Celebrating Success: The Winners of BEST Growth Hub’s AdVantage Competition
Published on in Business Support
First launched back in September 2024, the AdVantage competition by BEST Growth Hub, in partnership with Let’s Do Marketing, set out to empower businesses across Essex by providing them with marketing tools and strategies to help them scale and enhance their digital presence.
The competition garnered an incredible response, and following a highly competitive selection process, nine businesses from a wide range of industries were chosen for their innovative ideas, growth potential, and unique contributions to their communities. The nine finalist’s journey continued with a Pitch Skills Workshop held back in November 2024, where they learnt how to refine their presentations in preparation for the Big Pitch Event to determine which business would walk away with the grand prize of £2,500 in marketing support.
The Big Pitch Event
Held at Anglia Ruskin University on Wednesday 15th January, the Big Pitch Event commenced! On the judging panel was Stacey Pretty, Marketing Director at Let’s Do Marketing, Eve Calderbank, Business Growth Development Manager at Essex County Council, and Tom Stacey, Deputy Head of School at Anglia Ruskin University. The nine finalists presented their businesses to the judges – sharing about what their business is, their future plans and how the support up for grabs could highly benefit their journey.
Meet the Winners
With a tough decision ahead, the judges were unable to decide on just one overall winner – we’re pleased to announce the two winners of the BEST Growth Hub AdVantage competition are Petra from Refill Town Ltd based in Chelmsford and Zoë from Beautiful Healthy Homes based in Southend!
“It was great to hear from all of the businesses who presented, each with a fantastic story, and a great vision for what they want to achieve, it was so hard for us to pick our overall winners!
Refill Town stood out to us for its focus on sustainability, a clear understanding of its customers, and the clear impact that the support could provide for the business.
Beautiful Healthy Home was a concept that none of the judges had seen as a combined business before. It is innovative and very relevant in today’s society with people being more conscious of exactly what is placed in their home. We were impressed with Zoe’s clear thoughts on the direction of the business, which showed that she has a great understanding of both her current and potential future customer base.
We look forward to working with all the businesses, seeing them develop and grow.”
– Stacey Pretty, Marketing Director, Let’s Do Marketing
The Best is Yet to Come
After weeks of meticulous preparation and dedicated effort to share their unique business journeys, no one walks away empty-handed. The seven finalists are rewarded with a support package valued at £1,500, designed to provide them with the tools and resources they need to further their ventures. For the two winners, the rewards are even greater: they each receive a comprehensive package of marketing consultancy and hands-on support valued at £2,500, aiming to enhance their visibility and growth. The consultancy, which commenced earlier this week, marks the start of an exciting new chapter for their businesses.
BEST Growth Hub and Let’s Do Marketing are proud to have played a role in the journeys of these nine businesses and look forward to their continued success in the years to come. To find out how we can support your business in Essex, get in touch!
The project was run by BEST Growth Hub in partnership with Let’s Do Marketing, and funded by Essex County Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus