The Business Awards Show

A New Kind of VA with Sophie Ryan is our latest episode of the Business Awards Show.   Sophie was a silver award winner at this year's Best Businesswomen Awards in the Best New Business category. In this interview, she tells us about setting up her business, Interactive VA, which aims to deliver a more holistic approach to customers.   She explains why she created a VA company offering business an...

Branding and Design with Emily Hewett is the latest episode of the Business Awards Show. Emily left Leeds to come south, where she knew nobody, but that did not stop her from setting up her own branding and design business fourteen years ago. She has remained a sole trader, building a solid team of marketing professionals to support her clients as she grows her customer base. Supporting local char...

Awakening Women's Lives is our latest episode featuring coach Jane Galloway. The title comes from Jane's flagship programme as she seeks to help and champion women to live their best lives.  Jane worked in the NHS for many years, whilst developing a coaching practice on the side. In 2023 she has taken the leap and her coaching business Quiet the Hive is now her full-time focus. She has a degree in...

Our latest episode discusses branding for small business with Andrea Boughton, founder of branding design consultant, Beehive Green. Andrea worked in large London agencies before having children, taking a break from work for five years before setting up her own branding design business. Our discussion looks at the origins of her company, and how she got it off the ground. Having worked with small...

In today's interview with Angela Spencer, we learn about Angela's journey from the corporate world to starting her coaching business Virago Wellness. She was Head of Culture in a well known retail business employing over 4000 people. Now she runs her own solopreneur business.  As you will hear, she has absolutely no regrets. Consequently she is thriving in her mission to help empower women through...

Our latest episode features an interview with Emma Baylin, the inspirational founder of Shared Harmonies CIC. The charity was set up ten years ago to fulfil Emma's passion for wellbeing with a love of singing to bring about powerful human connections. Emma tells us about her journey over the last ten years, how her charity helps those with dementia and respiratory problems, and the benefits she br...

Today's episode features an interview with Steven Lambert, Relationship Manager for business support charity and Best Businesswomen Awards headline sponsor, Be The Business. Be The Business is a significant contributor to business growth in the small business sector, providing mentorship and productivity programmes, research from across the sector, and campaigns for better productivity, tackling i...

Today's episode features an interview with Tessa Day, founder of the largest UK directory for kids activities, Club Hub UK. She also runs the Club Hub Awards for entrepreneurs working in the child activity sector. Tessa's energy and positivity shines through in this discussion, as she covers Club Hub's activities, to the huge amount work behind entering and running awards. She is part of f:Entrepr...

Today's episode features an interview with Zeenat Ahmed-Peto, winner of Best Customer Service at the 2023 Best Businesswomen Awards. Given this is one of the most competitive and demanding categories to win, I was delighted to speak to Zeenat about her success. Her approach to customer service in the therapy field makes her stand out. Once your a client of Zeenat's, she's with you for life as you...

In today's episode we have an interview with Tracy Fishburn, founder of Tracy's Treasured Keepsakes. She was the winner of a silver award at the recent Best Businesswomen Awards and also won the Best New Business Award at Biz4Biz awards in July.  She runs an amazing business taking clothes that people cannot bear to part with that may once have belonged to a loved one, turning them into beautiful...

In this interview with Alec Jones, we learn about the various businesses he has created. Those businesses include the Great British Expo, The Thames Valley and South West Awards, The Great British Business Awards, SME Today magazine, and a wonderful charity, Cherishers.   We learn about Alec's younger years, and what has driven him to build his businesses and to form his charity.    Alec explains...

Today I am joined by one of the Gold Award winners from last week's Best Business Women Awards Gala Evening, Shelley Otway. Having run her own children's stage school for nearly fifteen years, Shelley was rewarded with a Gold Award in the Children and Families category. Shelley shares the challenges of setting up her stage school, Steppin' Out Stars of Tomorrow. She explains how she dealt with nat...

Fiona is a print journalist, business owner and award-winning TV producer/director with a fascination for people's stories all her life – ever since seeing a TV reporter in action more than 40 years ago. Today, as a respected media consultant, recently named the UK's Top PR Adviser 2021 to 2022, prolific blogger and PR (Public Relations) trainer, Fiona cuts through all the BS false promises to get...

Today's interview with Darrin Salt is brilliant for anyone looking to enter business awards. Darrin is both a judge and sponsor of the Best Businesswomen Awards. He has also won awards for his company, The Technologies Group, a leading provider of IT services and cyber-security to SMEs. He started out as an employee in his business in 1989, but when the owner chose to retire, he was given the oppo...

Amanda Fitzgerald of Amanda Fitzgerald PR is the ultimate door-opener. For the last nine years she has been helping small business owners learn how to pitch their businesses to the press, get past gatekeepers, and secure valuable media coverage. She also happens to be a wild water swimmer, so is happy to take on extreme challenges! Amanda wasn't always a PR specialist. In her early years in busine...

Jen and Sue Blackwell are a dynamic mother-and-daughter duo who are changing the lives of people with learning disabilities through dance. They created Dance Syndrome in 2009 and it was registered as a charity in 2013. They strive to continue to provide new and exciting opportunities for people who may otherwise be excluded from mainstream dance. We believe that everyone has the right to follow th...

Caroline Marshall is the founder of a multi-award-winning Virtual Assistant Agency, Upsource; a large team of Virtual Assistants who provide Business and Virtual Assistance, Lifestyle support, Events and Social Media services to Entrepreneurs, HNWs, Startups and SMEs.  Having a background in Personal Assistance, Business Support and Events, she transitioned to the Virtual Assistant industry in 201...

Kate Adam is an awards expert with an impressive track record of helping businesses from all sectors win business awards. She has honed her craft over many years, backed by a wealth of marketing expertise. Her talent is creating and writing award-winning entries to help businesses get the recognition they deserve. Over 90% of her clients reach awards finals, and 60% have won awards locally, region...

Lynne Parker founded  Funny Women in 2002 in response to a misogynist comedy promoter who told her that 'women aren't funny'. She went on to create the Funny Women Awards and 20 years on, the rest is history.  Funny Women is now an acclaimed not-for-profit community for women to build self-confidence and develop their own distinctive voice. Lynne describes it as her 'life's work' providing a safe,...

In this interview, we speak to Sophie, who founded Catering Elite, a recruitment company, 20 years ago to fulfil a need for reliable catering staff for hospitality businesses and events. Sophie shares her business story and how she has grown her business to an impressive client list. We discuss why awards have been important to her as a profile raiser.   {1.22} Sophie introduces Catering Elite and...

In this interview, we talk to Trusha Lakhani, Business Coach and FD Trusha has worked in business since she was a child and was involved in her family business - the manufacture, distribution and retail of soft drinks. She went on to study and qualify as an accountant, where she quickly gained a senior position. After many years doing this, she decided to focus on the parts she enjoyed and started...

In this interview, we talk to the founder of mySpike, Veebha Parmar. Veebha's love of cooking inspired her to create a vertical cooking tool that helps you make delicious roasts, meals in the oven or on the BBQ. mySpike is a best-selling product and now has a spice range. Veebha shares her story, the ups and downs of starting a business from scratch through to winning Best Product at the Best Busi...

In this interview, we speak to Sharmini Thomas, founder of Sharmini's Indian Cuisine. We talk business and why awards have been so important to her business success. Sharmini has won many awards, including Best Consumer Business in the Best Businesswomen Awards 2022. Renowned for her delicious authentic curries, Sharmini has bested some of York's top Indian Chefs, including Bengal Brasserie, Jaipu...

Kirsty Gale is the Founder & CEO of Red Carpet Ready, which is the UK's Largest Dress Specialist located near Lincoln. Kirsty is a successful entrepreneur & a well-respected expert in her field of Evening, Pageant, Prom & Red Carpet Gowns. Her achievements with Red Carpet Ready include winning Best Business 2022, Businesswoman of the Year, New Business of the Year & Prom Queen on Channel 5. As wel...

"Bromley's most thoughtful nursery and preschool." Founded by Natasha Eftekhari, The Lodge Preschool and Nursery has rapidly grown into a great success story, winning The Best New Business at the 2022 Best Businesswomen Awards. She was also a Silver Winner in the Children and Families category. In this interview, Natasha shares her story of why she set up a nursery and discusses her business journ...