Luxury Cat Hotel franchise named as Best British Small Business

Oct. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- Abi opened her first much imitated, but never equalled, luxury cat hotel in Hertfordshire in 2010. A few short months after opening, Longcroft was almost consistently booked out for months in advance, largely due to Abi’s passion for perfection and meticulous attention to detail. In April 2012 she opened the first franchised hotel in the county and there are now a further three franchises in the pipeline across the south of England.  

Commenting on their inclusion in the Smarta 100 Awards, Abi said:  “We are so thrilled to be recognised for all our hard work and success in building up the Longcroft brand. We are passionate about what we do and winning first place would mean we could continue to expand to meet huge demand from the UK’s 11 million cat owners and provide even more much loved cats with the opportunity to be pampered and looked after in the lap of luxury when their owners are away.

The live vote for the outright winner is now open online, as Abi explains: “We are up against some really big companies so need votes from as many cat lovers as possible if we are to win the coveted Business of the Year title!”

Among the judges was Theo Paphitis of Dragon’s Den fame, while co-Dragon Deborah Meaden, who is also a Smarta board member says: “This year’s Smarta 100 showcase the fantastic breadth of small businesses making waves in the UK business scene. They have proven that being innovative and dedicated can give you the edge.”

In congratulating all the winners, Theo Paphitis said he found the exciting, innovative and successful small businesses and start-ups in the UK today inspiring.

So if you don’t want Abi to stop grinning like a Cheshire cat, vote live for her to win the £10,000 top ‘Smarta 100, together with O2, Business of the Year’ prize by visiting http://www.smarta.com/smarta100/2012/longcroft-luxury-cat-hotel

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Notes to editors:

·         To find out more about Longcroft Luxury Cat hotel visit www.longroftcathotel.co.uk

·         Organised by Smarta.com and O2, Longcroft is listed in the ultimate index of the UK’s savviest, most resourceful and socially-beneficial small businesses.

·         The winner will be presented with their £10,000 prize - courtesy of O2 – at The Smarta 100 Awards final on Thursday 8 November at London’s Proud2, The O2, in Greenwich.

·         The judges are: Theo Paphitis (Ryman and Dragons’ Den), Sháá Wasmund (Smarta), Ben Dowd (O2 UK), Rowan Gormley (Naked Wines), Mike Soutar (ShortList Media), Thea Green (Nails Inc) and Alastair Lukies (Monitise)

·         Smarta is the UK’s leading online resource for start-ups, small business owners and entrepreneurs.

·         O2 is the commercial brand of Telefónica UK Limited and is a leading communications company with over 23 million customers