It was a pleasure to welcome our guests to the second annual British Small Business Awards at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London, last night. Thank you to everyone who attended, from the candidates to our sponsors, Travelers, Salesforce, Dun & Bradstreet, Storey, and Alma PR, and our partners, all of whom contributed to the evening’s success.

Here, SmallBusiness.co.uk is delighted to announce the winners at last night’s British Small Business Awards.

Accountancy Software Provider of the Year: Xero

Sponsored by: Alma PR

Xero impressed by consistently adapting to customer habits and forging impressive partnerships to offer a truly market leading product for SMEs.

See interview here: Darren Upson of Xero

Young Business of the Year: Pip & Nut

Sponsored by: Dun & Bradstreet

Pip and Nut was praised for a quality product achieving impressive returns in a difficult market. The company’s success despite the founder being new to the sector particularly impressed the judges.

See interview here: Nancy Lewis of Pip & Nut

Insurance Provider of the Year: Simply Business

Sponsored by: DueDil

The judges praised Simply Business for putting SMEs front and centre, reaching its customers with an impressive digital marketing campaign, as well as enjoying consistently strong user feedback.

See interview here: Phil Williams of Simply Business

Technology Provider of the Year: DocuSign

Sponsored by: Travelers

The judges were impressed by how comprehensively DocuSign addresses its market’s SME needs, with proficiency in minimising client costs and also benefitting the environment.

See interview here: Rob Furlong of DocuSign

Business Lender of the Year: iwoca

Sponsored by: London Chamber of Commerce

In a tough category, iwoca impressed the judges with its flexible funding, strong customer care, impressive technology and scale ambition.

See interview here: iwoca team

Sole Trader of the Year: Ma Baker

Supported by: SmallBusiness.co.uk

The judges appreciated Ma Baker’s approach not only to her business but the wider community. The judges believed her passion, consistent sales and product innovation means she is a great role model for other sole traders.

See interview here: Liz Baker of Ma Baker

Utilities Provider of the Year: Opus Energy

Sponsored by: No Brainer

The judges believed that Opus Energy’s dedication to the SME market has produced a strong customer base with potential to grow further as a prominent small business supplier.

See interview here: Nikki Walker of Opus Energy

Accounts and Tax Adviser of the Year: ForrestBrown

Sponsored by: Forum of Private Business

ForrestBrown stood out to the judges as the winner of this category due to its impressive work in helping SMEs benefit from R&D tax credits along with continually strong customer feedback.

See interview here: Simon Brown of ForrestBrown

Website Builder of the Year: Weebly

Sponsored by: MarketInvoice

The judges saw Weebly as a truly SME-focused product, with competitive pricing, impressive design and a user friendly experience incorporating intelligent technology.

See interview here: Rosie Parkes on behalf of Weebly

Community Business of the Year: This KiD Can

Sponsored by: The Aldridge Foundation

The judges were impressed by the work undertaken by This KiD Can in reducing community exclusion and offering an appealing service for children in an under-served area.

Disruptor of the Year: Powervault

Supported by: GrowthBusiness.co.uk

Powervault was described by the judges as a true disruptor to a market ripe for innovation, with strong partnerships forged and a product that addresses important environmental issues with an innovative solution.

See interview here: Nick Wood of Powervault

Exporter of the Year: Bambino Mio

Sponsored by: Exporting is Great

In this category, Bambino Mio demonstrated how exporting can take an already successful company to new levels of impressive growth and strong sales.

See interview here: Guy Schanschieff of Bambino Mio

Micro Business of the Year: Sublime Science

Sponsored by: Small Business Grants

In this category Sublime Science, which strives to make science fun for children, impressed the judges with its innovation, social impact, strong margins and considerable growth.

See interview here: Marc Wileman of Sublime Science

Alternative Finance Provider of the Year: Seedrs

Sponsored by: Salesforce

The judges commended Seedrs for an innovative finance product, a commendable approach to regulation, strong funding volume, and diversification into secondary markets to stay ahead of competition.

Online Business of the Year: Secret Linen Store

Sponsored by: Information Age

The judges praised Secret Linen Store as an online retailer with impressive growth in a difficult market, an appealing brand and strong ambition.

See interview here: Harriet Mears and Molly Freshwater of Secret Linen Store

Retail Business of the Year: Raishma Ready to Wear

Sponsored by: SaveTheHighStreet.org

The judges appreciated Raishma’s proactive approach to a gap in the market, with strong growth and an impressive and expanding customer base.

See interview here: Raishma Islam of Raishma Ready to Wear

Business Bank Account of the Year: Metro Bank

Sponsored by: UK Business Angels Association

Metro Bank was seen by the judges as a true challenger bank making a positive impact for SMEs, with an impressive growth strategy and a notable approach to customer care.

See interview here: Ian Walters of Metro Bank

Small Business of the Year: Rotageek

Sponsored by: Storey 

The judges felt that Rotageek is addressing important HR challenges with impressive technology. The company’s ability to find solutions ahead of challenges, combined with impressive financials, make it a worthy winner of the Small Business of the Year category.

See interview here: Chris McCullough of Rotageek

Congratulations to all

We are very pleased to have celebrated for a second year the small businesses which are so vital to the strength of our economy, but so rarely receive the recognition they deserve. Yet again we have been delighted with the strength of the nominations we received and are sure that among last night’s winners are some companies destined to become hugely successful and established in time.

The SmallBusiness.co.uk team, together with all our partners, speakers and sponsors, are proud to have put together a fantastic evening of networking and celebration. Congratulations again to all the finalists and winners.

The British Small Business Awards event was sponsored by:

The British Small Business Awards event is supported by: