Another incredible day at the SBS Event 2026.  

Thank you to Theo Paphitis and the amazing @thesbs_crew for organising the brilliant theme for the day of Resilience Rocks. 

• 70% of SBS winners have been running their business for over 4 years, that is resilience.
• 72% are feeling optimistic for 2026, that is resilience.
• 60% grew their turnover in 2025, that is resilience.
• 54% are sole traders, that is resilience.

A special shout out to Tash from Rubba Bubba for being my wonderful plus 1 again. 

Thank you to Scarlet Impressions for the gorgeous glass bead bracelet and good luck with your new business The Viking Glassmaker. 

Tiffany Budd for the beautiful book mark that I will be using in my journal. 

Bare Cards it was fabulous to meet you in real life and thank you for the cute card too. 

Ask Rachel UK for the huge hug and for being a true queen of awesomeness. 

Mel Langton Art for your amazing art work and including me in it. 

Remember talent is grown not born and as Katie Piper said “healing over hate”. 

What Is The SBS Event?
In the UK, the “SBS Event” refers to the Small Business Sunday (#SBS) Annual Event, a major networking and educational conference founded by retail entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis.

This year’s event took place on February 20, 2026, at the ICC in Birmingham.

The event is an invite-only gathering for winners of the Small Business Sunday award. Every Sunday, Theo Paphitis selects six small businesses that post about their brand using the hashtag #SBS. These winners then gain access to the annual event, which serves as a massive growth platform, plus smaller annual Bootcamps at various destinations around the UK.

Key Highlights of the 2026 Event
The 2026 theme was “Resilience Rocks!”, focusing on how SMEs can navigate economic uncertainty and digital transformation.

There was also the first Live Pitch Competition, in partnership with NatWest, three finalists pitched live on stage for a share of a £10,000 prize fund and high-profile mentoring.

Networking & Mentoring: Over 1,000 entrepreneurs attended to meet with industry experts from partners like Google, DHL, and Ryman.

The Certificate Ceremony: A rite of passage for every new winner is taking a professional photo with Theo Paphitis while receiving their official #SBS winner’s certificate.

What is the Small Business Sunday Award?
The Small Business Sunday award (commonly known as #SBS) is a prominent UK business initiative created by retail entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis.

Launched in 2010, the award is designed to give small businesses a free platform to boost their visibility, credibility, and networking opportunities. It has since grown into one of the UK’s leading small business communities with over 4,500 winners.

How It Works
The award isn’t a traditional trophy-based competition; it’s a weekly social media event.

The Entry Window: Every Sunday between 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM (UK time).

The Platforms: You can enter via X (Twitter), Instagram, or LinkedIn.

The Action: Business owners post a pitch about their business, tagging @TheoPaphitis and using the hashtag #SBS.

The Selection: Theo personally reviews the entries and hand-picks six winners every Monday night at 8:00 PM.

What Winners Receive
Winning #SBS is can be a “game-changer” for your business due to the following perks, but you do need to engage and make the most of the networking opportunities:

The Repost: Theo shares the winning businesses with his combined social media following of over 800,000, leading to a massive spike in traffic and followers.

The #SBS Badge: Winners get an official digital badge to display on their websites and marketing materials, which acts as a “seal of approval.”

The Exclusive Network: Access to a private community and Facebook group of thousands of other winners to share advice and collaborate.

The Annual Event: An invitation to the #SBS Winners’ Event in Birmingham, where winners receive a physical certificate from Theo, attend workshops, and hear from high-profile guest speakers. Past speakers include Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, Stacey Solomon, Katie Piper and experts from business like Google, Tik Tok, Ryman, Natwest, Robert Dyas, SumUp and Hakim Group.

Tips for Winning
Since thousands of businesses enter each week and only six win (a success rate of roughly 0.8%), competition is fierce; I recommend:

Consistency: Many winners enter every single Sunday for months (or even years) before being picked. It is a great free advert for your business each week. You can pitch the same wording or change it up.

Personality: Theo looks for passion and a clear “sell”, don’t just list services; tell your  story.

Professionalism: Having a high-quality, functional website is a prerequisite.

Visuals: Use engaging images or videos of your products/services to stand out in the feed.

New for 2026: Theo Paphitis recently launched a new #SBS Small Business Award for Women in Business in partnership with the Enterprise Vision Awards (EVAs), specifically to celebrate female #SBS winners who have shown significant growth.

This was my Winning Post in 2023:
Hi, @theopaphitis. My youngest son is autistic and was diagnosed with a rare lymphoma in 2016 when he was just 14 years old. I gave up my full-time paid employment to become his full-time carer and my crafts were vital to my mental health. I decided to start selling them online in 2017 as a therapy and for the extra income we so desperately needed at such a difficult time in our lives. I absolutely love my creative small business and thankfully my son is now in remission so now is the time for me to grow my passion for sustainable living and the slow fashion movement. Being a part of the amazing #SBS community would help me to expand to help other like minded eco-conscious people. SarahLouCrafts.co.uk 

After my win I was featured in the South Wales Guardian:

https://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/24168739.sarah-lou-crafts-recognised-dragons-dens-theo-paphitis/

Are you tempted to enter?
Have you ever entered the SBS competition?  If you haven’t, I encourage you to try, and if you have won, I would love to hear your experience too. 

When I won the SBS award on 18 September 2023, I went into a major imposter syndrome moment of feeling completely unworthy for winning, but being a part of the amazing SBS community has helped my confidence and the other amazing small business winners are inspirational. The incredible Annual Event hosted by Theo and meeting him to collect my certificate was unreal, and I totally fluffed speaking to him on the day. The Facebook group is full of daily help and support for all things small business riding the lows and celebrating the wins together. 

It is definitely worth entering every week, even if you don’t win as it is great exposure for your business. 

You can read all my other posts at https://buyindie.co.uk/store/sarahloucrafts/blogs/

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