The entrepreneurs of 2006 gathered for the presentation of the Best New Business Award given by the Colchester Business Enterprise Agency (Colbea) at their Sponsors’ Christmas Evening on Thursday 14 December.
Nominations for the award are made by Colbea’s Business Advisers and are drawn from the businesses in which they have been involved throughout the year. Ten finalists were present, all of whom represent the best in customer service, innovation, and market research, and which, in the Advisers’ opinions, have the greatest potential for success. Colbea helps around 120 businesses start up and gives advice to over 2,000 clients during the course a typical year.
This year’s winner was Liz Leatherdale with her company, Colchester Classics. Liz runs a classical CD mail order and information service and has already built a strong base of loyal customers. Colbea’s Business Advisers considered her planning to be second to none, her organisation of finances to be exemplary and her personalised customer care to be one of the most winning aspects of her business. Liz’s company began trading in January after she was made redundant; the substantial sales growth since that time has been largely attributable to the personalised service on offer and Liz’s willingness to go the extra mile for her customers. The picture shows Liz receiving her award from Bob Baggalley (left) Colbea's Chief Executive, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Colchester, Cllr Richard Gower and his wife Jacqueline.
Liz received a plaque, a certificate, a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of champagne and a voucher for a dinner for 4 at The Lemon Tree Restaurant. Two runners up were also recognised for their hard work, innovation and potential for future growth. They were Abigail Neill who runs a successful and customer focussed bridalwear service in Tollesbury (shown left), and Stephan Pugh’s Essex School of African Percussion (shown below left), a workshop based African drumming experience. The runners up received bouquets, certificates, bottles of champagne donated by The Lemon Tree, and Debenhams vouchers.
