Thumbsie® wins Small Business of the Year

It’s not every day that you receive an email congratulating you on producing “the best entry since we began our awards“, but that’s exactly what happened to our founder Jo, earlier this year.

The “best entry” refers to our submission for the UK Small Business Awards 2022 – and we’re pleased to say, we won!

The email, from Business Awards UK founder, Mark Byrne, praised Thumbsie as “hugely beneficial for parents and children” and said it was clear we believed in “caring about the value we are providing.”

This heartwarming email, and our victory in the awards, topped off what has been an incredible few years’ of recognition. And we’re hoping the winning streak will continue into the autumn, as Jo has been shortlisted for the Great British Entrepreneurs Awards.

UK Small Business Awards

The UK Small Business Awards acknowledge “exceptional accomplishments” by small businesses from the length and breadth of the UK. More than 120 companies were nominated, meaning it was a challenging task for the panel of expert judges to read through the nominations and determine winners. All the more reason for Thumbsie® to celebrate!

The organisers of the awards emphasise that they judge based entirely on merit, no favouritism is shown based on bank balance or company size.

After Thumbsie’s win, Mark Byrne emailed to say:

“I just wanted to reach out and congratulate you on what is singularly the best entry I have seen since we began our awards this year.

I not only believe what you are doing is hugely beneficial for parents and children, but it goes without saying that your dedication and empathy is highly commendable.

As a parent of six, all with their own personalities, as well as separate needs and challenges in their social and personal lives, my wife and I have often found ourselves looking for a very specific answer to a very specific problem. It’s comforting to know that there are still entrepreneurs who care about the value they are providing to someone over profit alone.”

While Mark’s co-founder Dan Trindade said: “The entry quality and lineup is getting stronger each year which is amazing to see.”

The UK Small Business Awards seek to showcase the hard work, resilience and achievements of small businesses and highlight their invaluable contribution to the UK economy.

Jo Bates said: “To be receiving recognition from other business leaders 10 years after our founding is incredible. Although we have been fortunate to win a number of awards, we never take it for granted. It is so special to get praise and recognition from other businesspeople who know first-hand about the challenges of founding and managing a business. There are over 5.5 million small businesses in the UK. I am proud of what we contribute to the economy and it’s an honour to be recognised for all that we do.”

Do you have a child or family member who sucks their thumb? Are you intrigued by what you’ve read about Thumbsie®? Why not buy one and give it a try?