Hastings Business Coach Mike Sherwood Places Third for Entrepreneur of the Year
FreshOnline founder and Hastings business coach Mike Sherwood places third for Entrepreneur of the Year at the Sussex Chamber Business Awards 2026.
FreshOnline founder and Hastings business coach Mike Sherwood has placed third in the Entrepreneur of the Year category at the Sussex Chamber Business Awards 2026.
The awards were held on 10 July 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole, bringing together business owners, leaders and organisations from across Sussex.
Mike made the final three alongside Ross Crawford of Mr Digital and Catey Palmer of DuraSuite, who was named the category winner.
The recognition reflects Mike’s experience of starting, rebuilding and growing businesses over more than 25 years, including the development of FreshOnline from a one-person operation into an established local web design, marketing and business support company.
Recognising Sustainable Business Growth
The Entrepreneur of the Year award recognises someone who has developed an idea into a successful and sustainable business by understanding their market, customers and commercial challenges.
Mike’s award entry focused on the story behind FreshOnline, the setbacks that led to its creation and the way the business has grown while remaining closely connected to Hastings and the wider 1066 area.
FreshOnline was founded in 2014 with a straightforward aim: to help small businesses present themselves professionally online and generate a more consistent flow of customer enquiries.
The company began after the closure of Mike’s previous recruitment business. While returning to part-time employment, he started learning website design and digital marketing and gradually rebuilt his career around those skills.
For the first five years, Mike handled almost every part of FreshOnline himself, including sales, client relationships, project management and delivery.
That period helped shape the company’s practical approach: understand what the client is trying to achieve, communicate clearly and focus on work that supports a genuine business result.
Growing FreshOnline in Hastings
FreshOnline is now based at the Innovation Centre in St Leonards-on-Sea and supports businesses across Hastings, Sussex and the South East.
At the time of the award entry, the wider group of businesses employed 12 people and generated approximately £600,000 in annual turnover.
FreshOnline had also:
- Hosted and supported well over 100 client websites
- Created long-term employment within the local area
- Supported businesses ranging from start-ups to international organisations
- Developed specialist companies serving the medical aesthetics sector
The growth of the business has not been based on one service alone. Website design, SEO, branding, marketing, customer experience, financial management and team development have all needed to work together.
That experience now forms an important part of Mike’s work as a Business Coach in Hastings.
Responding to Change
Running a business for more than a decade has required FreshOnline to respond to changing technology, customer behaviour and economic conditions.
During the COVID period, many clients needed to change how they communicated, sold and delivered their services. FreshOnline helped businesses improve their websites, strengthen their online presence and continue reaching customers during a difficult period.
Mike also identified opportunities to provide more specialist support.
This led to the development of Aesthetic Web, which provides websites and branding for medical aesthetics businesses, and My Aesthetics Business, which supports practitioners with marketing, resources and business development.
His work has also included helping aesthetics training providers expand across the UK and internationally.
These experiences have given Mike first-hand knowledge of both the opportunities and pressures that come with growing a service-based business.
Supporting the Local Business Community
FreshOnline has remained closely connected to Hastings and the surrounding area throughout its growth.
The company has helped local businesses launch, improve their marketing and build stronger online profiles. It has also supported community organisations and charities including St Michael’s Hospice, Surviving Christmas, the Hastings Easter Festival, the Transom Trust and Littlegate Supported Employment.
FreshOnline After Hours was also created to give local business owners an informal opportunity to meet, build relationships and share ideas.
For Mike, building a successful company has always included supporting the people, organisations and business community around it.
Lessons From More Than 25 Years in Business
The award recognition also reflects lessons gained through success, failure and periods of significant change.
Setbacks Can Lead to Better Decisions
The closure of Mike’s earlier recruitment company was a difficult experience, but it also led to a complete reassessment of his skills, business model and approach to growth.
Business setbacks can expose weaknesses that may otherwise remain hidden. Used properly, they can lead to clearer priorities and stronger future decisions.
Being Busy Is Not the Same as Progress
Business owners can spend every day serving customers and handling urgent issues without addressing the problems limiting growth.
Regularly reviewing performance, numbers and priorities can help prevent months of effort being spent in the wrong areas.
Marketing Cannot Be Viewed in Isolation
More enquiries will not automatically create a stronger business.
Pricing, sales follow-up, customer experience, costs, systems and team capacity must also support growth. Marketing works best when it forms part of a wider commercial plan.
Consistent Action Matters
Most business improvements do not come from one dramatic change.
They come from identifying the right priorities, completing agreed actions and reviewing the results consistently. This is one reason accountability plays such an important role in effective business coaching.
Business Coaching for Hastings Business Owners
Mike now provides practical business coaching through FreshOnline for owners across Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne, Rye and the wider 1066 area.
The coaching is designed for small and established business owners who want help with areas such as:
- Business strategy and priorities
- Marketing and lead generation
- Sales and customer conversion
- Pricing and profitability
- Systems and accountability
- Leadership and team development
Support is available through the Business Breakthrough Intensive, ongoing one-to-one business coaching and the 1066 Business Mastermind.
Each option provides a different level of support, from resolving one pressing challenge to receiving regular guidance and accountability.
Looking Ahead
Placing third for Entrepreneur of the Year is recognition of how far FreshOnline has progressed since it began in 2014.
It also supports the next stage of Mike’s work: helping other local owners make better decisions, strengthen their businesses and create clearer plans for the future.
The focus remains the same as it was when FreshOnline began: providing practical support that helps business owners improve their results and build companies that work more effectively.
Looking for a Business Coach in Hastings?
Mike Sherwood provides practical business coaching for owners who want clearer priorities, stronger marketing and sales, improved profitability and greater control over their businesses.
Book a free 15-minute introductory call to discuss your current position and the type of support that may be suitable.