Theo Paphitis names three Huddersfield based small businesses amongst his favourite in the UK

Three local firms have been flying the flag for Huddersfield this last week after scooping sought-after business awards from retail magnate and star of Dragons’ Den, Theo Paphitis.

Chris Stimson of LED lighting specialists, EnergySavingLED, Carl Slingsby from the Greedy Little Pig charcuterie and hog roast company and Cath Atkins of travel accessories firm Ickle Bockles were invited to meet with Paphitis at a vibrant awards ceremony at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre last weekend, joining previous Small Business Sunday – or #SBS – winners and selected guests to accept their awards in person.

The #SBS Winners’ Event recognises small UK businesses whose brands and social media efforts have caught the attention of Paphitis, chairman of the Ryman stationery group, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue.

Every Sunday, small business owners are encouraged to tweet Paphitis as part of his weekly #SBS event. With over 400,000 fellow followers to compete with, business owners have to be wily enough to frame their business in a way that will outshine the competitors and capture the Dragon’s imagination.

Chris Stimson, managing director of EnergySavingLED, commented on his #SBS win, saying: “Winning the #SBS award from someone like Theo Paphitis has been a real boost for EnergySavingLED.com – it’s really raised the profile of the company on a national level. Our social media followers shot right up and we began receiving new enquiries from all over the world.

“In fact, just the day after, we achieved record sales, which goes to show just how powerful word-of-mouth really is. It’s amazing to have received such wide exposure, and our business is going from strength to strength as a result.”

Cath Atkins from Ickle Bockles added: “Being chosen by Theo Paphitis as one of his #SBS winners is a fantastic feeling. We noticed a surge in online orders following our win - getting Theo’s stamp of approval has certainly helped raise awareness of the Ickle Bockles Brand.”

Greedy Little Pig’s Carl Slingsby noted how the award had given his Huddersfield hog roast and charcuterie business a new level of exposure: “Being chosen as a #SBS winner has set us apart from the competition. It’s not just fantastic to be associated with big business names like Theo Paphitis – it’s given us the chance to reach out for national recognition.

“The #SBS winner award is a hallmark that says Greedy Little Pig is a company with a difference. We’re building our brand at the moment, and while there are lots of little hog roast organisers out there, we’re a serious business with everything that entails.

“We’ve worked hard to set ourselves apart, and we offer a lot more than just hog roast services. A mark of quality like the #SBS award really embodies what we’re all about.”

With a surge of interest in their services since their #SBS wins, EnergySavingLED, Ickle Bockles and Greedy Little Pig are all set to move onwards and upwards in 2014.

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