From little things big things grow. That became the concept behind the new ‘Business Heroes’ awards launched by Cisco, which celebrates Britain’s small firms with a great potential. On March 1, the company, which had been looking for the best representatives of small businesses across the UK in partnership with the ‘Management Today’ magazine, announced the award’s winners from a range of fields, including technology, recruitment, manufacturing and sustainability.

Smаll and medium-size UK companies with under 250 staff were encouraged to enter the contest in six categories—New Kid on the Block, Technovator, Mumpreneur, True Grit, Green King, and Borderless Business. The judging panel of business experts shortlisted the submissions to 36—six finalists in each category—and finally selected the six most prominent entrants as winners.

The Business Heroes of 2011, the inaugural year of the award, are:

—New Kid on the Block (the most impressive start-ups that are under two years old): WikiJob, is the UK’s first graduate-focused careers website, created and supported by alumni;

—Technovator (companies using technology to transform their businesses): Rated People, the UK’s biggest trade recommendation online destination that connects over 15,000 people with experts in the trading business;

—Mumpreneur (honours women who combine work with raising their little kids): Women Like Us, a specialist recruitment agency that helps thousands of professional women find part-time work with hours to suit family life;

—True Grit (companies that demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity): Richard Edward Limited, manufacturing game cards, playing cards and trading cards;

—Green King (businesses in the sustainability sector): Closed Loop Recycling, the UK’s first food-grade plastics recycler, which processes 35,000 tonnes of waste per year;

—Borderless Business (UK businesses that export their products): P2i, the world leader in liquid repellent nano-coating technology.

David Critchley, Cisco UKI director of Small and Medium Enterprises, commented, «The winners of the Business Heroes Awards are testament to the fact the UK is full of thriving and innovative SMEs of all shapes and sizes. From technology to sustainability, international expansion to successful start-ups, the quality of this year’s entries has been outstanding, and it’s great to see  these businesses not only rise to their own individual challenges but also thrive in the wider context of a truly testing marketplace. We want to extend our congratulations to them all!»

The full supplement can be viewed here.