PARTNERS Lee and Carrie Johnson crowned an eventful first year's trading by capturing the Best New Business award in the ECHO's Enterprise Champions Awards last year.
Their West Derby day nursery Kids In Bloom had blossomed into a thriving venture with a waiting list.
A few months after picking up the award at the Tea Factory in Liverpool last summer, Lee and Carrie were working on their third project as their business continues to expand.
They have created 25 new jobs so far, looking after youngsters and providing out-of-school facilities like breakfast and holiday clubs.
Carrie said they were thrilled to win the ECHO award and the experience was all part of their voyage of business discovery.
She said: "We hadn't worked for ourselves and we weren't familiar with employing staff and everything that comes with that, so the learning curve we have had has set us in good stead for anything."
The search is now on for the Best New Business of 2005, sponsored by Business Link for Greater Merseyside, in the fourth annual ECHO Enterprise Champions Awards.
Entrants must have started trading on or after January 1, 2003. They must show their success to date based on entrepreneurial activity and their potential for future growth.
The category is not open to social enterprise/charitable/not for profit businesses, although candidates could also feature in the overall Enterprise Champion 2005 category.
Firms have between now and April 8 to submit entries. Winners of the six categories will be announced at the presentation night on June 15.
The Enterprise Champions Awards are in association with Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank and supported by Business Link for Greater Merseyside.
Enterprise Champions 
