MORAY BUSINESS WOMEN were in celebration mode over the weekend as they returned from a prestigious national awards dinner with three major prizes.
Top of the list was former President of Moray Business Women (MBW) Faith Simpson, whose chartered accountancy firm took the prize as the Association of Scottish Businesswomen (ASB) Business of the Year.
Faith was joined on the podium at the awards dinner in Glasgow on Friday evening by another former MBW president, Carolle Small, who took the prize as Professional of the Year for her work at CAG Architects Ltd.
Yet another Moray winner arrived through recognition for Margaret Reynolds, who won the Most Enterprising Business Award for her Keith-based firm ‘Dogrobes’.
Faith Simpson has saw her business enjoy rapid growth since establishing the firm just nine years ago as a sole trader from an office in Elgin. She was a founder member of MBW and as the business group has grown so has her personal business success rate, expanding to an office in Fife while maintaining her highly successful Moray base.
Running her architects practice in Keith, Carolle Small has been catering for a wide body of clients from private individuals to larger bespoke homes. At the same time she is a director of CAG Architects who look after larger projects in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle.
Margaret Reynolds was winner of the MBW most enterprising business for her ‘Dogrobes’ last year – now she has achieved the double by clinching the national award. Margaret took over the unique drying coat for dogs business in 2013 and rapidly saw a 100% increase in turnover during the first year – and that rose to a stunning 500% in the second.
Following her presentation on Friday a delighted Faith Simpson described the staff at her accountancy firm as “amazing”, adding “I am absolutely delighted at the firm winning this award”. Faith has also been shortlisted in the female business leader of the year category at the Scottish Business Awards in November where the special guest is Holywood start George Clooney.