Nice-based property rentals company scoops inaugural Stelios foundation award for small enterpriseWho: Nice Pebbles What: Property rentals and Sales Where: Nice and environs Web: http://www.nicepebbles.comContact: +33 4 97 20 27 30 When Manchester-based developer Matt Roberts and his solicitor wife Gayle bought a property on the Côte d'Azur in 2005 they probably weren't expecting it to be the start of anything as extensive as Nice Pebbles. Seven years on, and their business has grown into one of the most transformational property-letting services on the Riviera. Nice Pebbles provides a complete service for local owners to rent out their apartments - and that includes everything from a listing on their easy-to-use siteto that essential touch of luxury: cool Egyptian cotton bedlinen. With a team of twenty employees, 150 exclusive apartments and villas on their books, and recommendations on TripAdvisor, Fodor's, Frommer's and Lonely Planet, Matt and Gayle have now gone one better and established a second office focused on real estate sales. If the success of their rental apartments is anything to go by, they will have potential owners knocking on their door (or doors!) from all over the world. This week, at a special ceremony next to the Monaco Yacht Club, Matt and Gayle were rewarded for their efforts when they received the Riviera Entrepreneur of the Year award, presented jointly by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and Riviera Radio. The prize comprises an 'Ultimate Business Boost' package of €10,000 in cash plus €20,000 worth of radio, internet, event and database marketing. Their highly successful business has impressed easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the man behind the award. 'New companies are the life blood of a dynamic, entrepreneurial economy,' he says. 'At a time when jobs and business success are at a premium, I am delighted to see so many people coming forward with innovative and interesting projects for the creation of wealth and jobs. I am delighted to hand over this award and welcome Matt and Gayle to our community of entrepreneurs who are making a difference and inspiring successful businesses in their communities.'About the award The annual Stelios Award for Entrepreneur of the Year on the Riviera, hosted by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and 106.5 Riviera Radio, was initiated in 2012 to attract local small companies, looking for a boost to grow and create new jobs in the region. This year’s contest attracted 15 applications, with the three finalists and other VIP guests welcomed at an exclusive reception on Stelios's terrace beside the Monaco Yacht Club. The runners-up included David Macmillan of Bricomac and Deborah Small of Marine Medical Antibes. The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, established in Monaco in 2009, is committed to dynamic philanthropy: making a positive, exponential difference through funding, inspiring and advising educational, entrepreneurial and environmental initiatives. The Foundation embraces far-reaching aspirations, innovative ideas and measurable change. In accordance with the values of its benefactor – Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou - it will serve as a pillar of support for its beneficiaries so that they can, in turn, make a difference themselves. Riviera Radio,part of USA-based Morris Communications, was established 25 years ago in Monaco and is a unique Radio and Internet service broadcasting across Monaco and France in the English language. The station has 250,000 regular consumers and every hour broadcasts the news from the BBC.
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