WINNER : MAAS MARKETING
Sponsored by px Group
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
WINNER : MAAS MARKETING
Despite being around for only four years , MAAS Marketing has managed to carve out a niche for itself in a competitive industry . And it can now celebrate being a Tees Businesswomen Awards winner !
MD Ashley Sinclair attributes the success of MAAS to the hard work that has been poured into the business . She said : “ We ’ ve really worked hard on our services and the scalability we ’ re trying to build . These services include marketing strategy and campaigns , bespoke training courses , consultancy and branding .
“ We ’ re very focused on building out marketing services for learning functions .”
It may be “ a small micro-business ” but Ashley and marketing director Hannah Adams describe MAAS as the first agency of its kind in the world , with the duo intent on revitalising and revolutionising their industry .
The firm uses its expertise formed by more than 20 years in the industry to help transform brands and learning culture . As they aptly put it , that means clients get “ real-world marketing skills aligned to the needs of your learning world ”.
But what does the future hold for MAAS Marketing ? Ashley is focusing on maintaining a good balance between her work and personal life .
She said : “ I ’ m a mum , and that will never change . But growing MAAS isn ’ t about getting bigger and having more employees , but actually making that business work for me .”
And it ’ s this ability to find balance , juggling being a full-time parent with being an expert marketer , that helped earn MAAS Marketing the Small Business of the Year title .
Focused - MAAS Marketing MD Ashley Sinclair , right accepted the winner ’ s trophy from Katie Woods-Ruddick , chief people officer of category sponsor px Group .
FINALIST : FINALIST :
SASS MEDIA
SASS media is a PR business owned by two successful journalists , Sarah Dale and Sarah Walker .
It launched less than one year ago and within 10 months it had 14 regular and diverse clients .
Both Sarahs balance running the business with busy family lives and have a keen interest in positive mental health and wellbeing , which they try to incorporate into the firm ’ s ethos . They are also keen to champion women supporting women in the Teesside community .
RECRUITRITE
MD Melissa Coutts founded Darlingtonbased Recruitrite in 2018 after years of experience working in the recruitment sector and has established a business that delivers excellence and impactful recruitment solutions for the North-East business community .
Believing that the success of any organisation lies in its people , Melissa strives to connect employers with exceptional candidates who possess the necessary skills , expertise and cultural fit .
Recruitrite operates in the private , public and voluntary sectors , working with startups through to large corporate organisations .
FINALIST : LUCY CLYDESDALE BEAUTY STUDIO
Lucy Clydesdale Beauty Studio was started in 2016 by a 16-year-old girl with a passion for beauty and a big dream .
Since then , she has bought her own shop on Yarm High Street , battled through the Covid crisis and taught herself the business and financial skills needed in today ’ s business world . Now aged 23 , Lucy manages staff , provides training and coaching for their personal and professional development and has agreed partnerships with several top brands .
SPONSOR ’ S MESSAGE
Katie Woods-Ruddick , chief people officer with px Group , said : “ We were delighted to be part of this fantastic event . It was a difficult category to judge , as there are some fantastic small businesses that are providing meaningful work in the region . MAAS Marketing demonstrated their achievements in the last 12 months and how they support and develop their female employees .”
34 | Tees Business