Start Your Business Awards

Tony was awarded the 2013 Start Your Business Awards Lifetime Achievement Award!

Start Your Business Magazine say: “The Life Time Achievement Award was given to an individual that has dedicated his career to promoting the standards for business support and the prospects of SMEs in the UK; Tony Robinson OBE was the founder of the Small Firms Development Initiative (SFEDI). He has since formed Enterprise Rockers a national movement of business networks encouraging collaboration and joint purchasing initiatives amongst the small business community.”

Tony Robinson OBE says:

Thanks to the fabulous SYB team, the incredibly wise judges and especially your hyper smart readers. You all Rock! The award is just amassive motivator that will keep me trying to do the best I can for startups and micro enterprises – until I drop.It’s not widely known that I modeled my modus operandi on SYB magazine. That is: colourful and stylish, on the outside, but with bags of‘proven in practice’ advice with a touch of inspiration, on the inside. (My wife, Eileen, said ‘paper thin’ but I ignored that!)Certainly it has been a ‘lifetime’. It is over 25 years since I first started trying to improve the support and learning that pre-starts andstartups are given. With the right help, at least 4 out of 5 startups will survive over 3 years and 1 in 16 will become substantial businesses.

As for ‘achievement’ I’m not sure. I will say to all politicians that they ain’t seen nothing yet. They can either back the micro enterprisephenomenon or get out of our space because all the jobs, growth, innovation and community support come from our sector. We willsucceed with or without national, regional and local government help.Finally I’d like to thank my business partner of 28 years, Clare, and my co-founder of the Enterprise Rockers global self-help community,Tina. Everyone knows I’m just the cover photo – the content and this award is all theirs, unless it’s covered in chocolate.Cheers and, again, many thanks for the award!