North-East Now: Pandemic toughest test Aberdeen cleaning firm has faced

The bosses of an Aberdeen cleaning firm say they were rocked by the “biggest challenge in its 40-year history” when the pandemic struck.

Goldstar Cleaning Services, which found ways to adapt and survive the tough times, is now one of many north-east firms rushing to support the ongoing Power Week to boost local trade.

The campaign is part of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce’s North-East Now initiative to drive custom towards businesses in the area.

The Power Week, which runs until Sunday, is giving firms the opportunity to increase their exposure on social media by sharing their inspirational stories, news and videos.

The social media accounts of the Press and Journal, Evening Express, Society and Original 106 are continuing to retweet any company that uses the hashtag #northeastisopen for the remainder of the week.

Regional businesses from a wide range of industries including food, drink, fashion, beauty, lifestyle and more have been forced to diversify to overcome the impact of Covid-19.

Goldstar has been no exception.

The cleaning and maintenance business – which is Aberdeen’s longest running family-owned firm – has provided first-class service for 40 years.

But the firm could never have anticipated the impact that coronavirus would have on its services.

Director Scott Willox and his wife Rachel have run the company since taking on the role from Scott’s father in 2006.

He said: “The Covid-19 crisis is undoubtedly the biggest challenge faced by Goldstar in our 40-year history.

“As the pandemic struck, Rachel and I had to make critical decisions faced with the potentially devastating effects of the lockdown.

“Our staff are an extension of the family. Losing any member of the Goldstar team – even temporarily – was not a decision to be made lightly.

“However, as some existing contracts were halted and new business opportunities locked down, we diligently began the furlough process.

“We continued to fulfil the jobs that were still possible, retaining as many of our staff as possible to allow this to happen.

“Goldstar’s professionalism and experience in handling social care contracts – in many cases involving the vulnerable, sick and elderly – has been increasingly called upon.

“At Goldstar, we have always been agile enough to adapt our business, but we have never compromised on health, safety or on the quality of service we provide.

“The majority of our staff are now back from furlough, and recent projects and contracts are testament to Goldstar’s expertise.”

Driven by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, the North-East Now initiative is also supported by creative agency Hampton, Aberdeen Journals, Original 106 and VisitAberdeenshire.

Now, local firms are being urged to join the line-up of businesses taking part in the Power Week.

Scott added: “Regarding North-East Now, we believe it is a great initiative to support local businesses.

“It’s the right thing to do, and a good idea to have a hub platform for local businesses to promote their goods and services.

“Small businesses in particular require all the help they can get to raise their profile, connect with customers, and reassure consumers that they are still trading.”

Visit northeastnow.scot to find out more.

Power Week

If you are a local company, there are numerous ways to get involved:

First steps:

1. Go to www.northeastnow.scot and see the sort of information that is available, from listings in external directories to being included on our ‘shopping list’. If you have a news story, a blog, a special offer or something else you think should be on there – let us know.
2. Follow @NorthEastNowAbz on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn and tag us in any of your posts so you can tap into the wider network using the #NorthEastNowAbz along with your own
3. Help spread the word and encourage other businesses in your area to get involved too. The bigger the network, the more people your business can reach.

How to take part:

1. North-East Now has created a free toolkit jam-packed with logos, posters and graphics to get you started.
2. You can choose to print the poster for display in your premises.
3. Use the ready-sized graphics on your social posts, on your emails or even on your website throughout the week.
4. Feel free to share the pack with other businesses you think could benefit from joining in.
5. Consider running a discount or a special offer during the week. You can shout about it on social media and North-East Now will maximise your exposure
6. If you have a great story to tell, share it via stories@northeastnow.scot Your story might end up being a good news article in the Press & Journal, Evening Express or you could be interviewed on Original 106 during Power Week, giving your brand a great profile boost.
7. Do your bit and like, share or comment on posts from other local companies tagging @NorthEastNowAbz or using the hashtag, it’s a great way to grow your contacts.
8. At any time from September 7-13, do one special social media post using the steps below:

• Write #northeastisopen on a piece of paper/card/banner
• Take a picture of employees or owners holding the sign with the hashtag outside or inside your business
• Upload the image to Twitter including the hashtags #northeastisopen and #NorthEastNowAbz on your post
• The Press and Journal, Evening Express, Original 106 and Society will all retweet your post, gaining you maximum exposure