Launching the Ask Zoe Small Business Awards

One of my stand-out business highlights of 2024 was undoubtedly the huge success of the Ask Zoe Business Awards.

If you know me, you know that I love to champion small businesses who are working around the clock, often unseen, to make their vision for their business a reality.

As well as providing support for business owners who need a hand getting marketing and business growth off the ground, I wanted to create an opportunity to publicly celebrate these business owners and help them to take acknowledge the huge achievements they’ve made.

So last year I dreamed up the idea of running an awards ceremony to celebrate local small businesses, recognise their hard work, and give them an opportunity to meet other like-minded business owners too.

It was incredible to see that dream become a reality, which is why it was one of my business highlights of 2024.

In December, it was incredible to see 100 businesses come together to the Ask Zoe Small Business Awards at the Priory Centre in Barnsley, to celebrate one another’s achievements and hear what the judges had to say.

Our panel of three judges – Claire Taylor Foster, Nicky Thomas and Kevin Steel – had the very difficult job of narrowing down over 75 entries and deciding the winners of awards in 10 categories including:

• Going That Extra Mile: Customer Service Award
• Business Personality of the Year Award
• Community Champion Award
• Networker of the Year
• Content Creation Award

The evening itself was a huge success, with such a fantastic atmosphere of positivity around the amazing work that so many local businesses are doing – and given that tickets for the awards ceremony completely sold out, it’s clear that there’s a huge appetite for opportunities to celebrate small businesses!

It took a lot of work behind the scenes to make it happen, but the success of the Ask Zoe Small Business Awards made it all worthwhile, not least because we raised money for a cause very close to my heart.

I ran the event in memory of my godson Oliver George Howe, raising money in support of The Children’s Hospital Charity. It was so special that people gathered together in and donated in aid of this, and I’m thrilled that we raised a final total of £888.00.

It’s safe to say that as well as being one of my business highlights of 2024, the Ask Zoe Small Business Awards was one of my personal highlights of the year too.

What about my other business highlights of 2024?

Returning to the business full-time from October

It was wonderful to be able to give Ask Zoe my time on a full-time basis again from October this year after spending some time concentrating on my house move and projects.

I am so passionate about helping small businesses to grow and flourish, that it’s amazing to be working full-time again to partner with business owners and help them to grow.

It’s been so refreshing to be met with such warmth and enthusiasm since returning to Ask Zoe full-time, with a renewed capacity to take on clients has been incredibly well-received and I’m loving working with more and more business owners as I head into 2025.

It’s great to have the support of so many as I’ve stepped back into running Ask Zoe full-time, and that’s why it was one of my business highlights of 2024.

Being shortlisted for business and creativity awards

Another one of my business highlights of 2024 was having the work of Ask Zoe recognised not just locally but regionally and nationally too.

It was fantastic to be shortlisted for awards related to business growth and innovative creativity, both of which being qualities I especially strive for Ask Zoe to reflect as I aim to pass these on to the businesses I work alongside.

I was delighted to be nominated for the Creative Business Award at the Women’s Business Awards in Manchester, run by the Women’s Business Club.

It is such a buzz to know that others recognise the work I put into Ask Zoe and see that I not only run a creative business but am working hard to share my creativity with others and see them thrive.

In June 2024, I was also a finalist in the Business Growth category of the Business Success Network’s Business Recognition Awards in Birmingham.

SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) are at the heart of Ask Zoe’s mission to help businesses grow, so when I was shortlisted for an award in the Business Recognition Awards it felt perfect for my business.

These awards specifically celebrate success in UK SMEs, highlighting the achievements of businesses, regardless of size, within the UK business community.

It was great to be nominated for the Business Growth award, and even better to be a finalist, as I have worked so hard to grow Ask Zoe in recent years, and out of this I have been more and more able to help others’ businesses to grow too.

Having my work with Ask Zoe recognised by these organisations was certainly one of my business highlights of 2024, and I would love to build on these experiences over the next year.