Havering Small Business Awards

Best Newcomer

Sponsored by Havering Chamber of Commerce

Havering has a reputation as being a borough that supports new business – previously being called the start-up capital of London!

It is easy to see why, with so many fantastic new businesses setting up for the first time in our borough.

From small online shops to tech SMEs, this award recognises the best new small businesses in Havering that were set up since April 2024.

Best Small or Independent

From family-owned bakeries, boutiques and florists, to independent care companies and solicitors, this award celebrates the diverse best small businesses that Havering has to offer.

This award category is by far our most popular each year, which means there’s a huge amount of competition for this prestigious award!

Best Sustainable Business

Introduced last year, this new awards sets out to highlight the positive work that Havering businesses do to protect the environment and promote more sustainable working habits.

From independent designer-makers to innovative industry leaders, many of Havering’s businesses are putting sustainability first. With SMEs responsible for around half of the UK’s commercial emissions, Havering businesses have a crucial role to play in the transition to net-zero.

Businesses need to demonstrate their commitment to environmentally sustainable practices within their business, including championing locally sourced ingredients, supporting local suppliers and promoting sustainable practices.

Best Beauty or service business

Sponsored by The Havering Daily

A staple of the British high street for decades, we have more recently seen the expansion to professional mobile services too, for even more convenience. From nail technicians, hairdressers, masseurs and tattoo artists, this award is for the businesses that keep us looking and feeling great.

Best Takeaway

Sponsored by The Havering Daily

Everyone loves the occasional night off from cooking and an indulgent take away. Whatever you are in the mood for, Havering has a wide and tasty selection of take away businesses to cater to everyone’s tastes.

This year we are again posing a specific question to nominees and businesses – what is your favourite takeaway doing to help customers make informed food choices, to support the borough’s Healthy Weight Strategy?

Best Tradesperson

Sponsored by Marlborough

We can’t celebrate Havering’s small businesses without recognising the role that tradespeople play – always stepping in to save the day!

Whether you are a tradesperson or you want to nominate your plumber, electrician, gardener or carpenter, this award is for the sole traders or independent tradespeople who always deliver the best service for the people of Havering.

Best Customer experience

Customer care is so important to the success of a business. It is vital that they maintain positive relationships with their customers.

What have you/your favourite business done to go above and beyond to provide great customer service?

Best Shopfront

Sponsored by Sure Serve

How does your shopfront set you apart from the competition on your high street?

How does the business you are nominating push their window-dressing or presentation of their goods to the extreme, whether that’s a themed holiday or all year round?

Best hospitality business

Sponsored by Hills Prospect

Now is our chance to champion the favourite hospitality business in Havering – whether that’s a pub, bar, club, restaurant, café or independent hotel. 

Let’s recognise the contribution they make to our community!

Best Social enterprise or community interest company

We continue to pay tribute to our hardworking social enterprises and community interest companies across our borough, with many of them providing essential help to our community.

This award is an opportunity to shine a well-deserved spotlight on these heroes of Havering.

Havering Small business of the year 2025 award 

The final award this evening, Havering’s Small Business of the Year, is the special award given to one of the winners from the other categories.  

This award has been selected by the judging panel, including the Council and Sponsors, and is presented to the small business that we feel represents the very best that Havering has to offer.  
 

Choose the category that’s right for your business/the business you are nominating  

The nomination format has changed this year.

If you are a business owner nominating yourself, it’s vital that you pick the category that you think is your strongest opportunity to win.   

If you've used social media to build brand loyalty and engagement then make sure your posts are up to date and use the ‘Vote for us’ graphic.

If you’re a member of the public voting for your favourite business, you can use the ‘I voted for you’ graphic in your social media posts (remember to tag them in too).

If you’re shortlisted, keep an eye out for an email from us about the next steps where we’ll be asking you to evidence why you should win. 

If you get to this point, it means the judges have determined your entry meets the award criteria and there aren’t any current breaches or investigations into your business that could exclude you. 

If you’re shortlisted, remember to make sure you’re prepared 

Although the process is simple this year, remember to give yourself ample time to consider your entry.

What have been the highlights over the past year? What have you achieved that has exceeded expectations or sets you apart from other businesses?   

You’ll need to have the following information ready for your application, much of which is easy to complete.

• Business Name  
• Business VAT or Company number (if applicable) 
• Business owners full name  
• Business address  
• Contact telephone number  
• Contact email  
• Business Website (if applicable)  
• Social media account details  
• Award entry explanation on why you believe you deserve to win that particular award/key achievements for 2025 (worth 80 percent of the scores) and how your business supports the environment (worth 20 percent of the scores) 

Stick to the category criteria

Judges (made up of Council Officers, Cabinet Members and sponsors) will be looking at how to score the entries in each category so you need to make sure you follow the guidelines and match the criteria in your application.  

Try and provide some examples

If you've had record sales growth this year then make sure you include the figures.

Taken on new staff? Say how many.

The judges need more than general statements, they will be looking for details on exactly how you've achieved success this year against the criteria and how that sets you apart from your rivals.  

It's one thing for you to say that your customers are really happy with your service, but how about including some testimonials from them, too?  

Although the process is simple again this year, please still remember to give yourself ample time to consider your entry.

What have been the highlights over the past year? What have you achieved that has exceeded expectations or sets you apart from other businesses?   

Final checks

When you have completed your application, check it over and ask yourself if your application is easy to read, and have you done enough to stand out?   

Is there someone that can check your application before you send it, just to make sure there aren’t any errors?

They might make a valuable recommendation to include something you hadn’t thought of.  

If you’re invited to the event in September, we’ll share the 'We’ve been shortlisted for the Havering Small Business Awards 2025’ graphic which we will send to you by email along with some suggested wording to use on your own promotional material.

Remember to include the hashtag #HaveringSBA on all your social media posts.

The 2025 awards process

• The Havering Small Business Awards are free to enter this year to both the public and any Havering business. 
• Members of the public can nominate their favourite business in any of the categories, but businesses can only enter one award category.
• All nominations must be completed using the online form. 
• All duplicate or incomplete votes will be discounted from the final votes.
• Businesses subject to trading standards, business rates, or public protection investigations or breaches may be excluded – exclusions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• The three businesses from each category that receive the most public votes will then be contacted by email to notify them of their qualification to the next round. 
• Businesses will be asked to provide evidence on why they deserve to win the category award and will be invited to the awards event in September 2025.
• A judging panel, made up of category sponsors and council officers will then determine which businesses meet the awards criteria based on the strength of their entry statement. This will include sharing award entrants information with the judging panel/sponsors.
• At this point, the invitations to the awards event will be sent out to the finalists.
• The winner of each category will be announced at the awards event and will receive a trophy, certificate, and vinyl window sticker naming the business a winner. Runners up will receive a certificate.
• Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash.
• Businesses found to be offering incentives or rewards to customers in exchange for votes will be automatically disqualified.
• Havering Council reserves the right to refuse nominations, or exclude finalists if they do not meet these conditions.
• Havering Council reserves the right to postpone or cancel the awards at any time.

Definitions

• A small business is a business with fewer than 50 employees based in or with headquarters in Havering.
• Independent businesses with more than one premises in the borough are eligible to enter.
• Franchises, chain restaurants and brewery-owned/managed pubs are not eligible for these awards.
• We make one exception to this rule; if you are a franchisor based in Havering we can accept your entry even though you might have franchisees operating under your brand elsewhere.  More generally if your business has multiple managed outlets across a wide geography and your headquarters is outside Havering you will not able to enter.
• Nominees must not be owned or managed by a larger corporation.
• The public nominations are not limited to Havering residents, since businesses serve customers from outside the borough too. 

Havering’s Small Business of the Year Prize

This year, our prize sponsor JC Decaux, are offering an advertising package worth £25,000 to the overall winner, selected by a panel of sponsors, councillors and Council officers.

This prize can be used by the winner to promote their business in Havering, or, can be split 50/50 with a Havering charity of the winner’s choosing.

The prize cannot be exchanged for the monetary value.