ONE of the sponsors of this year’s inaugural 2016 SME Northamptonshire Business Awards, 001 Limited, needs no convincing as to the benefits of supporting small businesses. The firm, a utility consultancy that helps businesses, predominantly those in the charity and care home industry, save money on their utility bills.
ONE of the sponsors of this year’s inaugural 2016 SME Northamptonshire Business Awards, 001 Limited, needs no convincing as to the benefits of supporting small businesses. The firm, a utility consultancy that helps businesses, predominantly those in the charity and care home industry, save money on their utility bills. On average, OO1 Limited have returned savings of some 93 per cent on its clients’ bills. As a winner of a previous SME Small Business Award, in the firm’s home county of Hertfordshire, Jane Hamshere, who runs the company with her husband John, was keen to become involved further afield. “We know how vital it is for small companies to get recognition from awards ceremonies like this, so we decided to sponsor an award in the 2016 SME Northamptonshire Small Business Awards. “Winning an award gives a company a real boost and gives such a great opportunity to market itself and grow. We found that even the process of completing the entry really reminded us of what we are good at and why we are in business.” Business Times is a headline sponsor of the event, alongside Stanair Industrial Doors and the Federation of Small Businesses. Other sponsors include Chelton Brown, PBC Business Recovery and Insolvency and Wollaston MINI, as well as Northampton Borough Council, Moulton College, Tresham College, Velocity and Northampton Alive. Commercial property agents Prop-Search are ticket sponsors and Northants Herald and Post are media partners. Categories include, among others, Best New Business, Business Person of the Year, Training and Development, Apprentice of the Year, Employee of the Year and Networking Group of the Year, and each business is eligible to enter up to three categories. Full details of the categories, the competition rules and how to enter can be found on the awards website. Martin Wall from Stanair Industrial Doors, said: “We are always happy to get behind any venture of this kind. We firmly believe in putting something back into the community in which we operate, and supporting other local businesses in return for the support they give us.” On Thursday, 16 June, there will be a masterclass on how to enter business awards, hosted by Wollaston MINI in Northampton and featuring advice and guidance, as well as the opportunity to network. To find out more about the workshop, sponsorship opportunities, or how to enter the awards, visit www.northamptonshireawards.co.uk