Women in Business Award 2015: Meet the finalists Who are the female entrepreneurs behind six outstanding companies chosen to contend this year's prize? Find out here... Written by The Startups Team Published on October 12, 2015 Our experts We are a team of writers, experimenters and researchers providing you with the best advice with zero bias or partiality. Written and reviewed by: The Startups Team There are over a million small and mid-sized businesses majority-led by women in the UK. The figure represents around 20% of the total business population and the companies contribute around £75bn of economic output.A further 38% of small and mid-sized businesses have female directors. And the number of women starting businesses is rising, which can only be a good thing for the UK economy which for centuries has been dominated by businesses led by men.This is why we have an award that celebrates successful female entrepreneurs and among our six finalists we may yet find the next Holly Tucker MBE, Cath Kidston MBE, or Sophi Tranchell MBE. NutrimentFamily-run raw pet food company which uses human-grade meat, vegetables and superfoods to create its products for cats and dogs. In less than two years with no funding, it has grown to a seven-figure turnover and 26 staff.View the full profile here.MyShowcaseA beauty e-commerce platform which showcases over 30 independent beauty brands. Selling through its online channel and over 400 trained ‘Stylists’, the boasts a 21% customer return rate and recently secured $1.8m to “accelerate growth”.View the full profile here.Tropic SkincareA natural, vegan skincare business founded by Apprentice contestant Susan Ma with Lord Alan Sugar as partner. The brand’s products, which are all made in Britain and are cruelty-free, have created a multi-million turnover company.View the full profile here.SeenitThe video collaboration platform founded by Emily Forbes enables companies to collaborate with fans, employees, experts, and influencers to create unique video experiences utilising users’ smartphone clips. Started in January 2014, it already names the BBC, Camelot, and O2 among its clients.View the full profile here.Swoon EditionsE-tailer selling craftsman-made furniture at low-cost prices. By launching just four new designs every day in a limited quantity to its customers, the business has seen triple digit growth and now has 58 employees working across London, India, China and Vietnam. View the full profile here.cheekfrillsThe maker of award-winningly comfortable knickers, cheekfrills’ founders Katie Canvin and Lily Fortescue spent six years in R&D before launching. With the option to personalise, the knickers have proved highly popular, selling in more than 200 stores around the world.View the full profile here. Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Written by: The Startups Team