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HOWARD SMELT-WEBB
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ABOUT
AN INTRODUCTION BY HOWARD SMELT- WEBB
In 2015 my chauffeur business was rapidly expanding and I was looking for some guidance in terms of where to take and how to develop the business. I approached a number of different business consultants but firstly, was amazed at what they wanted to charge me and secondly, I didn't feel they catered for what I was really looking for.
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I thought there was a real need for an affordable, flexible, independent, what you see is what you get, practical business consultancy based in Yorkshire. Drawing on my Police training / coaching experience and the fact that I started, developed and then sold my own business, together with Lisa’s customer service experience, we launched the Howard Smelt-Webb Business Consultancy in 2017.
Howard
Smelt-Webb
* In 1982 joined North Yorkshire Police and over the next 30 years worked in a variety of different roles within the service.
* Spent 16 years as a Safer Neighbourhood Officer working in a very diverse area on the outskirts of central York. In this role he had the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, deal with a wide range of different situations and very much experience life ' in the raw '.
* The ability to work with Partner Agencies and the local community together with communication and people skills were very much key to this role.
* Recognised both locally and nationally for his innovative work receiving a number of
awards and commendations.
* After successfully completing a Training, Coaching and Mentoring course at the National Police Training Centre, Howard moved into the Training arena within the Police and became a successful coach, mentor and trainer to other Police Officers and members of staff. He played a key role in the integration of Police Community Support Officers
into the service.
* During his time in the Police, Howard pursued a number of business interests. Using entrepreneurial flair, he helped to set up an independent Estate Agents business in 1994, ran a successful Bed and Breakfast business for seven years, fulfilled a mid life aspiration by being a DJ for ten years !, gave lectures to international students at both the University of York and York St John University on Policing in the UK , organised several commercial 'hospitality type ' events in Yorkshire, worked as Front of House Manager for a catering company based in Ryedale and together with his wife Lisa, worked on the renovation of their 17th century village farmhouse in rural North Yorkshire.
* Left the Police in 2012. Started a company specialising in guided tours of Yorkshire in chauffeur driven Range Rovers.
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* Quickly developed the business and it evolved into The Yorkshire Chauffeur Company offering a range of services including tours of Yorkshire, wedding cars and a bespoke chauffeur service for special occasions and Shooting Parties.
* Clients included some of the best hotels in Yorkshire including Swinton Park, the Black Swan at Helmsley, The Star Inn at Harome together with The Grand Hotel, Grays Court and The Grange Hotel in York.
* In July 2014 Yorkshire hosted Le Grand Depart stage of the Tour de France - the world's biggest annual sporting event.The Yorkshire Chauffeur Company were very proud to be chosen by Welcome to Yorkshire to be the official chauffeurs for this part of the race together with the months leading up to Le Grand Depart.
* After 4 years the business had dramatically grown and in April 2016 it was bought by and merged with York 4 x 4, a much larger company specialising in the self drive hire of Range / Land rovers throughout Yorkshire and the North of England.
* Howard continues to give lectures at the University of York on Policing and the Criminal Justice System in the UK.
* Howard and Lisa are also involved in a number of other business projects in Yorkshire.
Lisa
Smelt-Webb
* Born in York, Lisa lived and went to school in Fulford.
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* After leaving school, she successfully completed a two year training course at York College where she obtained a diploma in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Operations.
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* She began her career in the hospitality and catering industry in 1983 working in a busy restaurant in central York where she carried out a variety of different roles.
* Wanting to broaden her horizons, in 1988 she decided to travel the world and lived in Australia for a year.Putting her training to good use and to widen her experience, she worked in a high end hotel and resort in Northern Queensland.
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* In November 1989 she returned to the UK and started working for a prestigious Cafe Tea Rooms who specialise in Craft Bakery, Tea Blending and Coffee roasting in North Yorkshire.
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* She worked in a number of different roles throughout the company, subsequently specialising in the training arena where she became Training Manager and more recently an Accounts Manager.
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* Still at the same company, she has over thirty years experience in the hospitality industry with twenty seven of those years in customer facing roles.