Is your business the next ‘unicorn’? Or are you building a successful construction company in Lancashire? Then the organisers of this year’s Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs, want to hear from you.
High-growth businesses are few and far between, but Lancashire has seen its fair share over the years. Now, the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce is eager to make sure more of them get the recognition they richly deserve and is encouraging them to come forward and enter the Scale-up Business of the Year award in this year’s BIBAs.
The category is being sponsored by Two Zero Lancashire, a specialist scaleup business support service led by Lancashire County Council helping equip business leaders with the tools and skills to grow their business 20% year on year. It was established in 2020, and has since worked with almost 100 high-growth ventures. Over 96% of those who have completed their support have since grown their revenue and employment by 20%.
According to the Government, scaleups add over £1 trillion a year and more than 3 million jobs to the UK economy.
Amin Vepari, programme manager, Two Zero said: “Scaling a business can be incredibly rewarding but brings with it a unique set of challenges, and this often requires a unique skillset from the leadership team to ensure this rapid growth is managed and sustainable.
“The Lancashire scaleup sector, while growing, is still relatively small and therefore these businesses’ contribution to the Lancashire economy often goes unknown. The BIBAs is a great way for the management teams of scaleup businesses to be rewarded for their expertise and dedication while building their company’s profile, which can help contribute to further growth.”
The Chamber also wants to shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes of the county’s construction sector.
MHA Moore and Smalley, a UK Top 50 accountancy, audit and business advisory firm, is sponsoring the Construction Business of the Year award again this year. Joe Sullivan from MHA said: “Construction is really important to us all in our daily lives. From schools and hospitals to roads and houses, businesses in this sector literally create the fabric of society and it’s right that we recognise and celebrate that. Here in Lancashire, the industry is worth more than £2 billion to the economy, so it’s also a significant contributor to the county’s economic wellbeing.
“As well as the big names in construction locally, I’d like to see more of the companies in the construction supply chain entering these awards too this year, and the smaller contractors that are still building big things but perhaps aren’t always as visible