Fast Growth Business Awards 2011: The winners

This year’s Fast Growth Business Awards ceremony, held at the Marriott Hotel in London’s Grosvenor Square, recognised all manner of business concepts, from perfume dispensers to employee discount schemes, children’s suitcases to environmentally friendly taxis. Some awards were won by seasoned business owners with years of experience; others went to first-time entrepreneurs. Some award-winners were niche; others are successfully trading all over the world. If this year’s ceremony told us anything, it’s that there’s no hard-and-fast blueprint for business success.

The judges weren’t swayed by perceptions of what makes a ‘sexy’ business or by entrepreneurial pedigree. They judged each business on their own merits and the rate of growth in their given sectors. Plenty of tough decisions were made along the way to come up with an exciting and diverse group of exceptional winners. For every award winner, there was a handful of excellent businesses which, in any other year, would have done more than enough to claim the prize. The fierce competition for all 12 awards ensured that each and every winner was a truly outstanding business. We’ve spoken to them all, so read on to be inspired and find out what it takes to be the very best.