about
Hi, I’m Emma, a small business owner based in Southampton.
Last year, I set myself a goal: become an award-winning business. Like many of us, I was proud of what I’d built and wanted that recognition. So, I entered more awards than I can even count.
What I found was… disappointing.
The local awards often felt impossible to crack - not because the businesses weren’t brilliant, but because we were up against companies with multi-million-pound turnovers. No matter how hard you worked, if you weren’t big, you didn’t stand a chance.
The industry-specific awards? They came with a mandatory dinner ticket that cost more than a decent holiday. And the national awards? A total eye-roll. It felt like everyone got to be a “winner” - as long as they were willing to pay £400 to accept it.
I wanted something different.
I created the Solent Small Business Awards because small businesses deserve proper recognition, not pay-to-play schemes, not box-ticking nominations, and not being lumped into one generic category where you don’t stand a chance.
Every single category in these awards is designed just for small businesses. No corporates. No bloated marketing budgets. No glossy gala nights that cost a fortune to attend.
HOW IT WORKS
This is our first year, and we’re starting small but mighty — just like the businesses we’re here to celebrate.
Step 1: Pick your category.
Step 2: Fill out the entry form.
Step 3: Pay your £5 entry fee. Done.
Yep, £5. Why the fee? Because running awards takes time - and we’re not backed by big sponsors or charging £100-a-head for a gala dinner with cold chicken and dry cake. This is grassroots, low-cost, and proudly DIY.
That fiver covers the essentials:
A proper judging process (not just picking names out of a hat)
A certificate in the post if you win
A slick social media graphic whether you win or not (yes, you get something just for entering)
And if you do feel fancy? You can buy a physical plaque - but it’s not mandatory
We’re also skipping the fake nomination bollocks. You know what we mean — when someone says, “I was nominated for an award!” and it turns out they nominated themselves? Let’s just call it what it is: self-entry. No shame in backing yourself. We’re here for it.
Key Dates:
Entries close: 31st August 2025
Finalists announced: 14th September 2025
Winners revealed: 30th September 2025
No big business bias. Just a celebration of the brilliant small businesses doing big things every day.
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!