Thumbsie® wins Double Silver at the Best Business Women Awards

We’ve won two awards – and it feels great!

All of us at Thumbsie® are delighted to have won Silver at this year’s Best Business Women Awards in two categories.

At an exciting – and virtual – award ceremony on Friday 19th March, we were proud to receive awards in two categories: Made in the UK and Best Overall Business.

The ceremony took place on the video platform Remo and included a virtual dining room and bar. Although you did have to bring your own drinks!

While the glamour was a bonus, the most humbling part of the night was receiving recognition for Thumbsie® and the work that we do. To think that this all started eight years ago with our founder Jo Bates taking orders at the school gates. It really has been an incredible journey.

Speaking after the ceremony, Jo said:

“The Best Business Women Awards were fantastic, and it was great to meet likeminded female entrepreneurs. It has been a turbulent year around the world, but I have been amazed at the tenacity shown by all the women nominated for the awards. What is so important about these awards is that it celebrates hardworking women who are often balancing personal and professional lives. As a proud employer of working mums, I totally support this ethos.

“I was especially delighted to win a Made in the UK award. I’m proud that we manufacture our products in the UK. Not only is it good for the environment but it means we can employ local mums and grandmas too. I’ve also been so proud of Thumbsie® and all our team who have kept us going through the pandemic. It has been a real team effort.

“ Thumbsie® is more than just a business for me, it’s an opportunity to help others by supporting children and their families overcome thumb sucking. To be recognised for the work we do is truly amazing, and it speaks volumes about the community we have built – of customers, but also friends.”

This year marks the fourth in a row that Thumbsie® has been nominated for a Best Business Women Award, and we were thrilled to win Best Consumer or Retail Business in 2019.

Nominees for the Best Business Women Awards came from all four corners of the UK and were shortlisted due to their business acumen, determination, creativity and tenacity – all qualities which Thumbsie® are passionate about.

In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Thumbsie® diversified into making children’s face masks alongside our thumb and finger guards. This “creative” and “tenacious” approach to business paid off, resulting in a doubling of our staff to cope with demand.

Debbie Gilbert, organiser of The Best Business Women Awards said:

“This is the 6th year of these prestigious awards. Given the situation with Covid 19 we were delighted with the number of entries. The entries came in from across the UK and was judged by a panel of business experts. To be a finalist is a major achievement. They are all shining examples of being successful entrepreneurs who have proved their success to our judges.”

This is not the first time Thumbsie® has been recognised at industry awards. We’ve previously won at the Family Network National Awards and the Dental Industry Awards, alongside many other nominations in National Awards.

The Best Business Women Awards are considered one of the UK’s most prestigious awards for businesswomen and female entrepreneurs.