Beacon's review of the year

Best for Business proved an interesting and timely project for us, especially given the economic climate. When we visited the businesses a year ago, we found a truly enthusiastic and committed group of people keen to buck the trend.

The obvious assistance Beacon could give was to help businesses review their purchasing, but we also introduced some businesses to our large internal and external network of experts for help with particular issues.

If there is an award for ‘picking up the baton and running with it', it goes to Karen Williams and her team at the Mulberry Tree. Karen grasped every opportunity, really made the most of them, and not surprisingly her business has had its most successful year ever.

All of the businesses have done well and it has been good to work with them and see them grow. It has been interesting to watch how they all handle and manage the different issues that young businesses face, and their innovation, energy and instinct for survival has been inspiring. It has been a privilege to have played a small part in their business year.