It takes a village.
It may be an aphorism but really it does take a village. Community is vital. We're proud to say we work hard at building our ties within the business community as well as within the local area.
People are becoming increasingly aware of the social responsibility and obligations of businesses and are (rightly) starting to hold their corporation to account on a myriad of sustainable and ethical issues. It's not enough to dust off the ol' policy booklet anymore (although we do, in fact, have an Ethics and Sustainability policy to show, should you wish), nowadays you need to be seen doing the right thing, for the right reasons. So take a look at some of our initiatives, associations and affiliations below. We've provided a little more information on our relationships at the bottom of the page, and you can always click this button to find out more about the types of work we've been up to as well.
Success Stories
ISO 9001 certified by BSI under certificate number FS 782414
As an ISO consultancy majoring in ISO 9001, it would be strange if we didnt have ISO 9001 certification ourselves. Just as important for our credibility and your assurance is that the ISO certifcate is awarded by one of the most prestigious certification bodies (BSI) and is also backed by UKAS accreditation. This is a key part of our corporate governance and ensures that we have strong business controls in place. In short, we practice what we preach.
The Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
As members of the local chamber, and of their Green Innovation Steering Group, we're able to keep ourselves on the frontline of sustainability and business developments, issues, concerns and initiatives affecting our area and further afield. We're a small business ourselves so staying in the loop of chamber news means we're ready to act, advise and share in the benefits of collective knowledge and experience - and all this we can pass on to our own clients. We also engage with the chamber's many networking, training and development initiatives which help us keep our fingers on the pulse, our skills sharp and our toolkit full!
Federation of Small Businesses
Our membership of the FSB affords us access to a vast collection of best practice information and documentation as well as up-to-the-minute information on changes to policy, legal requirements, compliance requirements and other things that could affect us and our clients. Staying abreast of the ever-changing business landscape, we can share knowledge and experience in navigating the choppy waters - after all, being an SME who consults for other SMEs, we really can empathise and understand your situation. We've been there!
University of Portsmouth
In 2022 we had the privilege of working with the university's Business School and their Business Consultancy Project. Connecting students with local businesses to act as consultants for a particular piece of their strategy, this iniative enables students to get hands-on experience in the world of consultancy by tackling the real issues they are facing and endeavouring to help them find a solution.
We tasked our group of students with some market research, the results of which became integral to our wider strategy. But it wasn't just the work they did for us that was invaluable, we found it so rewarding to engage with and encourage the next generation of business leaders - we are, after all, a consultancy firm ourselves! We hope to participate in the project again in future years to strengthen our connection to the university community.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust
Bumblebees have always had a special place in the heart of one of our Directors. Whether it's the impossibility of their flight or their absolutely essential contributions to our biodiversity and crop production, she has championed their safeguarding and conservation. When the decision was made to look for a charity whose work supported our sustainable and local ethos, we found the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Never had a match seemed more perfect.
We've been supporting them since 2021 and you will see us regularly sharing their work on our LinkedIn page.
The Woodland Trust
We were casting around last festive period for something to send as a seasonal token of thanks, as lots of companies do, but none of the usual offerings felt to us like they were in keeping with our sustainability goals. After a little digging (pun intended) we discovered the tree dedication service offered by the Woodland Trust and, jackpot! Some lucky people received a dedicated tree in a patch of woodland close to them, meaning they got a little bit of preserved local nature in their name. A million times better than a packet of custard cremes or a bottle of wine!
The Trussell Trust
Another charity close to Q!HQ, this one was the pick of our Operations Manager. Having a young son herself, she was moved by their appeal for help over the festive period in supplying their food banks ready for the festive period so no child would go hungry on Christmas Day. We made our first donation to support their campaign in 2022, with the intent to repeat.