Enterprise Support Awards select media partners

Small business advice websites BusinessZone and UK Business Forums have teamed up with SFEDI and its Advisory Board as media partners to the inaugural 2008 UK Enterprise Support Awards.

The presentations take place on Thursday 17 April at BAFTA in London with the awards highlighting excellence among individuals and organisations providing support to the UK's entrepreneurs and small businesses.

SFEDI, the small business watchdog and standards setting body, is hosting the event on behalf of its Advisory Body, which brings together all the major national small and home business membership, support and training organisations which help small and home business owners to start up, survive and thrive.

Members include the British Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies, Inbiz, Lloyds TSB and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

BusinessZone.co.uk is the leading online community for owners and managers of small to medium-sized businesses providing free resources including practical advice features, expert blogs and a guide to start-up finance.

UKBusinessForums.co.uk is the most active SME forum in the UK, providing reach to over 14,000 members.

It is positioned solely as a site for discussion, engagement and interaction, generating 2,000 posts a week, and over 800,000 page impressions per month.

Tony Robinson OBE, small business owner and executive director of SFEDI, said: "There's a rich community of people in the UK specialising in meeting SFEDI standards to provide the best and most practical help necessary for small businesses.

"Members of the community range from volunteer mentors from start up charities, to trainers and advisers from banks, enterprise agencies, accountants, private sector specialist companies helping the long-term employed into self employment to those providing incubator support for graduate entrepreneurs.

"The SFEDI Advisory Body Enterprise Support Awards remind us that behind every successful small business owner, there are often one or two committed advisors, who have provided expert guidance through good times and bad.

"The Awards will showcase true excellence in the UK's small business support sector and we're delighted to be working with BusinessZone.co.uk and UKBusinessForums.co.uk to give this community the recognition it deserves".

Dan Martin, editor of businesszone.co.uk and administrator of ukbusinessforums.co.uk, commented: "Many of the UK's entrepreneurs are more than happy to help and support fellow small business owners in achieving the kind of success they have enjoyed.

"Unfortunately, however, their efforts are not often recognised.

"The SFEDI Advisory Body Enterprise Support Awards put this right.

"BusinessZone.co.uk and UKBusinessForums.co.uk are delighted to be the official media partners of the awards - I look forward to hearing what I'm sure will be immensely inspirational entrepreneurial stories".

Categories include awards for professional advisers, such as accountants, through to volunteer business mentors.

There is also an award for the business owner or entrepreneur who has done most to support other small and home business owners, also sponsored by BusinessZone.co.uk and UKBusinessForums.co.uk.

Nominations can be made online through the SFEDI website.

The closing date is 30 January 2008.

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