SHILDON-BASED ENTREPRENEURS PUT ‘BUMS ON SEATS’

Two entrepreneurs from County Durham have teamed up to launch a new website for training providers, designed to fill up those few spare places on courses across the North East.

Craig Fantarrow and John Patrick have set up HelpTrainingCourses.com, which will be launched fully next month with the aim of allowing companies and individuals to snap up remaining training course places at a discount instead of them going to waste.

“We were friends as kids before losing touch, but we got back in contact years later when John started working for another local business nearby,” explained Craig, who also ready runs a successful training company called Help! First Aid Training and came up with the idea for the new website through trying to find ways to fill remaining few spare places on his own training courses.

“When you’re holding a training course, the overheads are already paid – so you may as well fill the places at a discount rather than get no return. Filling the spaces last minute at a discount is better than leaving seats empty.

“Our aim is to help get bums on seats. We’re already getting lots of interest and so we are really pleased that the hard work we’ve put in over the last few months is starting to pay off. We’ve had great feedback from early users of the site and the number of training providers on the site is continually increasing but we need to keep building on that.”

John owns a software development and consultancy firm, Actuance Consulting, and builds bespoke software and web applications so was able to put his web acumen to good use. As well as creating the website, he had previously developed a custom search application and found that the same system could be applied to training courses.

“What makes us unique is that nobody else offers last minute training course bookings as well as course advertising. We’ve also came up with some innovative features to make searching for training easier for the end user and added a way of sponsoring searches that we have never seen in this industry.”

“People can find the right course without having to know the exact keyword or locations – our system does all the hard work and that’s resulted in us developing a site that helps people find the right courses at a bargain.

“It's great to see the last few months' effort finally public but this is definitely the start of a process, not the end. We have loads more ideas for this site and for the moment we're listening carefully to our customers and building little extras that they're asking for. I think that the listening and refinement stage is really important. It's so easy to dream up potential new features but sometimes filtering that a little and prioritising on what people really want to use is what counts.”

HelpTrainingCourses.com will be officially launched on Wednesday, 14th July at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum in Shildon, where training providers in the North East will be able to find out more about the website.

At the event, training providers can buy search phrases from as little as £20, while it is free to register your company and set up a company profile to advertise on the website as money is made from search engine phrase sales.

Craig and John plan to employ a small team of three once the business is established, before aiming to expand the website to cover other regions of the UK.

BUSINESSWOMEN TOLD: YOU’VE GOT TO BE IN IT TO ‘WIN' IT

Businesswomen and female entrepreneurs from across the North East region are being encouraged to enter a major annual award which is now in its 11th year.

Women Into the Network (WIN)’s North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards celebrate the achievements of women of all ages and reach out to companies new and old alike, encompassing a wide range of services, and entry is now open ahead of the awards presentation and dinner later this year.

Categories for the 2010 awards are:

· The Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship

· Best New Business

· Young Entrepreneur of the Year

· Best Small Business

· Best Social Media Enterprise

· Best Creative Business

· Best Home Based Business

· Best use of Technology

· Best Rural Business

· Best Retail Business

Di Gates, on behalf of WIN’s board of directors, said: “If you run a business in any sector, of any size, shape or turnover, we want to hear your story. It doesn’t matter if you’ve just started or you’ve been trading for years, there’s a category for you – and entering couldn’t be easier.

“Simply visit www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk and complete the online form to enter yourself or nominate a friend or colleague. If you need a boost of confidence or inspiration you’ll also find it on the website, with stories from previous winners.

“A WIN Award is a major accolade that could really open doors for your business – so please don’t be shy, or put off your entry until next year. Just remember, you’ve got to be in it to WIN it!”

Any woman who operates or owns an enterprise in the North East can enter. You can put forward yourself, a friend or colleague. Entrants must head up an independent organisation and be the main driving force behind it, whether it’s a business or a social enterprise. Rules of entry, judging criteria and entry forms can be found at www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk or by calling 0845 2699862.

A series of launch events, where people can find out more about the entry process and what the judges are looking for, be inspired by previous winners and hear the impact winning has had on them, and gain some valuable contacts, are being held across June and July. The first takes place at The Hilton Newcastle Gateshead (NE8 2AR) on Tuesday 13th July from 7pm - 9pm. Please note this date has changed from the original schedule of the 25th June.

Louise Germaney from Fundraising Skills UK Ltd, based in Newcastle, is still benefiting from being one of last years winners. She said:

“Winning the best home-based business category was great. I hope this new category continues to give recognition to other home based businesses in the region. It has certainly helped raise the profile of Fundraising Skills. And the award gave me a boost during a tough year in business!”

There will also be launch events to follow in July for entrants from the Durham, Teesside and Northumberland area. Please check out the WIN website www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk/events for further information.

The closing date for entries is 5pm on Saturday, September 18 ahead of the shortlisting of nominations on Tuesday, September 28 and the presentation and dinner on Friday, November 19.

Tickets for the North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards evening, at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, are available from the WIN website.

For more information about WIN, visit www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk, where you can also become a member and benefit from a range of services to support, connect and promote you and your business. These include monthly networking events, regular skills workshops, interest-led online communities, business mentors, exclusive tender opportunities and specialist micronetworks. WIN also provides representation for its members at regional and national policy level.

For more information, please contact Leeanne or Ellie on 0845 269 9862 or email info@womanintothenetwork.co.uk

Challenge Winners Unveiled

The winners of the ‘If we can, you can’ Challenge 2010, the North East’s regional entrepreneurial campaign celebrating entrepreneurship, are announced today.

The seven regional winners are Emily Pitkethly of Emily’s Ark, Joanna Feeley of Trend Bible, Darren Williams of Hair X Tensions, Adrian Cheesman of Demob Job, Charlotte Nichols of Harvey & Hugo PR, Barbara Chrisp of The Cabbage Patch and Chris Petty of Cornerstone Business Solutions.

Each winner represents their local media region as a ‘Face of Entrepreneurship 2011’. To read their inspiring stories as well as details of all the entrepreneurs who made the final round in the Challenge, please visit www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk/challenge

Carole Beverly, CEO of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum said: “I offer my congratulations to all the winners of this years’ ‘If we can, you can’ Challenge and well done to all our finalists for making it to the final stages of the Challenge. The sheer number of votes that have flooded in over the last month is testament to how the public has taken this campaign to their hearts and reflects the dedication of each finalist.”

Over 100 entrepreneurs entered the Challenge, all of which shared their enterprising story and joined the ever growing online community of like minded entrepreneurs at www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk, which now has over 820 members and dedicated 112 mentors. The community encourages people to share their stories, offering budding and aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to tap into a wealth of experience of people who have ‘been there and done it’ by exchanging experiences and creating connections.

Carole added “For a third year, the Challenge has been an overwhelming success. It is not just the number of entrants that has been gratifying but also it’s their passion and drive to succeed through difficult financial times that has been inspiring. This is just the beginning and we are still urging those who didn’t manage to enter the Challenge to log on and become a member of ‘If we can, you can’ and tap into the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs from across the North East.”

‘If we can, you can,’ is a regional campaign which aims to unlock the entrepreneurial potential among the general public and is driven by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and funded by One North East.

Nicky Is All Set For A Bumper Month

One of the regions top young female entrepreneurs is all set for the sights and sounds of small steps, which could lead to one giant leap which is sure to change her home and business life forever.

Not only has 24 year old Nicky Gray been shortlisted for a prestigious business award but she is also eight months pregnant and will very soon be expecting her first baby.

The Whitley Bay based businesswoman said, ‘I applied online for the ‘Take One Small Step’ competition with Barclays and thought nothing more of it until I received a phone call telling me that I had beaten off 444 entries from across the North East to become a finalist in the competition. However, I then noticed that the final for the competition would be at the same time as my baby’s due date so July is going to be a busy month.

The idea behind Nicky’s new business, Fidgets in Whitley Bay came from seeing her three year old autistic nephew struggling to get a hair cut, taking any child for a hair cut can be a bit of a drama for most parents and as Ryan finds it hard to understand things Nicky knew there must be a way to make this experience easier but more enjoyable for families. After months of research Nicky seized the opportunity and launched the North East’s first salon for children. ‘Some children are nervous and don’t look forward to having their hair cut, but here they can’t wait to sit in the Brum, Lightening McQueen or our Barbie cars and watch cartoons on the television whilst their mums and dads can relax.

‘I am both shattered and excited, just when I thought Fidgets was ready for me to take a step back and go on maternity leave, the hard work needs to begin to get public votes to be in with a chance of winning this award. But I need to give it my all, business is tough but getting an opportunity like this is incredible, I just hope my baby stays put until after the competition said Nicky, who is hoping that enough public votes will help her to become the overall ‘Take One Small Step’ champion of the North East.

‘The preliminary stages took place with a judging panel but now it’s all down to the public going online from the 7th June to the 4th July and casting their vote at https://www.takeonesmallstep.co.uk//Entry/View/3117 or by texting FIDGET to 87222 The overall regional winner will receive £50,000 pounds in which to invest in their business and Nicky has huge expansion plans in place. You can also see Nicky in action at Fidgets by viewing this video

‘It would be a dream come true to win and if it were to happen then I’d open up another Fidgets in the region in 2010 taking on another five employees. I would then roll out the concept as a nationwide franchise across the UK for other young entrepreneurs to start up their own business, and if I did not win then taking Fidgets and making it accessible to every child in the UK will take me a little longer to achieve.

She is certainly no stranger to running her own business, back in 2006 Nicky launched Kiki’s Kabin indoor play centre in North Shields and she now employs 24 members of staff at both her Fidgets and Kiki’s Kabin enterprises. ‘I have learnt so much about business, managing teams and building a good brand reputation from running Kiki’s which I hope will stand me in great stead for the nationwide push of Fidgets.

‘July is going to be an exciting month and although coming up with business names is quite natural we have still no ideas for our baby boy, so I may have to ask the mums and dads for their tips when they come into the salon.

Get Set Kids Celebrate 1st Birthday Success with Some Breaking News

Get Set Kids magazine based in Newton Aycliffe are about to celebrate their successful first year in business.

Started by two Newton Aycliffe mums, Emma Ord and Ally Mendelsohn, Get Set Kids is a glossy colour magazine distributed free of charge three to four times a year to 10,000 primary school children across County Durham and on a download from the website, www.getsetkids.co.uk.

Neither Emma nor Ally came from a business background but having a “can-do” attitude and passion for their product has meant Get Set Kids is going from strength to strength.

Get Set Kids’ ethos is to get families out and active, learning and playing together in their local communities and supporting the businesses and venues in those communities.

Their aim is to be a valuable and inspirational addition to family life in County Durham and they always source anything they need for the business within the local area, helping businesses promote their services to the family market via the magazine.

During their first year Emma and Ally have gained the backing of the extended schools co-ordinators in County Durham, who organise out of school activities across the area and now have their own feature page in each issue. This has been facilitated by Get Set Kids being not purely a commercial venture, but by having a social/community aim at its heart.

A large proportion of the magazine is used to support local charities, local and national campaigns including Durham County Council’s Walk to School and Healthy Schools Project, interesting and educational editorials, and interviews with inspirational people.

They have also gained the support of TFM Radio’s Wake Up With Wayne breakfast show – Amy McConnell from the show has her own column in the magazine and they run regular on-air competitions.

Get Set Kids Summer issue, due out in July, promises to be the best yet with some fantastic celebrity interviews, competitions, events calendar and loads of idea for what to do and where to go with the kids in the Summer holidays. Don’t miss it!


And some BREAKING NEWS from Ally and Emma...

“We’ve been very lucky to get an interview with Jamie Oliver for our Summer issue. This is a real coup for us. His office had put out a note saying he wasn’t doing any press interviews until the Autumn because of pressure of work so we were thrilled when an email came informing us that he really liked the magazine and would love to work with us.

“We’ve also got interviews with Carrie & David Grant from Fame Academy and Sportacus from Lazytown. Its fantastic when celebrities support small community projects like ours and we really appreciate their help in making our magazine a fantastic read.”

Kieron launches BigAudioAds.com

The entrepreneurial streak of IWCYC member Kieron Donoghue, founder of ShareMyPlaylists.com, ContentNow.co.uk and quite a few more businesses, is at it again. Kieron has just launched new business BigAudioAds.com, which offers high quality audio ads at affordable prices.

Until now, small to medium businesses may have struggled to get a high quality audio ad produced. They either didn’t know where to source an audio ad provider or the costs were too high and therefore prohibitive. With online streaming music services like Spotify and We7 - whose audience runs into the tens of millions – offering audio ads as an advertising platform, BigAudioAds.com make it easier than ever to get a customised audio ad produced for broadcast.

Kieron says, “The idea for the site came about last year when I was looking to create my own audio ad to be broadcast on Spotify. I didn’t want to go to one of the large advertising agencies as I knew that they would charge me at least a couple of thousand pounds for an ad, which made the campaign prohibitive, but I didn’t know where else to turn. That led me to think that if I have that problem then I’m sure others will.

“So after a bit of research I found that there wasn’t really any companies that offer high quality audio ads at a reasonable rate, aimed at small businesses - so I decided to set one up.”

BigAudioAds.com audio ad packages start from just £395 for a 20 second voice only ad, going up to £475 for a 50 second ad. The pricing system is very simple; all the customer has to do is choose the length of their audio ad, then if they wish they can add on extra features like sound effects or music. BigAudioAds.com even offers a script writing service for just £45 if you need help in getting your message across effectively.

Customers can also “audition” a wide range of both male and female voice over artists on the “Voices” page as well as listening to demos of ads we have already produced on the “Portfolio” page. With four core products, customers can choose from; Buzz 20 seconds, Flash 30 seconds, Blast 40 seconds and Roar 50 seconds. And with sound effects from just £25, music from £30 and professional script writing at £45 per ad this is simple and effective approach to products and pricing.

With a turnaround of approximately 5 - 7 working days, this is an affordable and dynamic alternative to reach a fast paced emerging market place.

Kieron continues, “With services like Spotify and We7 now broadcasting to tens of millions of users and growing every day I’m confident that there is a mass market opportunity here to offer a professional high quality service to small and medium businesses who want to dip their toe into audio advertising but don’t know how. That’s the position I was in a while ago and I’m hoping that BigAudioAds.com will solve that problem.”

2nd June 2010 - Pay As You Go HR Service Taps Into A Trend

An HR specialist is tapping into a growing market with the launch of a new, ‘pay as you go’ support service, as figures show that 64% of businesses find it more cost effective to outsource elements of their HR function.

The new three tier ‘pay as you go’ service is the brainchild of Mark Ions, managing director of North of England HR specialists Exclusive Human Resources. It offers businesses a choice of various levels of support, with a monthly starting price of £25 - less than a typical small business spends on stationery and sundries.


“The recession has really focused owner-managers on what they can do in-house, and which elements of their business are more cost-effective to contract out to a specialist. Industry polls show that a third of businesses are more likely to outsource now than they were two years ago,” said Mark.


“Small business owners have their hands full trying to run a successful business, as well as making sure they comply with employment rights and constantly changing legislation.


“It’s very common for people to sideline HR procedures until they find themselves suffering from low morale and high staff turnover, or are faced with a tribunal. But by then it can be too late - the financial consequences of getting it wrong can be serious enough to close a business down.


“It’s not just a matter of avoiding litigation either. Structured HR support can actually help businesses increase profitability by effectively managing and inspiring the asset that will take their businesses forward once the economy picks up - their people.


“We're offering clients a choice of levels of support so they have all the tools they need to nurture and develop their staff, and stay compliant. The fee structure is designed to help businesses with budgeting, and means they only pay for what they need, when they need it.”

One of the first businesses to sign up to the service is bespoke furniture company PMH Interiors, which employs a team of five people and has some ambitious growth plans. Director Michelle Harrison said: “We are in our fourth year of business and to achieve our next stage of growth we need professional HR support.

“This pay as you go, three-tier service is ideal for our needs. My background as a manager in the public and private sector has taught me the sort of healthy company culture I want to encourage, one where there is mutual respect, everyone feels valued and we are all pulling together towards the same aims.

“Exclusive’s experts are helping us to get the basic HR framework in place so that we fully support and develop our people, and at the same time avoid any HR problems arising. And it’s very reassuring to know that we have professional support in place so if any issues do come up, we have expert help on hand to deal with them.”

Unplugged teams up with WIN for new event

The If we can, you can Unplugged events are teaming up with Women into the Network (WIN) to bring you a superb evening of networking and stories from two of the region’s women entrepreneurs.

We have two special guest speakers who will be sharing the secrets to their success. International best-selling author Nicola Cook from Aurora Training will first be sharing her story of nearly 20 years in the sales and human development industry. Her inspirational journey through business will show you how you can achieve your potential and push out of your comfort zone.


Alison Taylor from Food Local Food will also be sharing her journey and explaining how she recently turned her innovative online food business around, through tough times, to become the fast-growing enterprise it has become. Her passion and dedication has driven her business forward and she will explain how winning WIN’S Best New Business Award in 2009 has helped her grow her business even further.


After hearing from our speakers, we will be running a flip chart networking session, which is your opportunity to get involved. If you’re just thinking about starting a business, have just started or are looking for ways to grow your business, this exercise will help you make important contacts that will network that will have a direct impact on your business. So remember, don’t forget your business cards!


Men are also more than welcome to attend, just so long as you are invited by a woman who is also attending (that'll be Hazel then!!).


Date Thursday June 10th


Time 7pm start. 10pm Event Close.


Cost Free to WIN and IWCYC members, £15 for non-members


Location The Village Hotel, Silverlink, Wallsend, Tyne & Wear NE27 0BY.


Contact Will@entrepreneursforum.net or call 0191 2267488 to book your place.