The Opul Award for Small/Medium Enterprise of the Year

Transcript

00:00All we've heard is a massive roar. We're backstage, we don't know. Tell us who you are and what you've won.

00:09I'm Mark, I'm from Trez Solutions and we've just won the Small Medium Enterprise of the Year,

00:14which is fantastic because we work in the tech space, we're all nerds, we stress eat Jaffa Cakes.

00:19Everybody that comes to us is stressed, especially this week with that cloud flare outage.

00:25We've just been helping businesses ever since COVID really.

00:27We sort of did a reboot of what clients actually want and while the big boys are expanding and being bought out,

00:34we just concentrate on the clients and we put our case forward and they all came forward and championed us really.

00:41But it's not about just us, it's everyone in this SME community.

00:45We deal with all SMEs on the island and we're just great.

00:49Can I tell you, I did actually know that, but I love you. He should be doing my job.

00:54But can you tell us, I want to go to you first before I go to this lovely gentleman here.

00:59Can you tell me how much it means for other businesses to support you?

01:02I think this night is different to other awards nights in terms of businesses support businesses,

01:08competitors support competitors. That's the most manx thing I can think of.

01:12Yeah, absolutely. And it's local businesses, but as well as big brands as well.

01:17So we did a project. We merged with another smaller SME and there's a railway, you know, 150 year old railway came out of COVID.

01:28They can only really take cash at the cafe at the end of a cliff.

01:32You know, the big boys refused to do anything with it because it was a cliff.

01:36So we used clever AI before AI was a thing and we bent Wi-Fi around the cliff edge.

01:41It took us a week, but now they're, you know, they're afloat.

01:44They're taking all the payments, but we, yeah, we do everything from global brands now.

01:49It's also, you know, we can spend a lot of advertising. It works.

01:53But it's that word of mouth really where our phone just rings.

01:56So yeah, I'm over the moon and chuffed.

01:58And that's exceptional. Quickly, before we shoot off, I know you guys are desperate to get to the bar,

02:02even though you're not. But tell us, how important is it for companies and specifically your company

02:08to sponsoring awards like this?

02:10So we, I mean, if you look at Opal Group, it's all SME, businesses that we've put together and formed a group.

02:16So we are supporting our own community in a way.

02:18And as I said on the stage, I feel small businesses offer more opportunity, more employment,

02:26and more financial stability to any country than the bigger boys.

02:29And just before I let you guys run away from me, can I ask you one thing?

02:34People have pop, Opal's popping up all around the island, man.

02:37Is there even more exciting things yet? Tell us, give us a secret, give us an exclusive.

02:42So for now, whatever we've done on the island, I mean, that is it.

02:45But we are bringing the Bollywood that you heard there, we are bringing the movie here.

02:49We're doing Opal music in India. We have Opal real estates in Dubai now.

02:54But there are a few ideas that we are trying to get permission from the government to bring on the island.

02:59So let's wait and watch.