The winners of the Guardian Small Business Showcase Awards

The winners and presenters of the Small Businss Showcase awards 2014. Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian

The Guardian Small Business Showcase awards celebrate innovation and excellence in small business. This year the awards received more than 1,000 entries across seven awards categories, from smarter working to home business innovation. On Thursday evening, the shortlisted businesses gathered at a suitably startup-style venue in Shoreditch in London to find out whether they had won. Food trucks served lobster rolls and pulled pork, while CoCo and the Butterfields provided the music. Guests enjoyed posing for pictures in a photobooth and the took the opportunity to network with other small business owners.

The ceremony was introduced by Will King, founder of The King of Shaves, and hosted by TV presenter, Rick Edwards.

Here are the winners:

• Excellence in Marketing and PR winner: See.Sense. – a cycling technology company that makes an intelligent bike light

Irene McAleese, co-founder of See.Sense with Rick Edwards and Anna Bance, who presented the award. Bance is the founder of Girl Meets Dress and was one of the judges on the panel. Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian

• Cashflow Management winner: DesignMyNight.com – a guide and booking service to the UK’s nightlife

The co-founders of Design my Night pose with judge Simon Duffy, co-founder of Bulldog Skincare for Men. Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian

• Innovation in Home Business winner: Meals for Squeals cookery school, which teaches parents to make meals for their babies or toddlers

Jackie Novels, founder of Meals for Squeals with Nigel Spencer, research and business development manager at the British Library, who presented Novels with the award. Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian

• Smarter Working winner: Serps Invaders – a multilingual digital marketing agency
  

Serps Invaders with their award, which was presented by Steve Matthewson, head of the business and development Professional Networks at The Guardian. Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian

• Startup of the Year winner (which is sponsored by Xero): Oppo ice cream – a healthy ice cream company
  

Oppo ice cream with their award, presented by Zubair Mohammad and Emma Izatt, from Xero. Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian

• Rising Star of the Year winner: Korie Cull - a senior designer at Affari Media

Korie Cull, presented with the award for Rising Star of the Year by Dan Milmo, the Guardian’s deputy business and consumer editor and chair of
the judging panel. Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian

• Leader of the Year winner: Neil Grant – co-director at Ferndale Garden Centre
  

Neil Grant with his Leader of the Year award, presented by Claire Burke, acting editor of the Guardian Small Business Network. Photograph: Alicia Canter for the Guardian

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