A SMALL business has celebrated a milestone and hopes to continue to grow and thrive.

Colchester business MyRuby has celebrated its 15th birthday in style with decorations and gifts.

MyRuby is a live telephone receptionist service which helps clients to run their businesses.

The company was founded in 2007 by company directors Andrew and Natalie Perillo, who wanted to create more than just another “faceless call answering service”.

They came up with the idea to have a virtual PA which clients could get to know and trust.

The company has grown a lot since its inception and won the Customer Care and Service Awards at the Essex Business Excellence Awards in 2014.

Gemma Hart, 40, from Colchester, works in business development at MyRuby and is part of a management team alongside Rochelle D’cruz and Jamie Worthington.

Gemma explained her love for the company and how it has evolved over the past 15 years.

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She said: “It’s the combination of our clients and our amazing team that makes our office a thriving place to be.

“Our social events are always so much fun and MyRuby is a business with a heart, and I have always felt very valued.

“Over the years our client base has grown, and the business has evolved to become a multifunctional service, meaning we now have dedicated medical and reception teams who ensure the highest quality of service is provided.

“Throughout the pandemic our service remained live which enabled us to be a friendly voice at the end of the phone for all of those who needed it.

“This meant all of our clients’ businesses could remain open when having to physically close and this is something we are proud of.”

To celebrate, the office was decorated, staff given MyRuby-themed gifts, alongside a team meal and pub quiz and now the business hopes to continue to grow.

Gemma added: “We’re thrilled to have reached this milestone and have many long standing, loyal clients who have been with us since the start

“Now we’re striving to reach out to more local business through our ongoing networking and marketing whilst also ensuring potential clients nationwide can discover MyRuby through the many social media channels now available.”