BEST NEW BUSINESS
SPONSORED BY
AWARDS 2021
FINALIST
HOGG GLOBAL LOGISTICS
Kirsten Donkin , of PD Ports , presents the Best New Business award to Nudl CEO Shak Asghar
WINNER
NUDL
Nudl CEO Shak Asghar knew from his 20 years ’ experience in the industry that accessing funding could be difficult , complicated and even unpleasant .
So when he set up Middlesbrough-based consultancy firm Nudl in March 2021 , his main focus was to simplify the process – and put the fun into funding .
Since then , Nudl has worked with several businesses across the Tees Valley , providing support on funding applications , financial planning , cash flow forecasting , investment decks and more .
Indeed , growing the region is at the heart of what Nudl does . At the time of entering the awards , the firm had leveraged £ 1.1m of funding and £ 2.2m of investment into the area .
A delighted Shak said : “ We ’ re so glad to have been recognised for the hard work we ’ ve put in .
“ We ’ re from Teesside , I ’ m a Boro lad – the TS5 crew – and no matter where you come from in Teesside , we just want to be involved in making the area successful . So if we can help people grow their businesses and have a bit of a laugh on the way , that ’ s brilliant .”
He added : “ There are lots of ingredients to our cake – having fun , believing in yourself when you ’ re a little bit different from the normal , whatever normal is , and just being able to love and support each other .
“ We ’ re a diversely owned business , we have a massively diverse staff and workforce and I really think that believing in yourself and embracing diversity is the key to success and innovation .”
SPONSOR MESSAGE
“ I was delighted to present the Best New Business award to Nudl . Congratulations also to finalists Hogg Logistics and Bespoke Health . The awards shone the spotlight on the tremendous businesses and entrepreneurs making brave steps forward in these challenging times . At PD Ports , we were delighted to support these awards and recognise the immense value small businesses and entrepreneurial spirit deliver . Small businesses are the lifeblood of our region and we all have a role in supporting that growth . We are committed to providing that support and have worked closely with Teesside University to bring small business owners into our business and share best practice .” Kirsten Donkin , head of PR , marketing and communications – PD Ports
Formed in 2021 , Hartlepool ’ s Hogg Global Logistics specialises in freight forwarding around the globe by air , road , rail , courier and sea .
Smashing through the £ 1m turnover barrier while working at home during the pandemic , the team of five , led by managing director Lyndsay Hogg , offer a personal service which sets them apart from their competitors .
Keen supporters of women in business , Hogg won the Best Small Business award at the Tees Businesswoman Awards 2021 .
Advocates for fairness and equality and zero tolerance of bullying in the workplace , Hogg Global Logistics also actively helps children in our region to be the best versions of themselves .
FINALIST
BESPOKE HEALTH
Middlesbrough-based Bespoke Health offers life insurance , critical illness , income protection and mortgages to people on Teesside and beyond .
Introduced to potential clients and influencers by financial advisor Nathan Steel in 2019 , Bespoke Health ’ s launch was groundbreaking for the industry , as the method of using influencers within the financial services sector had not been attempted previously .
Two years on , the company has more than 200 active introducers throughout the UK , is currently working on a Bespoke Health app , has former professional footballer and Sky Sports presenter Joe Thompson as an ambassador and leading financial adviser Bradley Rathbone on its team .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 97