27 Apr Northamptonshire Businesswoman Wins Gold and Proves Bold Ideas Build Brilliant Businesses
A Northamptonshire entrepreneur who created her own profession from the ground up has been crowned Gold Winner – Business Woman of the Year at the prestigious Northamptonshire SME Business Awards, held at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
Fiona Stacey, founder of her freelance sales consultancy business, was recognised for transforming the way small and medium-sized businesses approach sales. Proving that bold thinking, authenticity and human connection can create extraordinary success.
In a world where sales is often associated with hard pitches and aggressive tactics, Fiona has built a reputation for doing the opposite. Her business focuses on trust-led conversations, relationship building and helping businesses grow through meaningful, research driven outreach.
Fiona built the role entirely herself. “When I first looked into becoming a freelance sales specialist, the role barely existed in the UK, I found one person who kindly showed me how she did it and I started to craft my own path,” said Fiona. “With no blueprint to follow, so I created my own. I wanted to prove that sales could be human, flexible and genuinely supportive for businesses that needed growth but couldn’t afford large in-house sales teams.”
Today, Fiona works with businesses across multiple sectors ,from charities and HR firms to trades and service providers. Helping them secure new clients, retain existing accounts and increase revenue through tailored sales strategies and warm prospecting.
Over the last year, Fiona has become a powerful advocate for Northamptonshire’s SME and business community, championing smaller businesses and helping them gain visibility in larger commercial spaces. Alongside her client work, she supports Love Corby with networking events across the county, creating opportunities for collaboration, connection and business growth. Volunteering with Love Corby, helps a not for profit organisation significantly grow membership numbers and strengthen partnerships between charities, SMEs and major logistics companies across the region.
This award recognises not only Fiona’s commercial success, but also her commitment to empowering others, mentoring business owners and creating lasting impact across Northamptonshire.
Her message to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: “Don’t wait for permission to build something different! Sometimes the opportunity you’re looking for doesn’t exist yet,” Fiona added. “Be bold enough to create it yourself. The biggest breakthroughs happen when you stop trying to fit into someone else’s footprint and start building your own.”