Wye Administration & Bookkeeping has been named as a regional finalist in the UK StartUp Awards 2026 in the Business to Business StartUp of the Year category.

The business, which provides essential support services to sole traders and small businesses, was selected from over two thousand entries for its commitment to helping other small business owners succeed.

The UK StartUp Awards were established to celebrate the UK’s thriving startup landscape, which has grown rapidly in recent years, with around 832,000 new businesses registered in 2025 alone. This year, startups from across the country have been shortlisted, highlighting the strength and diversity of new enterprise.

Founded in 2024 by Sam Cook of Hay-on-Wye, Wye Administration & Bookkeeping was created after Sam identified a clear gap in the local market for reliable and flexible business support. The business provides hands-on assistance to sole traders and small businesses, helping them stay organised and operate efficiently through a range of back-office services, including inbox and diary management, social media support, CRM organisation and bookkeeping.

With experience across a variety of business roles, Sam understands the pressures that come with running a business and the challenge of managing everything alone. By offering a flexible, outsourced solution, she and her team provide a cost-effective alternative to hiring in-house staff, giving clients the support they need without the overheads. Working as a seamless extension of each business, they enable clients to focus on the work they set out to do when they started their business.

Since its launch, Wye Administration & Bookkeeping has grown rapidly, enabling Sam to transition into the business full-time after successfully building it alongside a full-time role for 12 months. That period demanded long days, late nights and unwavering determination, but the commitment quickly paid off. Just three months later, the business had reached full capacity, prompting Sam to begin expanding her team to meet growing demand.

The business supports a growing portfolio of clients across the UK, from solopreneur psychologists and independent retailers to established small businesses, including solicitors’ firms, PR agencies and cleaning companies. This breadth of experience reflects the team’s adaptability, with clients relying on Wye Administration & Bookkeeping to take the pressure off their day-to-day workload.

“Being shortlisted for the StartUp Awards in the Welsh region is huge - this is the award, and it means the absolute world to be a finalist,” said Sam.

“I know exactly how hard starting a new business can be. I built this alongside a full-time job for a year before taking the leap, so I’ve lived the long days, late nights, and tough decisions firsthand. That’s why every single time we help another small business owner, it hits at the very heart of why we do what we do. It reminds me that all the hard work, the perseverance, and the occasional 60-hour weeks are worth it, and it reinforces why championing small businesses is so important.”

Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, co-founder of the UK StartUp Awards, said: “The standard of entries in 2026 has been exceptional, and every finalist should be enormously proud of what they have achieved. Regional winners will go on to represent their region at the national final at Ideas Fest in September, and that is a stage worthy of everything they have built."

If you’re a sole trader or small business owner looking for practical, reliable support, Sam and her team at Wye Administration & Bookkeeping can help. Get in touch at [email protected]