The Guardian Small Business Showcase awards celebrate innovation and excellence in small business. This year the awards received more than 1,000 entries across seven awards categories, from smarter working to home business innovation. On Thursday evening, the shortlisted businesses gathered at a suitably startup-style venue in Shoreditch in London to find out whether they had won. Food trucks served lobster rolls and pulled pork, while CoCo and the Butterfields provided the music. Guests enjoyed posing for pictures in a photobooth and the took the opportunity to network with other small business owners.
The ceremony was introduced by Will King, founder of The King of Shaves, and hosted by TV presenter, Rick Edwards.
Here are the winners:
- Excellence in Marketing and PR winner: See.Sense. – a cycling technology company that makes an intelligent bike light
- Cashflow Management winner: DesignMyNight.com – a guide and booking service to the UK’s nightlife
- Innovation in Home Business winner: Meals for Squeals cookery school, which teaches parents to make meals for their babies or toddlers
- Smarter Working winner: Serps Invaders – a multilingual digital marketing agency
- Startup of the Year winner (which is sponsored by Xero): Oppo ice cream – a healthy ice cream company
- Rising Star of the Year winner: Korie Cull - a senior designer at Affari Media
- Leader of the Year winner: Neil Grant – co-director at Ferndale Garden Centre
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