Small businesses play a really important role in our community and it’s important to recognise them.
They create jobs and provide opportunities and small businesses play a vital role in attracting shoppers to high streets and making them interesting places to visit.
The small business awards I organise give local residents the chance to show their support for small businesses.
The small businesses are nominated by the public and people vote to decide the winners.
It was wonderful to meet Toni and to visit her business, which provides an important service to dog owners. I also found it very moving to hear about how Charlie loved dogs and to see how the business helps Toni remember him.
