Twelve shining stars from the small business and self-employed community have been recognised as the best in the East Midlands at the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards. Beating off stiff competition from hundreds of entries the businesses hail from across six counties and highlight the diversity and quality of businesses in the region. The awards will be presented to the winners later this month as they convene at Rutland Hall Hotel and Spa to meet and congratulate each other, be presented with their awards and then go on to represent the very best of the East Midlands at the UK finals at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool in May.
Jennifer Thomas, FSB Development Manager who will host the Award presentations to the winners in Rutland later this month said:
“Congratulations to all this year’s East Midlands FSB Celebrating Small Business Award winners. They are reflective of the vibrancy, innovation and tenacity that makes up our small business community. It’s been thrilling to see so many businesses in the East Midlands enthusiastically take part in our awards and the sheer scale and diversity of those who entered is a testimony to the vitality of the small business community in the region. The best of luck to all our winners for the UK national award finals.”
The FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards celebrate the best small businesses from the length and breadth of the country, offering national recognition for those who have made the biggest impression over the last 12 months. Finalists across twelve areas now proceed to the national UK finals taking place at a VIP attended awards ceremony on 9 May in Blackpool.
The regional winners going forward to represent the very best of the East Midlands small businesses at the UK final in May are:
Innovation Award
Winner: URocked, Market Harborough
URocked harnesses the power of technology to revolutionise traditional tipping practices, ensuring fair and transparent tip distribution while driving positive social change. By seamlessly integrating into existing technologies for payments, HR, tax, POS and mobile, URocked delivers an end-to-end digital solution. URocked's success is a shining example of how fintech innovations can address real-world challenges faced by UK businesses and communities, showcasing the transformative potential of technology in driving positive change.
Expansion and Growth Award
Winner: The Parmar Collection, Leicester
The Parmar Collection is an exquisite collection of multi-award-winning venues including stately wedding venues, multi-purpose event spaces, boutique hotels plus contemporary restaurants and high-end takeaway food. They achieved a record breaking year in 2023 and have a solid foundation and plans to continue their growth into 2024 and beyond.
Sustainability Award
Winner: Sweet Lounge, Northampton
The mission at Sweet Lounge is to create delicious, guilt-free sweets that are both ethical and sustainable. They believe that everyone should be able to indulge in their favourite treats without compromising on taste or quality so they dedicated themselves to creating the best vegan confectionery on the market. Sweet Lounge create delectable sweets that not only delight the taste buds but prioritise the well-being of our planet. They place a strong emphasis on the environmental impact of their brand, both visibly and behind the scenes.
Family Business of the Year
Winner: TekShop, Nottingham
TEKshop is a small family-run business, that specialises in the refurbishment and resale of consumer electronics. Owner Tiva Eftekhar runs the business alongside his parents and sister. TEKshop grew from a bedroom business made up of entirely family to now six years later emerging as a thriving company of fourteen IT professionals, dealing with some of the biggest electronics distributors in the country.
Microbusiness of the Year
Winner: Engravers Guild, Burton-on-Trent
Engravers Guild is an ecommerce business launched in 2017 to offer the most beautiful gifts possible. From a curated selection of over 3,000 items, customers are able to personalise their gift online, preview it in real time, and have it delivered the next day. An online retailer they have achieved impressive success and customer satisfaction ratings with a strong foundation for future growth.
Self-employed / Freelancer Award
Winner: Rachel Hayward, Ask the Chameleon, Burton-on-Trent
Rachel Hayward is founder of Ask the Chameleon and specialises in producing exceptional funding and commercial procurement applications and business award submissions for ambitious East Midlands micro, small businesses, and third sector organisations. Working in collaboration with her clients, Rachel’s expertise unlocks opportunities and levels the playing field for SMEs in particular, helping them to successfully navigate the complex procurement landscape to grow their businesses.
Start-up Business of the Year
Winner: Vets4u, Leicester
Vets4u, founded by Rahkesh Thakkar, champions a world where every animal enjoys accessible and affordable healthcare. Vets4u has disrupted the animal health landscape, strengthening the bond between animals and their pet parents. Leveraging Rahkesh's entrepreneurial spirit, regulatory expertise, and pharmaceutical know-how, Vets4u has developed a lean, innovative business model. This has empowered them to provide hundreds of animals with affordable prescription medication, easing the financial burden during this cost of caring crisis.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Winner: Ava Whetsone-Magee, Hinckley
Eighteen year old Ava Whetstone-Magee established her first business, Avalanche Equestrian, at just fourteen years old. She now owns two sports apparel companies and an interior furnishing company. Avalanche Equestrian saw tremendous success leading to it becoming a limited company in 2023. Since then, Ava has become co-owner of Gym Cub and launched Ava Home, an interiors furnishing company, in January 2024.
Franchise Business Award
Winner: Ignite Dating Ltd, Oakham
Ignite Dating is an elite matchmaking agency founded by Michelle Begy that specialises in head hunted, hand-selected personal introductions for successful clients throughout the UK. They offer a tried-and-tested business model to act as a platform for franchisees to build a successful business anywhere in the UK which has seen the business achieve tremendous success.
Community Business Award
Winner: Vintage Guru Ltd., Northampton
They are a small high street emporium specialising in second hand clothing, household items, records and upcycled gifts. Housed in a beautiful listed 19th century building they rent space to local craftspeople, up cyclers and vintage traders. They work with the local community with the motto that 'Vintage is the new new'. The business is committed to being a part of the local community and to support local makers and young people.
Diversity and Inclusion Award
Winner: LA Solutions (Training) Ltd., Lincoln,
Based in Lincolnshire, LA Solutions is a training company specialising in material handling, driver CPC, and health and safety training. take proactive steps to champion diversity, such as collaborating with the probation service to offer training opportunities to individuals seeking to reintegrate into the workforce. Our initiatives not only contribute to reducing recidivism but also provide a chance for individuals to rebuild their lives. They have embedded diversity and inclusion into the cornerstones of their business.
Service Excellence Award
Winner: Optimise by Recruitment, Chesterfield
Optimise by Recruitment was co-founded in March 2022 by directors Francesca Rodgers and Bronlie Roe. Specialising in head office recruitment this award-winning start-up now boasts a team of 11 staff, fully trained to implement an effective 360° approach to recruitment. The company vision is to build a consultancy with a people-first strategy across all business sectors, helping skilled candidates find their dream careers among their exceptional group of client companies. Forming strong, effective relationships with both clients and candidates is a number one priority for the team and is the backbone of their success.