Start-up Business of the Year 2026
Category criteria
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This award recognises businesses of any size and within any sector that were founded on or after January 1, 2024.
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The judges will look at each entrant’s entrepreneurial journey, the viability of their business model, long-term sustainability of the business and the growth of the business to date.
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The judges will look at financial projections for each entrant in this category but at such an early stage in the lifecycle of new businesses they will not make a decision based purely on balance sheets.
Brandily
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
From a standing start in 2024, promotional merchandise company Brandily now has a team of 10 working with clients based around the world.
Founded by Staffordshire-based former business studies and digital media teacher Sarah Lilley, Brandily draws on her core skills and gives her the flexibility to run a growing business around being a mum.
She describes her work as akin to being a personal shopper to find the right merchandise for businesses and organisations, hone the artwork and then deliver.
“I was a teacher for 20 years, which I left to become an online Spanish teacher, then I had the idea for Brandily and it all fell into place,” she said.
“With the support of my partner and the people around me I launched my own business. I wouldn’t change it for the world now.”
Sarah’s clients include the likes of tourist attractions, education, the care industry, business organisations, theatres and more with orders sometimes reaching tens of thousands of pounds. Brandily has already won Government tenders.
“Some of our clients know exactly what they want but others like us to go away and come up with a shopping list for them. We have a graphic design team who make sure the artwork is just right and a back-office team who look after invoicing, human resources and so on.”
Sarah, who speaks four languages, has an office at Scholar Green and her admin team is based in London but the nature of her work means she can work with clients as far afield as the US and around Europe.
She added: “I founded Brandily in 2024 and identified an opportunity to disrupt the promotional merchandise industry by delivering a more strategic, design-led and fully managed service.
“Acting on this vision, I scaled the business from a standing start to an international operation serving clients across the UK and Europe. Early expansion into international markets, supported by a European fulfilment network, demonstrates my ability to take calculated risks that unlock growth while maintaining operational efficiency.”
Sarah has entered the Entrepreneur of the Year category of University of Staffordshire Business Awards and has entered Brandily into the Growth Award and Start-up categories.
Staffordshire VA
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
Far from being replaced by AI, Kellie Doran’s successful start-up Staffordshire VA proves that there is strong demand for a human personal assistant service.
Newcastle-under-Lyme based Kellie worked as an executive-level PA for 27 years before setting up her own business.
She has now reached full capacity and hopes to take on staff to offer additional hours to her growing list of clients.
From its inception, Staffordshire VA has operated as a premium, retained service supporting business owners, professionals and high-net-worth individuals. The model is deliberately structured around proactive, embedded support rather than reactive task delivery. This includes managing workflows, aligning priorities and implementing structure that enables clients to operate more efficiently and make better decisions.
Within three months of launch the business reached full capacity, driven entirely through referrals and reputation rather than paid marketing. This demand has been sustained, with the business continuing to operate at or near capacity and implementing a waiting list where required.
Kellie said: “I’ve worked as a PA since I was 21, always at Managing Director or Chairman level. For the first 19 years I was with one business and then in my forties I moved around five or six different businesses working with different senior leadership teams and understanding different processes.”
Staffordshire VA was launched in 2025 when Kellie was made redundant and followed her husband’s advice to set up her own business.
“He told me to believe in myself. Three weeks later I was at a networking event and writing my first LinkedIn post. I’ve been busy ever since.
“My clients are from a mix of different sectors including commercial cleaning, IT, insurance and mortgage brokers. I also have private clients including one whose partner asked me to help him to plan out his life. No two days are the same for me.”
Kellie says that while AI can be a great tool it doesn’t provide the personal touch that she’s able to offer.
“The human touch is why my clients keep coming back,” she said. “I have no worries about AI taking over from me. The business has already reached the point where I am thinking about taking on staff.”
Staffordshire VA has entered the Start-up Business of the Year category of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.
The Pottery Cave
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
What started as a hobby has become a successful, scalable business for University of Staffordshire alumna Caroline Farnell-Smith.
The Pottery Cave began as a few workshops in a village hall. In April 2025 it was formally established as a limited company and it now has premises, a team of 12 staff and an ambitious but sustainable growth plan.
Financially, the business has achieved a 100%+ increase in turnover over the past 12 months, highlighting both commercial success and the scalability of its offering. Growth has been driven by diversified services, high customer demand and strong repeat business. Customer engagement has been equally impressive.
In the last year alone The Pottery Cave, based at Curborough Craft Centre in Lichfield, has delivered ceramics sessions to more than 10,000 customers, establishing itself as a leading creative experience provider in the region.
The Pottery Cave is a creative pottery studio and community hub offering pottery classes, workshops and bespoke ceramic products. Originally established as a grassroots community initiative operating from village halls, the studio was created to make ceramics accessible, social and enjoyable for everyone.
The business has seen rapid growth in bookings, repeat customers and external events. Its appeal extends beyond the local area, attracting international visitors from countries including China, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands and India. A commemorative ceramic plate created at the studio was taken to the United States for Thanksgiving celebrations.
The Pottery Cave offers a diverse and expanding range of ceramics experiences, including handbuilding lessons, wheel-throwing sessions, weekly wellbeing workshops and private parties. These are delivered across two dedicated studio spaces—one focused on clay experiences and the other specialising in paint-a-pot sessions.
Demand for classes and workshops has exceeded initial expectations, leading to the introduction of additional sessions, extended opening hours and availability across evenings and weekends. The business has also introduced structured beginner-to-advanced courses, corporate team-building workshops and bespoke commissions for both individuals and organisations
The long-term vision is for The Pottery Cave to become a recognised regional centre for ceramics, creativity and wellbeing—contributing meaningfully to the local creative economy while enhancing community connection and mental wellbeing.
The Pottery Cave has entered the Start-up Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.
More Kudos
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
An award-winning Staffordshire chef and restaurateur has launched a new tech venture, helping other businesses capture feedback to help them grow.
George Lowe, who owns and runs Lowe’s on Carter Street in Uttoxeter, has launched More Kudos, a platform which enables other businesses to capture customer feedback quickly, easily and in real-time.
The 33-year-old, who recently picked up the Unsung Hero Award in the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Tourism Awards, wants More Kudos to become the industry standard.
The software is essentially instant review technology which allows customers to leave a review with a single tap while their experience is still fresh. There are no QR codes, no links to type or follow up emails - just a simple tap.
The new venture comes off the back of news that his restaurant has been named as one of OpenTable’s Top 100 Brunch and Lunch Restaurants in the UK for 2026. They are not only in the top 0.2% of OpenTable restaurants nationwide but are also one of the: Top 100 Restaurants in the UK for 2025, based on OpenTable diner reviews and metrics. The list is compiled from analysing more than 780,000 diner reviews, diner ratings, reservation demand and the percentage of five-star reviews.
On Google, Lowe’s has a perfect 5.0 rating with nearly 500 reviews, a rare achievement in UK hospitality.
George, who has launched the new business with his wife Jemma, says their restaurant’s success isn’t just down to great food and service but from recommendation and great reviews.
He said: “The most important thing we’ve done is capture feedback. Most people before they bring in a new a tradesperson, book a hotel, or try a new restaurant, look at reviews first. We have undoubtedly helped build our reputation online by capturing our customers’ feedback and have won new customers as a result.
“It was because of that, that Jemma and I came up with the idea. It’s helped us grow our business, so we thought why not build a platform to help other businesses build their on-line reputations to help them grow too?
“More reviews strengthen your reputation, improve your SEO rankings and help new customers discover your business. The platform also helps transform feedback into clear, data driven insights, showing what customers love, what could be improved and how your online visibility and SEO are growing. We’ve already signed up a number of businesses and in a short space of time they are already seeing the difference.”
More Kudos is designed to support a wide range of industries and sectors including restaurants and pubs, health and beauty outlets, tradespeople, hotels and gyms – any business that is customer facing.
With a growing number of businesses already using the software, new customers can be signed up with their own branded review templates and ready to go within 24 to 48 hours.
More Kudos has entered the Start-up Business of the Year category of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.
Power SOS
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
The brainchild of University of Staffordshire alumnus Steve Holmes, Power SOS is believed to be the first mobile app of its kind in the world.
Alongside long-established and thriving sister company Midlands Power Networks, Power SOS will help to restore power to critical services such as hospitals and prisons as well as the likes of retail, manufacturing, football stadiums and universities when it launches this year.
Steve, the managing director of Stoke-on-Trent based Midlands Power Networks, had the idea for a high voltage response emergency app and has worked with University of Staffordshire students to make it a reality.
Power SOS now has a team of five employees, mostly sourced from University of Staffordshire through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership and Unitemps, and is projected to go from a standing start to a significant annual turnover when it launches in the third quarter of the year.
The app holds each customer’s asset register and records and not only provides information as to possible causes but also highlights to any attending engineers any specific risks on that site ensuring they are well informed before arriving on site and HSE compliant. Not only will this minimise downtime it also reduces the risk for environmental impact and insurance claims.
Combining several cutting-edge technologies, AI to not only assist the customer in identifying their emergency but also the engineer in resolution; new location tracking, as yet not available in the world except within this app, and even predictive analysis to help prevent failures before they happen.
The app will record attendances and their outcomes and customers will be able to leave reviews.
Power SOS has entered the Start-up Business of the Year and Innovation Award categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.
Tiny Toes Scan Studio
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
NHS sonographer Jenny Holt set up a private ultrasound clinic in March 2025 and has already moved to new premises to allow the business to grow.
The mum of three, who runs Tiny Toes Scan Studio alongside working part time at UHNM, says turnover at the Milton-based studio is on track to increase further over the coming year.
She launched the business after spotting an ultrasound machine for sale online at an irresistible price and then storing it in her kitchen at home until she had found the right premises and got CQC permission to open.
Jenny said: “I took the plunge and set up my own business to provide exceptional care for patients - allowing them to share their pregnancy journey with loved ones with the hope to reduce the stigma attached to private ultrasound clinics.
“I started the business with nothing. I saw an ultrasound machine for sale on Facebook marketplace and decided it was now or never. We travelled to Liverpool to collect the machine and the next day we were driving past a shop in Milton available to let.
“After nearly 12 months of a rigorous CQC application- we got the go ahead to open in March 2025. Since then we have invested in a new ultrasound machine and moved to a larger shop enabling us to hire reception staff.
“So far we have scanned 1056 patients and continue to grow each month. We started with one member of staff. Now we have four. We are delivering high quality services to our local area, a service which is well trusted and highly reputable.”
Jenny and her team share moments of joy with many of their patients but they are also trained to work with people who have pregnancy complications and can provide treasured keepsakes such as heartbeat bears, videos and photos. They have also identified five ectopic pregnancies.
Tiny Toes Scan Studio has entered the Start-up Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards
Chillington Playbarn Ltd
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
A farm diversification business was launched less than two years ago but is already award-winning and employing 26 members of staff.
Chillington Playbarn Ltd, operating as Hockerhill Playbarn in Brewood, opened for business in March 2024 and has just won a national award for Best Food and Beverage at the NFAN Awards 2026.
It was launched by farmers Tessa and Charlie Giffard, of the Chillington Hall Estate, who quickly brought on board a head chef and a general manager, Sophie Galantini, who is University of Staffordshire alumna.
The all-weather indoor and outdoor attraction has a large, themed play area with a central great oak structure, a café, pedal go-karts, ziplines and a sensory den.
The business set out to include the surrounding villages as much as possible, with a loyalty scheme for local residents.
Local villagers have got behind the project and research has shown that 46% of visitors are returning customers, highlighting the positive impact it is having on the local community.
The team pride themselves in supporting local events, schools and charities by offering vouchers and family visits. Hockerhill ensures that all children regardless of their background or ability can have access to a fun and safe environment. Monthly SEN sessions have proved popular and they have made the space as wheelchair friendly as possible.
Chillington Playbarn Ltd has been nominated in the Start-up Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards by General Manager Sophie Galantini.
She said: “Hockerhill is committed to excellence in everything they do. From the design of their facilities to customer service, they put their heart and soul into ensuring a top-quality experience for every visitor. These values reflect Hockerhill’s desire to create a positive and lasting impact on families, communities and the development of children.
“Through their commitment to the local community, they listen to customer feedback and strive to increase customer demands and expectations. With the increase in revenue, they hope to expand the site to be able to offer more in the coming months and years.
“This family run business will hopefully continue for generations to come, with the Giffards’ own children often popping in to say hello to the staff or help with washing up, hopefully instilling a good work ethic and passion for their family business.”
Astro Education
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
Less than two years after it was set up as a one-man business Astro Education has expanded across two counties with a team of four staff and has ambitious plans to grow further.
The Stoke-on-Trent based business specialises in recruitment and retention for the education sector including connecting schools with high-quality teaching and support staff.
It works with primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and specialist SEN provisions across Staffordshire and Cheshire.
It provides both day-to-day supply staff and long-term placements covering a wide range of roles including qualified teachers, teaching assistants, SEN specialists, pastoral staff, cover supervisors and administrative professionals.
Founder Tim Howarth, who worked in the insurance industry before moving into recruitment, has added a former headteacher and teaching assistant into his team. They currently have a workforce of around 100 educational professionals.
Tim said: “From the outset, our mission has been to build a recruitment business that prioritises relationships, reliability and fairness. Schools rely heavily on agency support to maintain continuity for their pupils yet many report challenges around cost, inconsistent candidate quality and poor service from traditional recruitment providers.
“Astro Education was established specifically to address these issues. Our approach focuses on transparent pricing, high compliance standards and careful candidate matching to ensure that both schools and staff benefit from a supportive and professional recruitment experience.
“Although we are still a young business, our growth since launching has been significant. Within less than two years we have developed a strong and expanding client base across Staffordshire and have begun extending our reach into Cheshire.”
Wherever possible Tim tries to put back into the communities his business serves including sponsoring football kits for Excel Academy and sponsoring an early years practitioners event.
“I want people to want to work with us,” he said. "I’m creating a brand that is a transparent, responsive and ethical alternative that genuinely supports the education community.”
Astro Education has entered the Small Business of the Year, Start-up Business of the Year and Growth categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards and Tim Howarth has entered the Entrepreneur of the Year category.
Weather Wise Solutions
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
Less than two years after it was launched with a £3,000 investment by twin brothers and their friend, Weather Wise Solutions has grown to a team of eight staff, 25 specialist contractors, a significant turnover and a steep growth trajectory.
Importantly for its founders, the Newcastle-under-Lyme-based business also has a strong commitment to supporting the communities within which it is based.
Founded by twin brothers Aaron and Neil from Bucknall alongside shareholder Jake Worrall, Weather Wise Solutions aims to provide homeowners with honest advice, accurate diagnosis and effective solutions to damp, mould, condensation and timber-related property issues.
The three shareholders each invested £1,000 of their own money to launch the business, with no external funding or investment. Everything achieved since has been built through hard work, expertise, determination and a shared commitment to delivering exceptional customer service.
The business has invested heavily in operational capability and now operates a fleet of more than 20 vehicles, enabling the company to provide reliable services throughout Staffordshire, the Midlands and the North West.
A team of four fully qualified surveyors collectively undertake approximately 4,160 in-person property surveys every year. These surveys allow thousands of homeowners to receive professional advice and accurate diagnosis for issues relating to damp, mould, condensation and timber defects.
The business proudly sponsors local sports teams and supports Newcastle-under-Lyme Golf Club. Shareholder Jake Worrall has organised a Charity Golf Day in partnership with Keele Golf Centre, which will take place on June 24, 2026 in aid of the Band of Builders Charity.
Weather Wise Solutions Ltd has entered the Start-up Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year and Growth Award categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.
Crawford & Beattie
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
A business that 21-year-old Callum Beattie set up less than a year ago has already tripled its monthly turnover and expanded to the point where he’s been able to employ a member of staff.
The former BMW car salesman set up Stoke-on-Trent based Crawford & Beattie in January 2026 with no loans, grants or investors.
Callum is building the strategic creative and content agency from scratch and says that every client, system and result the company is involved with is something he has been directly responsible for delivering.
He said: “I started with the conviction that most agencies sell activity, not outcomes. I set out to build one that proves its value in numbers. In my first year of trading I’ve signed and retained clients across completely different industries, from garden buildings and exterior cleaning to the food sector and automotive, and delivered measurable commercial results for each of them.
“What I’m proudest of is how I got there. When I needed lead generation infrastructure I couldn’t yet afford to buy in, I taught myself to build it. I reverse engineered the systems used by far larger competitor agencies and built my own from scratch, automated qualification bots, conversion funnels and SMS follow up infrastructure, so my clients get the kind of systems much larger agencies charge a premium for at a boutique price.
“Every new client problem has become an opportunity to add a capability the agency didn’t have the week before. That instinct, turning a gap into a new strength rather than a reason to say no, is how I’ve grown the company.
“I run Crawford & Beattie on a retainer model by design with a small number of clients, high standards, high margins and direct access to me as the founder rather than being handed to a junior. It’s the opposite of how most agencies operate and it works.
“Within my first year I’ve created my first employee role, issued my first employment contract and built the company to the point of being named a Finalist in the UK Small Business Awards 2026.
“I came into this with everything to prove and plenty to lose. I’ve proved the model, the results and the reason I left a comfortable job to chase this. I’d be proud to represent what’s possible for a young business owner in Staffordshire and I’m only just getting started.”
Callum registered the business in November 2025 and left his job with BMW in January 2026 to work on Crawford and Beattie fulltime.
Most of his clients are Staffordshire based but are as far afield as London. He proudly says that he has retained every client he has won.
He added: “My ambition is for Crawford & Beattie to be a recognised name across the UK and for people to know what it does just by hearing the name. I’m 100% driven to make it happen.”
Callum Beattie has entered the Young Business Person of the Year category of University of Staffordshire Business Awards and has entered Crawford & Beattie into the Start-up Business of the Year category.
The Pooch Pad
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
Eleanor Young has a first class law degree but turned her back on her legal career to pursue a dream of working with dogs.
She worked in wills and probate and then the civil service after graduating but, after being made redundant, decided to take the opportunity to start her own business.
The Pooch Pad, in Eccleshall, offers members only doggy day care and luxury boarding with home comforts including a flat screen TV, air conditioning, sofas and a ball pool.
Eleanor, now aged 28, has purposefully positioned The Pooch Pad at the luxury end of the market. She specifically caters for small dogs and has a waiting list of pet owners who are queueing up to become a member.
She said: “Entrepreneurship is often associated with disruption, innovation and taking calculated risks. My entrepreneurial journey began with one of the biggest risks of my life, leaving the security of a legal career at 26 years old to build a business from scratch in an industry I believed could offer more.
“I created The Pooch Pad after identifying an opportunity within the pet care market that I felt had been overlooked. While pet ownership had evolved significantly and owners increasingly viewed their dogs as family members, many day care environments had remained largely functional and volume driven. I believed there was space for something different.
“My vision was to create a premium, boutique experience dedicated specifically to small dogs, one that prioritised quality, trust and customer experience over scale.
“Launching the business required calculated risk taking. I moved away from a traditional professional career path to pursue a completely different industry, investing not only financially but personally into building something that reflected my own values and standards.
“The early stages required learning new disciplines quickly: operations, licensing, customer acquisition, marketing, finance, service design and brand building, whilst continuing to deliver day-to-day services personally.
“Rather than replicating existing models, I designed The Pooch Pad around a membership structure. This decision became one of the most important innovations within the business.
“The membership approach allowed attendance to remain intentionally controlled, creating carefully matched groups of dogs, stronger customer relationships and a more consistent experience. Instead of focusing on volume, the business was designed to maintain exclusivity and quality.
“This model challenged expectations of what dog day care could be. The result has been sustained demand, high levels of customer loyalty and waiting lists for memberships.
“What makes this growth particularly meaningful is that it has been achieved independently and intentionally. Every decision has been made with long-term sustainability in mind rather than rapid expansion.”
Eleanor Young has entered the Young Business Person of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards and has entered The Pooch Pad into the Start-up Business of the Year, Growth and Small Business of the Year categories.
Turnaround Print Services
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
Little more than a year after its launch Staffordshire-based Turnaround Print Services has exceeded its projected turnover, attracted nearly 300 customers and recruited a team of four staff.
The print and branding company was created from scratch in March 2025 with no inherited customer base or guaranteed revenue streams.
It offers services including signage, promotional products, vehicle graphics, workwear, websites and print. It has already been awarded SME Best Express Printer – West Midlands 2026.
Managing Director Derrith Turner said: “Since launch we have focused on building meaningful customer relationships, delivering exceptional service and creating long-term partnerships rather than simply processing orders.
“This customer-first approach has enabled us to establish a strong reputation in a highly competitive market and achieve significant growth within our first year of trading.
“A major strength of our model is our ability to become embedded within our customers' businesses. By supporting them throughout their growth journey, we generate long-term relationships that lead to repeat orders, referrals and sustainable revenue growth.
“The success of this approach is reflected in the fact that we have successfully acquired 296 customers within our first year of trading, entirely through networking, referrals and relationship development.
“Our success has been driven by a genuine commitment to helping customers succeed, building lasting relationships and delivering exceptional service. Combined with our environmental initiatives, community-focused values and ambitious growth plans, we believe Turnaround Print Services Ltd represents an outstanding example of a successful new business with a bright and sustainable future.
“We are proud of what we have achieved in such a short space of time and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Turnaround Print Services has entered the Start-up Business of the Year, Growth, Team of the Year and Small Business of the Year categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.
The Pottery Shed Swinfen
Start-up Business of the Year entrant
The Pottery Shed Swinfen was set up at Heart of the Country Village, near Lichfield, in June 2025 by owner Tamara Skipworth.
Customers can paint pottery, create baby hand and footprints or attend workshops and parties in a relaxed, café setting.
There are ready-to-paint ceramics to suit all ages and abilities. Two hour painting timeslots are standard so there is no rush to complete that masterpiece.
Workshops vary seasonally but include options for children, adults and date nights to keep the grown-ups entertained.
The Pottery Shed is also available for hen parties, baby showers, team building sessions or birthday celebrations with optional afternoon tea packages.
The Pottery Shed Swinfen has entered the Start-up Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.