Voting for the winners of the Havering Small Business Awards is still on and the Recorder is shining a spotlight on more of the finalists.
The awards celebrate the contribution of local businesses to the economy and community in Havering.
There are three finalists in each of the nine categories for residents to pick a winner.
Hollywood Dogs, a pet grooming service in Romford, is in the running for the best small and independent business title.
Leah Snowden-Fackerall, 27, took over the business at the age of 22 with the support of her family. Her love for animals and her bond with her dog also made her take the leap.
She said in an interview with the Recorder: “If it wasn’t for my dog Harley, I wouldn’t be a dog groomer today."
To Leah, the nomination is a sign of recognition in her abilities. She said: “I was not good at school, and my teachers were like 'you are not going to do well in life'. I am just happy that I have proved everyone wrong."
Carrying on the business while struggling with anxiety is a personal challenge she overcomes every day.
She added: “Sometimes it's very hard even to get out of bed in the morning but knowing I have got customers waiting for me really boosts my confidence."
Clare Foster, 40, from Harold Hill, runs the Baby Bank HQ with her co-founder Kelly Rosevear.
It is nominated in the best social enterprise category after winning the title last year.
Started in 2020, Baby Bank HQ supports families with children between one and 12 who cannot afford essentials like clothing, nappies and baby food by providing them free of charge.
Speaking of their journey, Clare said: “Kelly started an appeal asking people to donate coats when she noticed children coming in with no coats… and it just spiralled from there."
Clare said she and Kelly had witnessed the struggle that their own families went through growing up.
She said: “We have experienced first-hand what it was like to have hand-me-down clothes and not have everything brand new...we understand how difficult it can be. So, we just wanted to help people with that."
With the cost-of-living crisis, more families have been turning to them for help. They now have three to four hubs with several volunteers and have gone from helping five families a week last year to between 15 and 20 families a week currently.
She shared: “We had a lady call up the other day because she ran out of formula and she was not going to get money until the following week."
Husayin Ozdemir, owner of Lighthouse Fish & Chips in Gidea Park, said its nomination in the best takeaway category motivates him to keep going.
He said: “We work long hours, there are many odds, but we love serving the public and all our customers are friendly. We know most of them by name and they know us. It keeps us happy."
With gas and electricity bills going up, the business is harder to operate. “You can only raise prices to a certain extent, beyond that you can lose customers as they won’t be able to afford it."
Joanna Sayer, the 48-year-old owner of The Beauty Room, started her journey as a business owner with the thousand pounds her nan gave her years ago.
The salon is up for best beauty or service business.
With recession and lockdown, she has often faced moments that seemed too difficult to overcome.
Her beauty salon in Gidea Park completed 30 years this year, and she is still going strong.
“We have got some very loyal clientele," Joanna said. "I have still got some of my clients for over 32 years as they have followed me from the time I trained in college."
Her customer service, she believes, is one of the key things that keeps people coming back.
She added: “There are so many salons now since I first started, I just think that making sure that you treat your clients like an individual and not just a number that comes through your door is important."
Voting for the finalists closes at 5pm on March 29.
To see a full list of nominees and vote, visit havering.gov.uk/smallbusinessawards.
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