The Nectar Business Small Business Award Winners 2009
Nectar Business launched their first Small Business Awards in March 2009. The Small Business Awards were open to all UK Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and set out to acknowledge best practice, great ideas and outstanding achievements.
There were three Small Business Awards to enter:
- Small Business of the Year
- Start Up of the Year
- Entrepreneur of the Year
Nectar Business has received some truly outstanding entries and would like to thank all entrants for participating in the first Nectar Business Small Business Awards.
One winning business in each category will receive the recognition that their hard work and dedication deserves, £2,000 cash prize and 50,000 Nectar points. The final winners have been selected and Nectar Business would like to announce and congratulate the following Small Business Award winners:
Small Business of the Year
Established in December 2005 by James Taylor, SportStars offers specialist sports coaching to schools to fill teaching time left by teachers who are away from the classroom planning lessons. The business expanded quickly growing from five school contracts in year one to 30 in year two. During this time James also launched a sister brand 'Superstars' (art/drama teaching) which offers even more teaching diversity.
The business now plays an integral part in the local community promoting exercise in schools, supporting a local anti-social behaviour charity for children and supporting a local children's hospice.
Start up of the Year
Established in June 2008 by Robert Matthams, Shiply.com is an online transport marketplace, which helps to make use of the 25% of lorries, which run empty on Britain's roads by filling them with goods from sites like eBay.
In just over a year, the success of Shiply.com has been phenomenal and has signed up over 3,500 transport providers and more than 18,000 users representing 23,000 shipping requests. The business is now set to expand with hubs being set up over Europe including; Germany, Italy and France and Shiply Australia is due to launch in early July with a local partner.
Entrepreneur of the Year
Fraser Doherty set up SuperJam at the age of 14 with his range of 100% fruit jam, using his Gran's secret recipes. Fraser has managed to overcome the significant challenges surrounding his age and lack of business experience to succeed in a traditionally 'stuffy' and crowded category. SuperJam now supplies most of the UK's major supermarkets, selling over 500,000 jars a year.
SuperJam also has a positive impact on the local community, fronting a social project that provides tea parties for elderly people who are housebound or in care.
Charlie Humphreys, Nectar Client Development Director says:
“We're delighted to announce Shiply.com, SportStars and SuperJam as the winners in the Nectar Business Small Business Awards. It's staggering to see how successful these three businesses have been in their individual ways. From, Shiply.com who have achieved incredible success in less than 12 months, to SportStars who spotted a gap in the education market to create a highly successful business, to young entrepreneur Fraser Doherty who set up SuperJam, the fast-growing jam brand in the UK - it's inspiring to see each of these three businesses leading in their field.”
“Everyone who runs a small business, especially in the current climate, has to work extremely hard to get it off the ground and make a success of it. The awards have represented a fantastic opportunity to celebrate great business ideas, business practice and people and I would like to congratulate all the small businesses from across the UK that entered.”
Congratulations! from Nectar Business.
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