By Tina Liddle
This couldn’t have come at a better time for Totally Polished.
So far this year we have been non-stop! We moved into our fabulous new salon on the 28th of January, and we had 4 days before we opened up the doors to clients on the 1st of February 2023!
When we found out last year we had been nominated the English Business Awards, it was exciting, but as I was already in discussions about the new premises, it really took a back seat. That was, until we got the letter to say we had made it to the finals!
It gave us all the push we needed and definitely picked us all up after such a busy start to the year.
Knowing you’re going to be subjected to mystery shoppers and a visit from Scott, the awards organiser, kept the team focused and on our toes. We were constantly wondering, ‘who will get the mystery shoppers?!’
The mystery shoppers mark with a point system, so you really are getting marked on the job you actually do on a day-to-day basis, rather than it being based on social media likes and followers.
The Event was held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel. It was a black-tie event which gave us a great excuse to get dressed up to the nines! The meal was delicious, and it was fantastic seeing other local businesses in the room and seeing them receive their awards.
The Nail and Beauty category was one of the last to be judged. As they announced the last 4 finalists, it seemed like the longest drumroll ever, but finally they announced, “The Best Nail Salon is TOTALLY POLISHED!”
Everything is a little blurry after that, we were all in shock! I think my speech made sense. And you can probably tell by the pictures, I was very happy!
I would encourage any businesses to give the English Business Awards a go if you’re lucky enough to be nominated. It’s a great evening, professionally organised, and it’s a brilliant way to spend time with your colleagues and other small businesses who are also smashing their jobs!
Tina Bell is Head of Education, Product Development and Technical Support Advisor for Pure Nails. If you have a technical query that needs answering, get in touch with Tina today by emailing her at nailtechsupport@purenails.co.uk
