The Search: Fledgling businesses can learn how to fly

Sep 3 2007 by Tony McDonough, Liverpool Daily Post

An exciting initiative gives budding entrepreneurs the chance to get their ideas off the ground. Deputy Business Editor Tony McDonough reports

TODAY marks the launch of a unique and exciting initiative – the search for the Merseyside Entrepreneur of the Year.

The Search is the brainchild of Wirral-based Dominique Faversham Group, in association with the Liverpool Daily Post, and aims to inspire and support entrepreneurial talent of all ages across the region.

Budding entrepreneurs from across Merseyside are invited to enter The Search with an exceptional business idea which requires funding and practical advice to turn their dream into a reality, or a fledgling business (trading for less than two years) which needs financial stability and expert guidance to realise its full potential.

The winner of this life-changing opportunity will be announced by Cherie Blair at an awards luncheon in Liverpool on December 13.

The award winner and Merseyside Entrepreneur of the Year 08 will receive up to £100,000 of unsecured business funding guaranteed by Dominique Faversham Group and provided through Lloyds TSB.

A tailored 12-month programme of coaching, expert professional advice and practical business assistance will be supplied at no cost by a range of prominent local businesses, all of which have pledged their support to The Search.

The entrepreneur’s progress will be reported monthly in the Daily Post through to September, 2008.

The initiative is the first of its kind, but is hoped The Search could become an annual event on Merseyside.

David Mairs, group chief executive of Dominique Faversham Group, said: “All too often in our culture, age can represent barriers.

“We are keen to hear from and recognise talent in entrepreneurs of all ages.

“We are looking for people with a great business idea who are struggling to get funding or are unsure how to go about it, or those with a fledgling business which has been trading for less than two years and would benefit from expert professional support.

“The Search is unique in that it has created a sustainable model for the transfer of skills, knowledge and expertise to the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, not just once but year after year.

“The collaboration in Merseyside should act as a role model for other regions in the UK. We have created a template that others can follow, and the support from the business community, academic community, regional media and charities has been phenomenal.”

A host of regional organisa- tions has committed to raising awareness of the opportunity represented by The Search including The Prince’s Trust, PRIME (The Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise), Business Link North West, the three Liverpool universities, Merseyside Colleges’ Association, and the North West Forum on Aging.

Cherie Blair, a keen supporter of The Search, said of her involvement: “It is very encouraging to see, through this exciting initiative, how businesses, colleges, universities, charities, the media and regional agencies are working together to recognise the importance of entrepreneurs for the future of Merseyside.”

The editor of the Liverpool Daily Post, Mark Thomas, described The Search as a fantastic opportunity for the right person to take full advantage of Merseyside’s economic renaissance.

He added: “Throughout its 800- year history, Liverpool has been a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity, and even through the difficult years of the 1980s and ’90s the spirit of enterprise was ever-present.

“Now that the city region is very much on the up, the opportunities for would-be entrepreneurs have never been greater.

“I believe The Search will give someone a marvellous chance to fulfil their business potential.”

* LOG on to www.thesearchmerseyside.com to find out more about this unique opportunity or follow the link from www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk

tonymdonough@dailypost.co.uk