of the Champions we founded in 2003, where our success is defined by the business success of our clients.”
Matthew Hayes
The development of our six service offerings
After 20 years, we’ve perfected our service offering, providing businesses across the UK, and globally, with a comprehensive suite of professional business services.
Strategy, digital, creative, communications, talent, and events – regardless of a business's specific needs, our in-house experts, all excelling in their fields, are on hand to provide a second-to-none service.
We’ve also specialised in strategic-led business consultancy, working in a scale or sale environment, delivering successful transformations for a variety of businesses. This has been particularly exciting, as we get to maximise our partnerships working with business owners to help them adapt and thrive in various markets.
2022 marked the beginning of an expansion plan to build out the business for the next decade, ensuring we’re always providing market-leading solutions to support both the growth of our clients, as well as our own business.
“The last 20 years have been incredible to witness- firstly as a 12-year-old watching your dad and brother start a business in a bedroom of your family home - to the business I have enjoyed working in for the past 12 years and continue to help grow.”
Sophia Hayes
Adapting to an increasingly digital world
At Champions, we are at the forefront of adaptation and change.
As the business environment has changed, leaning more towards a digital focus, we too have changed, adapting our business offering to keep in perfect harmony with the market and ensure our clients have fresh, up to date and ultimately effective solutions, every time.
Change can be daunting, but with 20 years of experience behind us, we’ve faced periods of change head on, adapting our processes to keep us innovative and relevant in a competitive digital landscape.
“Being in the business for over half of its existence, I have seen many chapters and growth over the years. It has been a rollercoaster ride, especially through recessions, booms and of course pandemics.
"It is a massive achievement hitting the 20 year mark and seeing the company going from strength to strength and expanding in so many different areas. A big thank you to the team who have worked extremely hard over the years to help get us to where we are today.”
Roxanna Hayes
A big thank you to our clients
Over the years, we have had the honour of working with some incredible clients.
Partnering with clients in various industries across all business sectors, we’ve been able to develop a diverse range of skills, giving us a sharp edge in the market and a strong understanding of business needs.
Without the trust our clients have put in us, we wouldn’t have been able to grow and evolve as much as we have other the past 20 years, and for that, we wanted to thank each and every one of our clients for allowing us to work with them throughout these incredible years.
You can read more about our case studies here: https://championsukplc.com/case-studies
A business backed by its people
Finally, we wanted to address our staff – our champions.
We’re proud to have supported people through employment and training, providing a diverse, enigmatic, inspirational, and dynamic environment where our staff can enhance their skills and thrive in their careers.
From passionate and driven new starters through to our longstanding team members, we want to acknowledge each and every one of our members of staff for their contributions over the years, helping to sculpt the Champions we know today.
Get to know the faces behind the business here: https://championsukplc.com/about-us/our-team
“Wow, 20 years, how time flies. Having been here for 13 years there has certainly been a lot of change over the years and a tough time through the Covid 19 period, but very proud to be where we are now and to have raised over 2.5 million pounds as a company for Rainbows.”
Louisa Hayes
Here’s to the future!
You are only as good as the last result for the last client, and whilst it's good to have all this to reflect on, we are very much a forward-thinking business.
Champions is looking forward to continuing to develop the work we are doing for our current clients, as well as welcoming some new clients along the way.
Bring on the next 20 years!