BEST NEW SOLE TRADER
AWARDS 2024
FINALIST
Katie Louise Photos
Twin inspirations – Michael McGeary , of The Memoir Man , presents Cheryl Spears with Spear-heads ’ Best New Sole Trader trophy . Cheryl is inspired every day by her young twin girls after one , Mia , developed serious health complications .
WINNER
SPEAR-HEADS
She ’ s just celebrated her second major awards win within a couple of months – but for Cheryl Spears , her biggest reward always awaits her at home .
Having won the Best Newcomer Title at the Tees Businesswomen Awards , just a few weeks later , Cheryl clinched this Best New Sole Trader prize .
And while she was “ over the moon ” to win her latest trophy , thoughts of her twin daughters are rarely far from her mind .
An experienced business development and sales professional with more than 25 years under her belt , Cheryl formed Stockton-based Spearheads in September 2023 .
But everything was put on hold when one of her twin daughters , Mia , developed serious health complications .
Rather than growing her business , Cheryl found herself in Newcastle ’ s Freeman Hospital after Mia ’ s pacemaker failed .
Thankfully , Mia ’ s condition improved – she ’ s three next month and is now “ doing brilliantly ,” says Cheryl .
And her recovery means mum has returned to the task of growing Spear-heads , with husband Tony taking the primary role of caring for Mia and her twin Fay .
Cheryl told Tees Business : “ Fay ’ s a little diva and Mia is doing really well ! The physio came yesterday and said how happy she was with her progress .
“ She ’ s sat in a shopping trolley for the first time and she sat herself up from the bath , which she ’ s never done before – and that ’ s all been in the last two weeks .
“ She won ’ t be able to talk but if we can get her to walk and run around with her twin ... “ I ’ m building the business so they can have everything they want .” She explained : “ If you don ’ t have the budget for a sales strategy , we ’ ll just do a brainstorming session for two hours which , hopefully , you ’ ll get a lot of ideas from .”
Cheryl also plans to take on her first fully employed staff member next year .
She said : “ The freelance model is great but I need help in the office . I ’ m a salesperson , not an admin person , so getting someone in may be the next step .”
Working with a world champion boxer has been one of many highlights for Katie , who ’ s been running her photography and videography business for nearly three years .
Specialising in weddings , events and family shoots , but happy to consider any photographic assignment , over the past year she ’ s developed her business from part-time to a full-time operation , expanding her services to also include social media management and content creation .
And it ’ s through that social media expansion that she got to meet boxer Anthony Cacace , travelling to photograph him at his Belfast gym before his successful IBO super-featherweight world title bout at Wembley in September .
FINALIST
Trew Surveying
It was a business born out of adversity after its founder , Neil Trewick , was made redundant in March 2022 . Within a week , he ’ d set up Trew Surveying – a residential building surveying company with its heart and soul on Teesside .
Covering all TS and DL postcodes , it carries out building surveys and private valuations for clients who are looking for peace of mind when buying their new homes .
And having been named Best New Sole Trader at last year ’ s Best New Tees Business Awards – one of a clutch of awards the firm has already won – Neil was back to try to defend his trophy and continue creating a lasting legacy as an elite Teesside business .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 167