14 June 2012 by Tina
As we kick off the 2012 Smarta 100 awards
we have caught up with previous winners to hear how
they benefited from scooping the award and to find out how their
businesses benefited from it. Here Oli Christie from Neon Play
explains how his business has grown since winning the award and
explains why you should enter.
What stage was your business at when you won Smarta 100
last year?
Neon Play launched in June 2010, so we were only just over a
year old. We had 10-12 employees at that stage and had enjoyed some
excellent early success with our mobile games like Paper Glider,
Flick Football and Traffic Panic 3D.
Why did you enter the awards?
We felt we were a young and exciting company in a new and
innovative, fast-moving industry of mobile gaming. We were pretty
profitable, had some good stories of success, a lot of positive PR
and we felt that we had a good chance of winning something.
What was the experience like?
We were dead chuffed to be in the Smarta 100 and were also in
the final five for Best Use of Marketing. We had a cracking night
out at the O2 - see story and pics here - and met loads of other young
businesses. There was a real feeling of positivity amid the
economic doom and gloom. We also met Deborah Meaden from Dragons
Den who gave us some good tips.
How has your business benefited from being a part of
the Smarta 100?
Winning awards always generates a good internal vibe within a
company and it creates strong corporate PR. It was great to get
recognised by Smarta as they really shout loud and proud for young
business in the UK. It helped get our name out there to a bigger
audience and we would heartily encourage other companies to enter
this year.
What has your business achieved since being named a
Smarta 100 winner?
Neon Play has won 10 other business awards, including the 2011
Nectar Business Award for UK's Best Start-up. Plus I was awarded
Entrepreneur of the Year at the national Chamber Awards.
What is your top tip for any company thinking of
entering Smarta 100 this year?
Take time over your entry and make it as easy as possible for
the judges to quickly digest your story and success. We like using
sub-headlines and short paragraphs. Use visuals if possible.
For all the information about the Smarta 100, together with O2,
and how to enter click here.