Exciting new awards will give Lancashire’s family-run businesses the chance to step into the spotlight.
The hunt will soon be on to find the county’s best family businesses. The Lancashire Family Business Awards open for applications in March.
Across the UK, family run businesses make up two thirds of all businesses, employ over 47% of the UK’s private sector workforce and contribute £149 billion to the country’s economy through taxes. That’s more than the NHS bill.
Lancashire has a proud heritage of family run businesses – anything from cheese-makers to high tech engineering outfits and textile companies. The county is awash with well-loved family businesses perhaps because of its special combination of rural and urban living and tradition as an industrial hub.
Whatever the reason, Lancashire has encouraged and nurtured a huge variety of family-run companies to start-up, survive and thrive including many of the nation’s favourites. One need only look on a Booths supermarket shelf to buy a loaf of Warburton’s bread, grab an Eccles Cake and pick up a slab of Mrs Kirkham’s cheese to see how Lancashire’s family-run firms have caught the imagination of the country.
Alongside the well-established businesses that stretch back over the generations, a rise in entrepreneurism has seen a spate of first-generation family businesses making a success of things too. Whether it be husband and wife following their dream to run a B&B by the Lune, or brothers brewing beer in Parbold, both old and new family businesses will be encouraged to apply for the Lancashire Family Business Awards. The first awards of its kind in the county are being organised by the co-founders of Lakes based Events and PR company Flock – Janett Walker and Sophia Newton, and Sue Howorth of The Family Business Network.
Sue said: ‘There is something very special about being in business with your family, the deep understanding that comes from working with people you know so well creates an environment that allows business decisions to be made quickly.
‘As a result, family businesses are often more agile than their corporate counterparts and innovate and progress without restraint. The Lancashire Family Business Awards will celebrate family businesses in the county of all ages, sizes and sectors – ultimately it’s family run companies that keep the county going and we can’t wait to shine a spotlight on them.’
With the nationally trending Cumbria Family Business Awards already under their belt, this tenacious trio of women have already made a real difference to the way family businesses are recognised in Cumbria and look forward to Lancashire family businesses being able to benefit in the same way.
The awards, which are supported by Lancashire Life, open for applications in March 2019 and the celebrity hosted ceremony will take place at Dunkenhalgh Hotel & Spa in Accrington on September 25. The winners will be announced at the ceremony following a rigorous judging process undertaken by a panel of prestigious judges.
More information can be found at www.lancashirefamilybusinessawards.co.uk
