Dragons' Den star and serial entrepreneur Deborah Meaden has joined forces with Smarta to find the UK's smartest small businesses.

Smarta.com has uncovered remarkable companies who have gone the extra mile to differentiate themselves from the market or found clever ways to compete, from their marketing plan to their ethical stance

Smarta.com conducted a survey of the winners and found some interesting statistics about the habits and attitudes of successful entrepreneurs. The survey revealed that only 19% read a printed newspaper but 59% regularly use Twitter and being their own boss and realising an idea is a much bigger motivation than making money.

"Discovering great new businesses is a passion of mine as is encouraging businesses to think and work better. The Smarta 100 does both of these things - and celebrates the best of British business at the same time. I was delighted to see ambitious people saving hard and raising finances to turn their ideas into flourishing businesses," said Deborah Meaden.