Make An Entrance wins Small Family Business of the Year 2023
We have some fantastic news to share with you this month.
Our family business, which we started together over 18 years ago back in 2005 has been named “Small Family Business of the Year 2023”
The prestigious Family Business of the Year Awards were held in June at the Royal College of Physicians at Regents Park in London. The awards celebrate the very best family businesses across the UK.
About the Awards:
Awards are given by region, by sector, and for specific attributes such as entrepreneurship, sustainability, and innovation.
It was a very nerve-wracking evening for us. We thought that we were in the running for the Midlands and Central region, as we are based in Lincolnshire. But this category was announced and we hadn’t won.
Slowly as the evening unfolded, many awards were given out in areas where we excel such as sustainability and we still didn’t win. The ceremony was almost at a close with only two awards left to go so we concluded that we weren’t going to come away with an award and would have to content ourselves with being finalists, which is still a great achievement.
And then the final two awards were announced. The first of which is the national award for smaller businesses with under 40 employees. The second goes to a much bigger business such as a national chain.
Would we win?
As the description of the winner started our ears pricked up. The business was from Lincolnshire!
The rest of the words passed in a blur as we started to think we might have a shot. And then they announced that the overall award for Small Family Business of the Year 2023 goes to Make An Entrance.
What the Judges said:
“The family has built an award-winning business with an incredible web presence and become a market leader in what they do, rekindling the art of a traditional craft that was being lost.
The duo behind the business is a formidable force and entrepreneurial in nature, treating others as they want to be treated themselves. They are professional and commercial, kind and valued as a business and a business at the heart of their community. Sustainability plays its part and innovation drives the business forward.”
James Shore, Head of Family Business at SME Capital who sponsored the Small Family Business of the Year award
How we felt about it
We were completely overwhelmed. We are so proud that this business that we created as newlyweds back in 2005 following in the footsteps of Stuart’s Dad had achieved something truly special.
Running a small family business is hard work at times and the last few years have presented significant challenges for us as UK manufacturers.
What the Awards Organiser said:
“Family businesses are the engine room of the UK economy and these awards celebrate their contribution. It was great to bring the family business community back together in person to recognise the incredible family firms that operate throughout the UK and to crown some fantastic winners.”
“Congratulations to Make An Entrance on winning this award. It is fantastic recognition of what they do as a business and it was a pleasure to present them with the award during a fantastic evening that once more put the family business sector on the map.”
Awards organiser, Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United
Thank you to you all
To win this award is an enormous pat on the back for all the hard work of our entire team, who diligently put in the work every day for our customers. Make An Entrance is a family business and we count all our employees as members of that family, so this is a win for the whole team.
We know that our customers, supporters, and team members are all an integral part of the success of our business and we want to say thank you to you all for your support over the last 18 years. We couldn’t do it without you.
With our best wishes,
Samantha & Stuart Burlton
Co-Founders of the Make An Entrance family
Celebration Offer
To celebrate our win we have created an offer for our flagship product, our traditional hand stitched made to measure coir doormat.
Our workshops saved this product from being lost to UK manufacturing when we trained a new generation of mat makers. We lovingly handcraft each one to order in our Lincolnshire workshops.
If you order one before 3rd July, you’ll receive a cleaning brush worth £5 free. Simply add the mat, and the brush to your basket.
Enter code FAMILYBIZ at checkout and the cost of the brush will be deducted from the total.
Now is a great time to order with us. The lead time for these handmade products is currently down to just 3 weeks. Once the autumn comes we’ll get very busy again and the lead time will increase up to around 6 weeks. So if you’ve been thinking of ordering one now is a really good time.
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