‘I know personally how hard that is to start a business from scratch and see it grow so I think anyone who sets up a business up deserves credit for putting themselves out there.

‘That's one of the reasons we wanted to support not just this event but also this specific category.’

That’s John Keggin, the commercial director at Island Escapes, who are sponsoring the ‘New Business of the Year’ category at Thursday evening’s Media Isle of Man Awards for Excellence.

Island Escapes’ back story captures the essence of what the Awards hope to promote; the celebration of local businesses and how they positively impact the community.

John started the now well-known holiday lettings business from scratch back in 2018, and Island Escapes has since grown to employ 50 members of staff.

‘A lot of locals discovered us and the joy of staycations during the Covid pandemic and really helped us become a part of the community.’ John tells me.

‘As the business grew some of the challenges of operating at scale became more apparent and as a result, we recently looked for a new partner to help the company on its journey.

‘Earlier this year, Island Escapes was acquired by Cornwall-based business, Sapphire holidays, to help us take it to the next level by reaching more customers in the UK and bringing them over to the Isle of Man but despite this, we’re still very much a local business with the team here in the island continuing to be led by me.’

From being a new business owner himself, sponsoring the Awards for Excellence ‘New Business of the Year’ award means a lot to John.

‘For us it’s quite poignant, bearing in mind we were a new business less than a decade ago, and we've grown from a start-up to quite a big business now, all in the Isle of Man.

‘I'd like to think we’re a good example of a business that’s been able to establish its roots here and grow over what has been a fairly difficult time within the economy, so for us sponsoring the New Business of the Year Award is very relevant.’

John believes new businesses are vital for the future development of the economy and applauds the number of brave entrepreneurs making that happen. I asked what words of wisdom he would give to anyone thinking of starting a new business.

‘Having a clear plan for your vision and sticking to it is key. For us, it was always about doing the right thing for our guests; if you did the right thing by them, the profit would come in time. Don't be overly ambitious, just get good at what you do and let the let the growth come.’

This emphasis on doing right by the customer is what led to Island Escapes winning the ‘Excellence in Customer Service’ award at a previous Awards for Excellence.

‘We must recognise what’s being achieved here. I think we punch above our weight so much on the island in so many areas and sometimes it's good to step back and recognise where you've come from and where you're going and the awards are a great opportunity to do that.’