AN OVERWHELMED pair of businesswomen said they were gobsmacked after winning the big prize at the Open4Business awards.
Amy-Kate Crane and Kirsty van Deurs Goss scooped the Business of the Year award at the Weymouth College awards ceremony for the soaraway success of their online maternity wear business Heavenly Bump.
It was double delight for the fledgling Weymouth firm, which also won the Retailer and Customer Service Award.
The duo of self-styled ‘mumpreneurs’ set up Heavenly Bump on the Granby Industrial Estate after their jobs at New Look were relocated to London.
Amy-Kate said: “This business has been our life. We haven’t been taking home a salary.
“We love doing what we do. We’re so proud to be running it.
“When our jobs at New Look went, we decided we wanted to build a business here.
“We wanted to run a business that could potentially bring something back to Weymouth.”
Winning the Female Flame Award for making an outstanding contribution to business was Sue Moore of Weymouth College.
Mrs Moore is set to retire as principal of the college in December.
She said: “I’m a bit overwhelmed. I’m sure there’s a lot of other people who are more worthy.”
Top businessman on the night was Roger Dalton of the Weymouth Harbour Traders Association who won the Male Flame Award.
He said the gong was an ‘amazing accolade’ after a turbulent year.
“It’s been such a turbulent year seeing Brewer’s Quay close and saying goodbye to 90 staff.
“There’s still plenty of opportunity there with the seafood festival.”
Roger also collected the Tourism and Hospitality award for The Weymouth Harbour Traders Association.
Another double award winner on the night was Portland-based SALT.
Staff at the Subsea Asset Location Technologies (SALT) scooped double honours by taking home the Export award and the Technology and Innovation award.
This is the fourth award that the company - which makes a Sonar Bell device - has received since it was started in August 2008.
Mum-and-daughter-duo Penny and Lisa Symes, who both work at SALT, said they were ‘thrilled.’ Programme manager Penny said: “This is fantastic. It’s a really good achievement for a young company. We’re really thrilled.”
Solicitors Maria Brindley and Cherise Luke-Bennett of Battens Solicitors Weymouth collected the award for Business Engagement in the Community.
The duo help to organise the Weymouth Beach Volleyball Classic tournament for local companies every July, ensure the company is involved in the Christmas Sparkle and run a scheme so that local students can gain experience in the legal field.
Maria said: “We will be going to a Battens AGM and will be able to tell all the other branches of Battens about the award.
Taking home the Entrepreneur award was Nick Stubbs of Freefly Multimedia, who only formed the company last year.
He said: “It’s amazing to win this. I’m still shaking. I started being an entrepreneur so I could spend more time with the children.
Swift Signs, winners of last year’s Small Business category, took home the Learning in the Workplace award.
Co-owner Karl Lantree said the plaudit was for everyone at the company.
Bridport company Wessex Ecoheat Ltd scooped the Small Business Award.
Claire Upton said: “This is the first time we’ve entered. We started in 2007 and it’s fabulous to win frist time around.”
Filbert’s Fine Foods, which is based in Milton Abbas, won the New Business award.
Some 75 per cent of entrants entered the awards for the first time with almost half coming from outside the Weymouth and Portland area.
The evening, which included a three-course meal featuring courses devised by local restaurants, was hosted by Darron Garnett of Real World Services and Open4Business (Dorset) CIC directors Julie Cleaver and Stephanie Pettitt. Street dance entertainment was provided by Weymouth College students and the guest speaker was Gareth Unwin, producer of The King’s Speech.
The open 4 business list of honours
• Small Business award, sponsored by Hive Beach Café – Wessex Ecoheat Ltd, Bridport
• Learning in the Workplace, sponsored by Weymouth College – Swift Signs, Weymouth (Winners of Small Business 2010)
• Business Engagement in the Community, sponsored by Basepoint Business Centres – Battens Solicitors, Weymouth
• New Business, sponsored by Humphries Kirk Solicitors – Filberts Fine Foods
• Export, sponsored by Old Mill Financial Planners – SALT, Portland (Winners 04B Business of Year 2010)
• Tourism & Hospitality, sponsored by Resort 2012 – Weymouth Harbour Traders Association
• Technology & Innovation, sponsored by DJ Property – SALT, Portland (Winners of Technology Award 2010)
• Retailer & Customer Service Award, sponsored by Lloyds TSB – Heavenly Bump, Weymouth (Finalist in e business category 2010)
• Entrepreneur, sponsored by Equation Accounting – Freefly Multimedia
• Flame Award (Outstanding Contribution to Business) – Female sponsored by Pineapple Business Support – Sue Moore, principal Weymouth College
• Flame Award (Outstanding Contribution to Business), Male sponsored by Sunflowers Floral Design – Roger Dalton, Weymouth Harbour Traders Association
• Business of the Year, Sponsored by David Upshall Insurance Services – Heavenly Bump – Online retailer of maternity wear.
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