This business consultancy aims to have a positive impact on its clients, staff and the environment – and it has also punched its way up the list, rising from 59th last year to 17th position.

The 121 employees tell us it is a caring company, which responds to their needs with some thoughtful initiatives, good management and a bit of fun too. Impact, based in Windermere, Cumbria, was created to offer training programmes for individuals and companies. It now focuses on “creating sustainable enterprises” which make the world a better place as well as making money – and the firm aims to lead the way in this.

Everyone is encouraged to take three working days a year for a community activity such as offering leadership training to the managers of a local school or designing a personal development module for sixth-formers. The company is also setting up its own social enterprise system, called Less Impact.

Staff believe the organisation puts a lot into the community (earning a 79% positive score), and that this is not driven by a desire for good publicity (74%). They think Impact makes a positive difference to the world (90%, ranking sixth).

Related Internet Links

• Impact Development Training Group's entry in 2006

• Impact's entry in 2007

Turning up the Heat pays off

Strong training and a sense that work is to be enjoyed add up to Heat powering past its rivals into top spot this year

Background

• Hats off to great leadership

• Getting the message across loud and clear

• Fly high with the X Factor

• Why it pays to know what you’re doing

Background

• Charity wins top small company award

• Special awards for best practice

• Rules of engagement

• 100 Best SME's to work for 2008

Multimedia

• Best Small Companies to Work For 2008

• Highlights from the awards ceremony

There is some way to go, however, to convince people that the way the business operates does not conflict with such values, since workers rate it 78th in the table for this question, with a positive score of 77%.

Nonetheless, people don’t feel exhausted at the end of most days (68%). Holiday allowances start at 27 days a year and rise to 37 days for training consultants After 10 years, there is a gift of 12 extra days’ holiday. Staff discounts include a third off bills at company hotels in Cumbria.

Flexible work patterns such as annualised hours are available and a few employees use these, with the help of laptops and mobile phones for everyone. Employees can also take unpaid leave.

Everyone has profit-related pay and access to share options, while about half of staff have performance-related bonuses.

Meanwhile, employees aren’t afraid to have fun. At the end of the Christmas international conference, staff are eager to see who has won the “silver screw award” for the best mistake of the year. It was recently won by a staffer who tried to board a flight carrying gold bullets and pilots’ uniforms for a team-building exercise in his hand luggage. He certainly made his own special impact on the watchful people at customs.

Explore Best 100 Companies

• Best 100 Tables