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IFA names AccountingWEB business website of the year

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19th Oct 2009
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On Thursday 14 October, the Institute of Financial Accountants presented its 2009 Business Media of the Year award for best website to AccountingWEB.co.uk at a high-powered ceremony at Kensington Roof Gardens in London.

Television “Dragon” Theo Paphitis was named Business Entrepreneur of the Year, while Andrew Marr (TV), the Today programme (radio) and PQ Magazine (trade publication) were honoured in the other business media categories.

The IFA awards are designed to honour achievements among institute students and lecturers as well as accountancy firms, recruitment agencies and the media. The business media prizes are put forward by IFA members and have been a happy hunting grounds in recent years with online business journalist of the year prizes in 2002 and 2008 for AccountingWEB technology editor John Stokdyk.

“Our members just love AccountingWEB and what it does for them,” said IFA marketing director Sharon Jandu.

During the past year, the IFA was confirmed as an associate member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and a roadmap is in place leading towards full membership, said CEO David Woodgate. The institute has recruited its director of education from the ACCA and its business director from the ICAEW and gone through a rebranding process to reinforce its position as the institute for financial accountants and managers working in the SME sector, he added.

The awards were presented by Julie Meyer, the founder of the First Tuesday entrepreneurial meet-up movement and now something of a dragon herself as founder of Ariadne Capital and a panellist on the BBC’s online version of Dragon’s Den.

Meyer praised the IFA and its members for supporting the small business sector. “The entrepreneur is the hero,” she said. “These are people who lead unnatural lives… we need to follow them because they’re the engine of growth.

“Today we celebrate the achievements of people who thought big, started small and grew very, very fast.”

At the end of the ceremony, Theo Paphitis confessed to being slightly surprised to receive the entrepreneur of the year prize.

“Theo, why you’re here is because the work you do is an outstanding contribution to enterprise,” said IFA president professor David Hunt. “People like you act as figureheads for entrepreneurs.”

Other winners in the awards included:

Balbir Panesar - Business Entrepreneur of the Year

Duncan Walker - Accountancy Practice of the Year

Andy Page - Social Entrepreneur of the Year

Sheila Rigg, Conisborough Community Centre – Social Enterprise of the Year

Louise Evans - Outstanding Student of the Year

Tony Surridge - Lecturer/Tutor of the Year

City College Plymouth - Top Centre of the Year

Walker Dendle - Recruitment Agent of the Year

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By My New Name
16th Oct 2009 14:58

...I'd like to thank...

Congratulations, you've worked hard this year.

The site and I have had our ups and downs during the year - what with the links to the CEO's blog going awol every new month and then the anonymity debacle at the relaunch.

It is a useful site and if you continue to work on the outstanding issues you will deserve to win again next year.

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By Becky Midgley
16th Oct 2009 15:46

Thanks

Thank you for taking the time to congratulate us constructively - much appreciated.  We're always trying to listen and improve, don't stop talking to us, and if you think we are not listening, then pick up the phone and shout at us down it, well, maybe not shout, but give us a verbal prod.

I am always available to answer questions/queries/criticisms.

Thanks again. And yes, well done to the editors and team and all the members for sticking around!

Becky Midgley

Community manager

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