BUDDING entrepreneurs from the Stoke-on-Trent area pitched their business ideas to a Dragons’ Den style duo of experts at the climax to the city’s third Let’s Do Enterprise initiative.
Edwin Lewis, head of the Wider Impact regeneration consultancy, 
and Dave Wellings of the North Staffs Business Broker project were the friendly-faced dragons who handed over prizes worth £750 to the winning business ideas put before them at Sandon High School in Meir.
And the event, organised by the Business Brokers, saw Jayne Pointon, a 30-year-old graduate in textile design from Hanley, bag the top prize for her business Orinoco Arts which uses recycled materials in works of art to promote environmental awareness to children and young people.
As she nears the end of her maternity leave, Jayne has taken the leap into self-employment to fit in with her new role as a mother. She named her business after a character in television’s The Wombles who were famous for recycling rubbish and plans to spend her prize - £250 in PC World Vouchers – on a new printer for Orinoco Arts.
She said: “I have really enjoyed the six-week course on starting your own business. We have all gelled really well as a group and gained some great ideas. I’ve now signed up for another course, on e-marketing, through the Business Enterprise Programme and I’ve had some great encouragement from the judging panel.”
Runners up included:
· Narina Stead from Meir Heath who aims to start a holistic therapy business taking aromatherapy massage, reflexology and Indian head massage into client’s own homes as well as corporate environment.
· Matt Smith from Biddulph Moor who has started up his own IT support company for business called Strawberry Square.
· Gavin Meldrum of Trent Vale who aims to start an internet marketing company.
· Shane Leese of Newcastle who is planning to run his own property maintenance company, trading as The Fixer.
All received £100 worth of vouchers from PC World or, in Shane’s case, from B&Q.
Business Broker Dave Wellings said: “As brokers we are here to help build the business community in North Staffordshire and the six finalists who have come before us today have shown determination to stay the course.
“They have completed the six-week Sure Start into Self Employment course, organised by Business Initiative and it has given them all the confidence they need to go ahead and get started in business. Everybody who has come along for the training has been thinking about their business idea for a long time. “These are genuine people with genuine passions and they are all winners with real potential. Realising that potential is now down to their own personal drive and commitment. This is just the start of the journey.”
The latest Let’s Do Enterprise event focused on budding entrepreneurs mainly from the Meir area. A further confidence-building course will be held in Hanley starting on July 4. Contact Business Broker Dave Wellings for more information on 01782 213929.
