Three businesspeople from Tomsk emerged victorious in the nationwide Sber competition
Moscow-based entrepreneurs were recognized at the annual Sberbank "Favorite Small Business" awards ceremony. One hundred federal winners received a million rubles each for their business development, with ten Grand Prix winners also receiving certificates for a vacation at the year-round resort "Manzherok" in Altai Republic.
Three entrepreneurs from Tomsk Oblast were among the winners: Anna Nikolaeva (fashion and beauty center "Podruga Nevesty"), Nikolai Anikin (company "Vkusno"), and Anastasia Levykhina (company "Territoriya Taigi").
Anna Nikolaeva, director of "Podruga Nevesty", expressed her gratitude to Sber for the inspiring competition, the community of like-minded individuals, and the million rubles awarded for business development. By 2025, she plans to expand the cosmetology department, investing in innovative equipment for a higher level of service for clients.
The competition attracted entrepreneurs across the country, with over 31,000 applications submitted. Selection took place in two stages, initially choosing 1,100 winners at the regional level, and then the best 100 were selected federally based on client and expert evaluations. Open-source reviews and surveys of seven thousand consumers were also considered during this process.
Winners were recognized in ten categories: Beauty Industry, Restaurants, Marketplace Trade, Retail (Non-food), Retail (Food), Food Industry, Manufacturing, Hospitality and Tourism, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, and Sports, Education, and Development.
Igor Chepenev, manager of the Tomsk branch of Sberbank, congratulated Anna, Nikolai, and Anastasia on their well-deserved victory. He noted that their success stories inspire and confirm that small businesses play a vital role in regional development. Sberbank remains committed to supporting entrepreneurs who strive to improve the lives of those around them.
The 2021 edition of the Sberbank "Favorite Small Business" awards recognizes outstanding small businesses across various categories in Russia, typically focusing on innovation, social impact, business growth, and other areas that contribute to the development of the local economy.
Anna Nikolaeva, the director of "Podruga Nevesty," will invest the awarded million rubles in expanding the cosmetology department and purchasing innovative equipment, aiming for a higher level of service for clients by 2025. Igor Chepenev, the manager of the Tomsk branch of Sberbank, acknowledged the significance of small businesses like Anna's, Nikolai's, and Anastasia's in regional development and highlighted Sberbank's continued support for entrepreneurship in finance and beyond.
