Enterprising Stockton Awards Celebrates New Entrepreneurs
On Stockton Infinity bridge with Enterprising Stockton Award for 'Journey Travelled'
On the 4th July 2018, I was invited as a finalist for the Enterprising Stockton Awards. The event was held at Stockton Riverside College and supported by partners such as The Prince's Trust and Five Lamps. This is the second annual Enterprising Stockton awards evening, it's aim is to highlight the success and accomplishments of individuals and independent businesses from across the borough. It was a wonderful evening with live entertainment, great food and likeminded people. It was exciting to see organisations like this come together to recognise local entrepreneurs and I was honoured to be a part of it.
There were seven award categories and I was absolutely thrilled to win 'Journey Travelled' and come runner-up in the categories for 'Most Profit' and 'Overall Best Business'. It was such a proud moment and means I now have two different awards under my belt in my first year of business. The first award was by Hartlepool Civic Society in the category 'Tourism Potential' for my collaboration with Owen Smith on the prestigious Hartlepool Railway Artwork.
With partner Owen Smith, who I collaborated with for the Hartlepool Railway Station Artwork
For my application form I had to explain my journey and what makes me different, so here is a snippet...
Having my own business is something I had always aspired to do, but the Hartlepool Railway Station artwork definitely inspired the launch, as it gave me complete confidence in my abilities and attention from the media and public, which I needed to make a really strong start. I specialise in creating commercial illustrations and branding for businesses and as public interest in my work gradually grew, I have had the privilege to work with clients such as Tees Music Alliance, Vintage Chartered Financial Planners, Cleveland College of Art & Design and The National Museum of the Royal Navy. I have hit a point now, where there is so much happening and so many exciting projects coming up. I have also started selling my own Stockton-on-Tees prints by partnering with the local independent business DRAKE The Bookshop, and will be expanding my work for sale in the future too.
The specialised artwork I create is a unique service and each brand I create is bespoke and made to stand out from competitors. I am very honest with my clients and give them advice and guidance to get the best possible result, I take time to communicate well and be respectful and patient, I may suggest using a different type of product that would be more suitable for the purpose, or a change to their business persona. This can be a little unusual, as many graphic designers will do exactly what the client asks for even if they believe it won’t work very well, just to get the job done. Although, I am never pushy, and so far every client has taken my suggestions on board and has been very pleased with the result. Below is a snippet from a testimonial from Stephanie's Dog Training.
“Abby happily went back and forth discussing designs and colours until I was 100% on my design, I was never rushed and pushed into making decisions and Abby even checked after the process was finished that everything was working ok and functioning on all social media outlets. Without a doubt I would recommend her as most of all I felt my brand was safe in her hands!”
On the 9th August, a press release about the awards evening was published in the Evening Gazette, alongside a photo and quote from myself...
Among the award winners was Stockton-based graphic designer Abby Taylor. Abby launched her business, Abby Taylor Graphic Design and Illustration, just one year ago, after collaborating with Owen Smith on 12 pieces of artwork displayed at Hartlepool Railway Station.
She said: “I was absolutely thrilled to win Journey Travelled and also to be a runner up in Most Profit and Best Overall Business. It was such a proud moment and a wonderful event where I got to meet some great people. Of the Enterprising Stockton initiative she said: “It’s amazing to see these huge organisations come together to recognise local entrepreneurs and I was honoured to be a part of it.”
If you are considering getting a brand refresh or rebrand, or high-impact artwork, please email hello@iamabbytaylor.com or fill in the contact form on the Contact page.