PHOTOGRAPHER Liz Hall was delighted to pick up the trophy as joint winner of the Sole Trader category in Rossendale Business Awards.

Although Liz Henson Photography has been nominated several times over the last few years but it can seem an uneven playing field when competing against a company with several employees, a shop or a business with a large turnover.

She has been working freelance since she gained her photography degree 10 years ago and has been working full time for her own business since 2013.

At The Riverside in Whitworth, just two of the many businesses that had entered the Sole Trader category were named as finalists – Liz Henson Photography and Catherine Smyth Media.

Catherine is a journalist and for nearly 30 years has been working in Rossendale and across East Lancashire. She set up on her own in 2009.

Unknown to some of the 200 plus people who packed the hall, the two finalists had worked hand in hand on a number of different projects over the years from commissioned pieces for Lancashire Life and The Big Issue In The North to PR stories for several high schools.

As the award sponsor Gary Vear, from SmartyPants Solutions, was preparing to announce the winner Catherine whispered to Liz: “I think we should both win.”

And then the announcement came – they both had!

Liz said: “Photographers and journalists have always worked hand-in-hand and so the result was definitely the most appropriate one.

“I have put work Catherine’s way and she has invited me to photograph jobs for her, which have led to national newspaper coverage. I think we make an excellent team.

“As Gary said when he announced the results, working as a sole trader means you are responsible for every aspect of your business and you have to be organised, keep on top of everything from doing the job, the books, marketing and motivation.

“Winning this award is the biggest boost to motivation you can have when you work for yourself. It is recognition that others realise the hard work you are putting in and the success you are making of your business.”

Rossendale Business Awards is in its seventh year and this year was the most successful with more than 200 nominations and 100 completed entry forms.

The awards are organised by Valley at Work, which connects local businesses.

After the awards were presented, Gary’s wife Romy congratulated the two winners and explained they had looked at the social media for both finalists and had realised how closely they worked together.

She said: “It was just impossible to separate you two, so we didn’t.”

On the night 17 different awards were presented from community and creative, microbusiness and tourism, new to independent retailer.

Other chamber members also sponsored awards – Cassons and Beta Group.

For more information on the awards visit http://r-awards.co.uk/ or Valley at Work visit http://www.valleyatwork.co.uk/